If you are like me then you have been privy to some pretty mundane training sessions that really lacked any point, focus, intent, direction or purpose. If you are suffering from this seemingly unavoidable situation then read on becasue I want to share with you a template I use for keeping things...shall we say...honest on the training pitch.
As a coach you will find that alot of baggage follows the amateur rugby player...work..family...realtionnsips...kids...traffic jams..so how do you get that out of their heads..quickly allowing you to get the most of out of THEM?
The onus lies on your firstly. If you have a start, middle and end of the session then invaraibly it is easy. Soem days I have winged it but the bottom line is that I know what I wanted from a conditioning session. I know where I wanted to start and where the boys or girls should be ending up...on their knees..feeling great...lifted..mentally broken. You have to make that decision.
1) Laps of a Field
Before you click your back button..hear this out. This is NOT a way of getting your player's fit. Merely a way of getting hte shite out of your player's heads. Two laps of the field. I make it clear that they need to get whatever baggage they have out of thier heads. when they get back the business starts. It also allows for the latecomers and there are always one or two.
2) Dynamic and Shock Warm up
I allow 15-20 minutes for a dynamic warm up involving moving stretches and some shock tactics. Shock tactics can involved commando crawls the length of a field, bear crawls the lenght of a field, wheelbarrow races, fireman carries, wrestling drills. No weight needed just each other and alot of toughness. Again the art of coaching comes in when to deliver the handgrenade. (thanks to strength and conditioning coach, Phil Richards for this)
3) Drills
It is best to work into stations with the same drill performed for 10-15 minutes. I think it is important to never aim for pefection - just a standard that allows for constant engagement and focus. The players need to knwo that they will be working for a set period of time. If things drag out so does the standard. You could work on handling, rucking height - whatever - this is the skills element.
5 minute rest
4) Conditioning
This is then the fun starts. Tyre flipping races, more commando crawls, phosphates, spider tests. I think it is important to always make this competitive. The losers loses and loses hard. If people are not working hard then never punish the individual - punish the group. Let the group sort it out amongst themselves.
5 minute rest
5) Move back to another station of drills
Move back in your groups to the drills. It could be another 10 minute block focusing on another area of the game.
5 minute rest
6) Move back to conditioning
Move back into another 10 minutes of conditioning. Mix up your drills. Keep the stimuation high.
5 minute rest
Depending on time you could finish with a small sided game. However, my focus normally with this type of training is that this is all out conditioning (balls-to-the-wall-stuff) and should be emphasised that way.
It works well. It keeps the stimuation high and the output high too and that my friends is the key. Afterall if you can make training harder than the game then more often that not, the players will be chomping at the leash to get stuck in on Saturday.
Showing posts with label john lark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john lark. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Best Rugby Performance Aid of All
When you think about it – it is the most obvious and logical step to take when one embarks on any performance 'Get Fit for Rugby' related programme.
Drink more water.
Everyone harks on about it. And to all of us it is common sense that doesn’t need a genius to figure out.
We are 70 per cent water. At 4 – 5 % below optimal fluid intake, you could experience a 20 – 30% decline in cognitive function or encounter episodes of ‘brain fog’.
The decline in blood volume that occurs with even slight dehydration impedes the transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, which drains energy hence your afternoon slump.
Even your bones are 25 per cent water.
The muscles that drive your performance are 75% water.
The brain that steers your limbs is 76% water.
The blood that carries your nutrients is 82% water.
The lungs that provide your oxygen are nearly 90% water.
So before you even worry about your calorific intake, how much protein you are consuming and even your fruit and veggie intake you need to drink up.
It is the most potent fat loss trick that you can deploy immediately. Why? Your body thrives on water. Can you imagine your car running without oil?
Your fat cells are particularly active if they are hydrated and bathing in a sea of good quality water. If they aren’t then trying to get the fat out of their comfy havens within your hips is hard work.
Unfortunately, a lot of what we drink is anti-water too. Fruit juices with their high sugar content force us to use up our vital water resources. Coffee, tea and sodas also send us in to a state of chronic dehydration.
As a guide we should be drinking good quality clean filtered water. I strongly recommend getting a reverse osmosis filter fitted.
A sharp rise in the number of men requesting breast- reduction operations is being blamed by surgeons on the effects of excess female hormones in tap water and food reported The Sunday Times in July 2005. So, yes the quality of your water is important.
