Book Reviews TRAIN LIKE A PRO

Transcription

1 Book Reviews TRAIN LIKE A PRO

2 Reap the Fruits of James s Multi Cultural Experiences James Haskell exhortation has always been to train for rugby with your brain and well as your body. He has bravely and boldly chosen to experience a multi-cultural rugby life, playing in the top professional divisions in England, France and Japan as well as Super Rugby and the small matter of 60 England Tests, he had trained under the sport s great coaches and he has hoovered up all the different experiences, in the quest for the perfect conditioning package, of lifestyle, sports science and all the technical aspects. I have to say James Haskell s RugbyFit EBook is a classic. It is true to say that all these career experiences are now crammed into his new project, the James Haskell RugbyFit Ebook. He is always inundated with questions from players of all standards and aspirations, questions on all aspects of preparation to play the greatest game. His vast accumulated store of knowledge now reside in one publication and anyone who aspires to improvement and to improving their game out of sight, together with those of us who coach hopeful youngsters, will be delving into that store. James Haskell RugbyFit ebook is concise, precise, cutting-edge, and sympathetic There are several features which I find very comforting. Haskell demolishes the idea that sheer size and endless heavy weight-training should be everything in rugby. He holds up as the perfect training balance the New Zealand idea that around 65% of training time should be devoted to rugby and skills and 35% to the gym and allied work. Also, you do not have to be a world-class powerlifter to complete all the exercises in the book. Granted, some of the drills and exercises can sound a little scary. The Romanian dead-lift. The Lizard crawl. The Bulgarian split-squat. But the clarity of Haskell s explanations, his summaries of the key points in performing all the parts of the plan, will soon re-assure you. He does not lay out a plan to avoid the hard work, far from it. But this book is not for obsessives, or for the musclebound. It is for rugby players, and on every page, we learn where each stage relates to the actual game. He also outlines rest and recovery protocols, recommends sharp sessions of no more than an hour. He suggests what time in the week and the season calls for what kinds of sessions. This is heads-up preparation for rugby, and it will do you a World of good. James Haskell RugbyFit ebook is concise, precise, cutting-edge, and sympathetic. We all treasure heads-up rugby. This is heads-up preparation for rugby, and it will do you a World of good. Stephen Jones The Sunday Times

3 The beginning of a new year comes with it the turning of new leaves for so many rugby fans, with commitments to improved fitness part of the opportunities presented by the start of a new calendar cycle. With best intentions, it s always harder to achieve what you can without some sort of literary aid and in James Haskell s Rugby Fit ebook, you couldn t enlist a more accomplished training partner. England international James, who has amassed over 60 caps in a career that has taken in all corners of the world, has compiled the perfect fitness guide in his eponymous book, which features several key facets. Thirteen is the magic Haskell number here, as he takes you through the easy-to-digest chapters that will ultimately help you to achieve whatever goals you have set yourself. The fact that James is an international athlete does not mean that the tasks involved are too strenuous or ridiculously complex If you are willing to put the work in, the rest will take care of itself essentially. A visual training plan is something to which all aspiring athletes must stick, for it gives focus and reminds people what their goals are. In this ebook, James provides just that as an example so that you might like to copy it as a base. In addition, a descriptive text on how to achieve the most out of a warm-up is a real highlight; so often injuries occur without the proper procedures having been undertaken, but we see over the course of eight pages a diverse and genuinely interesting way in which to attack this vital training component. James takes readers through what he believes are the important aspects of getting rugby fit, focussing on the perceived brutalities of strength and conditioning but with such variance that the routines seem approachable. Bodyweight, Resistance and Power Endurance training are all addressed ahead of the excellent rugby-specific content; the beauty of each section is that there is a detailed breakdown of how to sculpt your sessions, with lots of little tips and tricks to add in the professional touch. Rest and recuperation are as important as the act of training itself in modern day sport, and so James views on how best to approach these aspects are golden as well. From icing bumps and bruises to expert nutrition instruction and ideas, the ebook finishes as it remains throughout- an excellent way to change the way you train and maybe give you the impetus for a 2016 assault on being the best athlete you can possibly be! Stuart MacLennan Editor The SCRUM Magazine "A meticulous and detailed approach to training like a pro, from conditioning to nutrition; this book is a must-read for aspiring rugby players! Haskell s attention to detail when discussing training suggests that the best players put in the most clever work. - Stuart MacLennan

4 A brilliant addition to any young, aspiring, rugby-player s arsenal. James Haskell s insight in to the game and how to keep the fittest you can be through training, nutrition, supplements and recovery tips is a great book for any aspiring rugby player of any age. James talks us through vital information about warm up & recovery that is key for keeping fit and to reduce the chance of injury. He believes this has been very important to perform throughout his career to ensure he is keeping at his best condition. He tells us a tip about him doing a pre warm-up to my warm-up which involves using band work to open up muscles, or I use a foam roller. This fine detail into what it takes to look after your body as a professional is insightful and perfect for rugby specific training. The plan for the week working around a Saturday game is important for the amateurs as well as professionals. It shows that the training you do should revolve around rugby, as well as the core skills needed during the game. James has really thought about recovery and has set a good amount of time to let your body rest and given set plan into stretching to ensure you are properly recovered before your next game this is shown in the step 1 what your training week should look like. The Pre Training Routines gives great information about what he takes and what supplements are most important. He talks about keeping hydrated during the book that is one of the things he believes is essential. James also considers in getting 95% of what you need from balanced, whole, clean foods. But to be helpful James shows you where products can be bought and reviews about them to make sure you know what you are taking. Although plugging his own brand nutrition and supps is prevalent from the start, it s a fair trade-off with the content provided outside of the bold advertising pages. The training drills and how they are described are very clear and easy to understand. However the pictures used could be a little clearer both in resolution and clarity of the movement. There are instances where they don t convey what is actually happening in the description, poor angles. get you up and over to another ruck or phase quicker than your opponent. Recovery Haskell has really noticed that recovery is needed and time allocated to ensure you can properly rest and stretch. His long career has given him vast knowledge into what can be done to prevent injuries and a quicker recovery, he shows this in his suggestions Step 11 Recovery. Throughout the book there are numerous helpful links on where to buy the products that he uses and recommends. Step 12 Nutrition The in depth detail into eating like a rugby player not a cover model is excellent. Having done this before he knows what works best for putting on size, when to eat to keep you fueled for rugby. His portion guide for a meal is perfect for a rugby player, the amount of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fats you will need to fuel yourself during the course of a week. Overall, this book is very informative, and the knowledge that Haskell has gathered throughout his professional playing career is evident and valuable to anyone that hasn t had that kind of exposure to high-end coaches and sports experts. The detail is a little intense at times, and not something to be read over a coffee in the morning, but if you re serious about your goals and are willing to apply yourself, this book will help you reap the rewards. It shows that having core skills and ensuring your body has enough time to recover using James s guidelines is vital to being able to play rugby at your best quality. He combines tips on gym routines and strength training with the finer details of game-play and also some lesserexplored ideas around standing out your trails and optimizing the opportunities you get. A brilliant addition to any young, aspiring, rugby-player s arsenal. In the Leg Session it shows alternative examples of some of the exercises that is helpful for people if they don t go to the gym or have certain equipment at their fingertips or the club gym. The program gives a variety of different ways of exercising but all linking into what is specifically needed in rugby. A simple but affective skill Haskell has incorporated into his running drills and rugby specific conditioning is down & ups, this simple but needed quality is something that when in a game situation can

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