1 litre for every 18kg of body weight (which seems a lot) can be managed if you chunk it down into steps. Begin with two litres a day and a plan. Have a large glass before leaving the house in the morning. 500 ml between meals and sip at a night. Drop some freshly squeezed lemon juice into the mix.
You will develop a tolerance to this. When you do, crank the volume up.
Focusing on your water intake will take a few baby steps but like all journeys they begin with a single step.
People look at me with a blank stare when I point out that the first most blockbusting fat loss strategy we will put into action is to drink up.
So use the 80-20 rule when it comes to fat loss. 80 per cent of your results will come from 20 per cent of your efforts. Stick to the nutritional strategies that will yield the most results.
That is why drinking your water is the first step. What is the most abundant nutrient in the whole body? Water. What do all of our body cells need in abundance? Water and Oxygen. What do you think will accelerate your fat loss efforts with the least effort? Drinking more water.
You should forget about chopping your portions and finding your next magic bullet until you try a good old-fashioned glass of nature’s finest.
John-Lark is author of Get Fit for Rugby
Drink more water.
Everyone harks on about it. And to all of us it is common sense that doesn’t need a genius to figure out.
We are 70 per cent water. At 4 – 5 % below optimal fluid intake, you could experience a 20 – 30% decline in cognitive function or encounter episodes of ‘brain fog’.
The decline in blood volume that occurs with even slight dehydration impedes the transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, which drains energy hence your afternoon slump.
Even your bones are 25 per cent water.
The muscles that drive your performance are 75% water.
The brain that steers your limbs is 76% water.
The blood that carries your nutrients is 82% water.
The lungs that provide your oxygen are nearly 90% water.
So before you even worry about your calorific intake, how much protein you are consuming and even your fruit and veggie intake you need to drink up.
It is the most potent fat loss trick that you can deploy immediately. Why? Your body thrives on water. Can you imagine your car running without oil?
Your fat cells are particularly active if they are hydrated and bathing in a sea of good quality water. If they aren’t then trying to get the fat out of their comfy havens within your hips is hard work.
Unfortunately, a lot of what we drink is anti-water too. Fruit juices with their high sugar content force us to use up our vital water resources. Coffee, tea and sodas also send us in to a state of chronic dehydration.
As a guide we should be drinking good quality clean filtered water. I strongly recommend getting a reverse osmosis filter fitted.
A sharp rise in the number of men requesting breast- reduction operations is being blamed by surgeons on the effects of excess female hormones in tap water and food reported The Sunday Times in July 2005. So, yes the quality of your water is important.
1 litre for every 18kg of body weight (which seems a lot) can be managed if you chunk it down into steps. Begin with two litres a day and a plan. Have a large glass before leaving the house in the morning. 500 ml between meals and sip at a night. Drop some freshly squeezed lemon juice into the mix.
You will develop a tolerance to this. When you do, crank the volume up.
Focusing on your water intake will take a few baby steps but like all journeys they begin with a single step.
People look at me with a blank stare when I point out that the first most blockbusting fat loss strategy we will put into action is to drink up.
So use the 80-20 rule when it comes to fat loss. 80 per cent of your results will come from 20 per cent of your efforts. Stick to the nutritional strategies that will yield the most results.
That is why drinking your water is the first step. What is the most abundant nutrient in the whole body? Water. What do all of our body cells need in abundance? Water and Oxygen. What do you think will accelerate your fat loss efforts with the least effort? Drinking more water.
You should forget about chopping your portions and finding your next magic bullet until you try a good old-fashioned glass of nature’s finest.
John-Lark is author of Get Fit for Rugby
Monday, March 16, 2009
Frighten Your Team
It has been a while since my last post - I was away last week spending some time with the mad welshman, Phil Richards.
after nearly seeing my breakfast after his 'tunnel of love' drill i can firmly say the man is a genius in getting the most out of a team and pushing you to your limits with 'head wrecking' drills.
What it did bring home though is that to build a winning mentality requires more than hard work.
Ocassionally you HAVE to scare your team with the ferociousness of training. That way they will look forward to match day knowing that they have 'one in the bag' from Tues or Monday or whenever you train.
so don't be scared of unleashing a hellish session on our troops. The key and art is to know when and how far. Couple this with optimum recovery and nutrition and there will be no stopping you.
one drill involved a leopard crawl the length of the field..... as a warm up. Try it. You may just find out what your team are made up of.
John
after nearly seeing my breakfast after his 'tunnel of love' drill i can firmly say the man is a genius in getting the most out of a team and pushing you to your limits with 'head wrecking' drills.
What it did bring home though is that to build a winning mentality requires more than hard work.
Ocassionally you HAVE to scare your team with the ferociousness of training. That way they will look forward to match day knowing that they have 'one in the bag' from Tues or Monday or whenever you train.
so don't be scared of unleashing a hellish session on our troops. The key and art is to know when and how far. Couple this with optimum recovery and nutrition and there will be no stopping you.
one drill involved a leopard crawl the length of the field..... as a warm up. Try it. You may just find out what your team are made up of.
John
Monday, November 3, 2008
Healthy Eating on a Budget
When times are tough, it is time to dig deep and come up with strategies that are part and parcel of most health and fitness enthusiasts armoury, yet rarely show their face in most people’s day –to-day habits.
If fitness enthusiasts didn’t watch their purse strings when it came to eating right they would be cast aside in an attempt to get leaner or bigger! Their food bills would be astronomical.
So what can you do to a) eat healthier foods b) save time in the kitchen and c) save pennies.
Here are few tried and tested strategies that work really well to cover your nutritional bases and also allow you to eat right on a budget.
1.Buy your meat from a local butcher – this goes without saying. I love going into my butcher. Fresh, traceable meat that is far richer in nutrients and more economical.
Don’t be afraid to mix up and try cheaper organ meats. These are powerhouses of nutrition. Just ask one of my Premiership Rugby Players – his staple diet, at 18 stone and 12 per cent body fat, is liver and heart kebabs!
2.Buy your meat, fish and poultry in bulk and try and negotiate a discount. You will always need fresh protein on hand any way to keep up with your healthy eating strategies. Why not buy a few days worth and freeze the rest?
3.Use the local farmers markets as your port of call for fresh veggies and fruits. More often than not you will be able to pick up organic produce at half the price than say a supermarket. You will be doing your bit for supporting local produce too! You know the people that actually care about what goes into your mouth when you buy it!
4.Stick to the outside aisles of your supermarket will mean that you save a huge amount on costly boxed, packaged and wrapped items. In general these tend to be foods that will scupper your plans to keep fit and healthy over the Winter Months. My food bill is by no means through the roof yet I still tuck away around 3500-4000 calories a day. This is a lot of food!
My Nan always brings to my attention how cooking a stew, roast, casserole costs about a Euro whereas you compare this to a serving of waffles, burgers, chips and Ice Cream will knock you back about three times that and the cost of a visit to the Doctor as your Immune System cries out for some nutrients.
5. Buy In Season will mean that you are working with nature rather than against it. Ever wondered why your Strawberries from Columbia are three times the size of a normal Strawberry and looking more like a peach devoid of all colour?
Our love of the humble Strawberry has led us to crave them all year round but this is not how it is suppose to be. The bottom line is that you still pay three times as much for them.
6. Stick to buying loose items too rather than packs of items. This is a cheaper option and will mean that you waste less.
7. It is also funny how a simple Bolognese or chilli sauce can cost three times as much when you choose the jars. Not only are these ladened with hidden sugar but also a Bolognese sauce is so easy and cheap to make.
Simply get a tin of chopped tomatoes, some mixed herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and hey presto. For a chilli sauce add in chilli. A trained chimp could knock that up.
8. Cook More Veggie Based Dishes at this time of year. Veggies are nutrition power houses and lets face it, we don’t eat anywhere near enough of these. Stir Fries, casseroles, bowls of salad ready made in the fridge are great for this.
9. You can also juice Your Veggies to save on waste. A good juicer is a good investment particularly if your kids like vegetables as much as they like going to the dentist. Celery, Carrot and Apple is a great little formula. Throw in some ginger if you like a bit of a kick!
10. With a young fella I refuse to fill him with hydrogenated breads, pastries and biscuits so Pat the Baker watch out. Swap your normal flour for Spelt, use Coconut Oil instead of Margarine or Raw Organic Butter, Splenda instead of Sugar and hey presto you have your baking basics.
www.john-lark.com
If fitness enthusiasts didn’t watch their purse strings when it came to eating right they would be cast aside in an attempt to get leaner or bigger! Their food bills would be astronomical.
So what can you do to a) eat healthier foods b) save time in the kitchen and c) save pennies.
Here are few tried and tested strategies that work really well to cover your nutritional bases and also allow you to eat right on a budget.
1.Buy your meat from a local butcher – this goes without saying. I love going into my butcher. Fresh, traceable meat that is far richer in nutrients and more economical.
Don’t be afraid to mix up and try cheaper organ meats. These are powerhouses of nutrition. Just ask one of my Premiership Rugby Players – his staple diet, at 18 stone and 12 per cent body fat, is liver and heart kebabs!
2.Buy your meat, fish and poultry in bulk and try and negotiate a discount. You will always need fresh protein on hand any way to keep up with your healthy eating strategies. Why not buy a few days worth and freeze the rest?
3.Use the local farmers markets as your port of call for fresh veggies and fruits. More often than not you will be able to pick up organic produce at half the price than say a supermarket. You will be doing your bit for supporting local produce too! You know the people that actually care about what goes into your mouth when you buy it!
4.Stick to the outside aisles of your supermarket will mean that you save a huge amount on costly boxed, packaged and wrapped items. In general these tend to be foods that will scupper your plans to keep fit and healthy over the Winter Months. My food bill is by no means through the roof yet I still tuck away around 3500-4000 calories a day. This is a lot of food!
My Nan always brings to my attention how cooking a stew, roast, casserole costs about a Euro whereas you compare this to a serving of waffles, burgers, chips and Ice Cream will knock you back about three times that and the cost of a visit to the Doctor as your Immune System cries out for some nutrients.
5. Buy In Season will mean that you are working with nature rather than against it. Ever wondered why your Strawberries from Columbia are three times the size of a normal Strawberry and looking more like a peach devoid of all colour?
Our love of the humble Strawberry has led us to crave them all year round but this is not how it is suppose to be. The bottom line is that you still pay three times as much for them.
6. Stick to buying loose items too rather than packs of items. This is a cheaper option and will mean that you waste less.
7. It is also funny how a simple Bolognese or chilli sauce can cost three times as much when you choose the jars. Not only are these ladened with hidden sugar but also a Bolognese sauce is so easy and cheap to make.
Simply get a tin of chopped tomatoes, some mixed herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and hey presto. For a chilli sauce add in chilli. A trained chimp could knock that up.
8. Cook More Veggie Based Dishes at this time of year. Veggies are nutrition power houses and lets face it, we don’t eat anywhere near enough of these. Stir Fries, casseroles, bowls of salad ready made in the fridge are great for this.
9. You can also juice Your Veggies to save on waste. A good juicer is a good investment particularly if your kids like vegetables as much as they like going to the dentist. Celery, Carrot and Apple is a great little formula. Throw in some ginger if you like a bit of a kick!
10. With a young fella I refuse to fill him with hydrogenated breads, pastries and biscuits so Pat the Baker watch out. Swap your normal flour for Spelt, use Coconut Oil instead of Margarine or Raw Organic Butter, Splenda instead of Sugar and hey presto you have your baking basics.
www.john-lark.com
Friday, October 17, 2008
In-Season Workouts
When it comes to maintaining Rugby Fitness, think again. Improvements can be made.
This is a model that is adapted from Charles Poliquin for In-Season. It requires a two-day programme. One session the day after a match and the other two days before.
Thursday was the Explosive Session.
A) Hang Snatch 4 sets of 2 - Rest 180s
B) Deadlift (achilles tendon imflammed so squatting is out at the moment - 4 x 4-6 - Rest 180s
C1) Chins 4 x 3-5
C2) Bench Myotatic Press 4 x 3-5
Felt great after and really light on the feet at the training session that evening. In rugby fitness terms the nervous system is primed!!
John
Your Rugby Fitness Coach
------------------------------
p.s. off up to Belfast this week - feeling fit for rugby with a great week of training under the belt.
This is a model that is adapted from Charles Poliquin for In-Season. It requires a two-day programme. One session the day after a match and the other two days before.
Thursday was the Explosive Session.
A) Hang Snatch 4 sets of 2 - Rest 180s
B) Deadlift (achilles tendon imflammed so squatting is out at the moment - 4 x 4-6 - Rest 180s
C1) Chins 4 x 3-5
C2) Bench Myotatic Press 4 x 3-5
Felt great after and really light on the feet at the training session that evening. In rugby fitness terms the nervous system is primed!!
John
Your Rugby Fitness Coach
------------------------------
p.s. off up to Belfast this week - feeling fit for rugby with a great week of training under the belt.
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