By Kevin Shattock 2014, All Rights Reserved

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Brian Sharp
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3 Everyone has their own stereotype of the #10 and, for the most part, it is just that a stereotype. Let s examine the facts: You will need some size and mass to tackle anyone and everyone, because most teams will send runners down your channel off first phase. The fly half of the old days may have been fragile and scared to get stuck into it, but modern rugby demands #10s who can tackle. You don t need to be a heavy hitter, but consistency is essential. You will also need strength and power to through a dummy and explode through a gap when the opportunity presents itself. And the pace to support your centres when they make a break or to beat the cover defence yourself when it s your turn to go or the line. Of course, as the chief operator of the backline, you need crisp passing and powerful kicking to be an effective distributor. In other words, you need be much more than a pretty boy who is afraid to tackle. You are one of the most dynamic and exciting players on the field. You need to not only lead your team on attack, but dazzle the opposition with stepping, acceleration, power, and of course a little bit of flair when the situation calls for it. The High Intensity Rugby Training (H.I.R.T.) we ll use a professional and scientific approach to forging your body into the ultimate 10 that can pass, carry, tackle effectively and when the chance is there you have the pace strength and speed to take it. The layout of this manual is as follows: first, I ll give you a brief overview of High Intensity Rugby Training H.I.R.T., second I ll give you a no-bullshit overview of how to follow the read/follow the programme in this manual, and third I ll give you the workouts. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 2

4 High Intensity Rugby Training is what I call the way professional rugby players train. They use scientific, performance-based training to prepare their bodies for the stresses of rugby and their position. Generic workouts that most players use might make you look better, but they have nothing to do with rugby performance. They will not give you explosive power in contact. They will not allow give you the strength to dominate your opposite number or the speed to devastate. Generic workouts are training for training sake, not for rugby. H.I.R.T. is better than generic workouts for five reasons: 1. Individualized by emphasizing player choice and addressing strengths and weaknesses of the individual, H.I.R.T. is much more powerful than a generic workout made for the masses. 2. Structured H.I.R.T. trains you differently in different parts of your season. By training differently in your off-season, pre-season, and so on, your training can take you much further. 3. Progressive H.I.R.T. uses meso-cycles (1-4 week cycles) that build on each other. In this programme, you re going to strategically combine meso-cycles for mass, strength, and power to build you into a high performance athlete. More on meso-cycles in a moment. 4. Specific Exercises H.I.R.T. handpicks specific exercises that mimic the stresses your body endures on the rugby field. 5. Specific Tempos simply being strong isn t useful for rugby. You need to be powerful. You need to be able to deliver your strength quickly in a scrum, tackle, or at the breakdown. By using specific lift tempos, you re training your muscles to deliver force quickly which you will make you more effective. In this programme, we re going to use three meso-cycles. A mesocycles is a 1-4 week cycle where you do the same workout sessions that focus on the same component. Here is what we ll use: H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 3

5 Hypertrophy means adding muscle mass to your frame. The purpose of this is not to get big just for the sake of getting big. The purpose is to increase the muscle cross sectional area (CSA) so you have more muscle to turn into strength and strength-speed later on. 10 s need to have an abundance of strength. In this programme you ll get the best exercises for building raw strength. But it s about more than just having the right exercises. To train like a professional, you need to know the right number of sets/reps and lift tempos to get maximum results. We cover all of that in this manual. Being strong is great, but can you apply that force quickly? The strength-speed meso-cycle is all about taking the strength that you built in meso-cycle 2 and making sure you can deliver it explosively. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 4

6 Let s take a quick look at a meso-cycle so you can read them properly. Here s a sample meso-cycle for hypertrophy (mass): Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy Sessi on 1 2 Exercise Notation Notes Bench Lat Pull Down Squats DB Shoulder Lunges 3 x 70% 3 x 70% 10 x 90% 5 x 85% 3 x 75% Push 5 x 80% Use a wide grip (wider than shoulder width apart) Hands wide, knuckles facing you. Pull the bar down to the top of your sternum Full depth Standard variation (knuckles facing out) Both knees bend to 90degrees drive back up off the front leg In the far left column, you can see that this is a 1-4 week period (like all meso-cycles). This particular meso-cycle is for hypertrophy or mass building. Once again, this is typically used in the off-season period but it is entirely up to you. In the Session column, we can see that there are 2 sessions these are the amount of workouts pre week for the duration of the meso-cycle. The exercises within that session are to be completed within that session. The Notation column gives you the sets and reps to be completed for each exercise (this is further explained later). The notes column provides further information (if required) or coaching cues you may find useful. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 5

7 Think you can now read a meso-cycle chart? Good. Here is everything else you need to know about reading the workouts: Sessions The programme is split into sessions rather than days. This will allow you to personalise the sessions to meet your personal schedule and allow rest days when your body needs it. Do all the sessions, not just the ones you enjoy! During your season, the sessions you choose will be dependent on the volume of your practices and the intensity of games you have played that week. For example, if you have played an extremely competitive game on the Saturday, take Sunday as your rest day then Monday may well be a low weight, high volume session. If you had a relatively easy game or only played for 20 minutes as a substitute then you may look to work a more intense session on Monday. Exercises Most of the exercises in the meso-cycles will be familiar to athletes. If you need a refresher, or see something you don t know then check out the video demonstrations that are included in the exercise library. Notations Prescriptions will be given using the following formula: For example: Exercise: Sets, Intensity (Load) Squat: 3 x 85% This would be completing a squat for 3 sets of 5 reps at a load of 85% of 1 rep max (1RM). Weight Prescriptions We re going to be using percentages to prescribe weights for each working set. These weights may need to be adjusted for certain H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 6

8 individuals for a number of possible reasons. What I would suggest for all level of athletes is the mantra of: form over load. In other words, leave your ego at the gym door, technique over bragging how many KG s you had on the bar is key. The weight prescribed is a percentage of your 1 repetition maximum (1RM). For example if your 1RM in the squat is 100kg and the prescription is 5 x 80%, you would lift 5 sets of 5 reps at 80kg (80%). Often, the movement is more important than the weight however. Especially at advanced levels, you may decide to sacrifice some weight in order to get a better range of motion. Tempo Some notation may include a tempo. Tempo is the speed in which you perform the lift or a certain aspect of the lift. Tempo is a variable you can manipulate to vary workouts or create conditions in which to focus your attention on specific physiological characteristics. Tempo is usually dictated by four numbers following the exercise prescription/notation. Here is an example Squat: 10 x 60% 4010 (tempo is bolded) The first number refers to the eccentric muscle contraction of the lift. Eccentric is when a muscle lengthens, and this usually occurs when lowering the weight. The second number is the pause between the eccentric muscle contraction (lowering the weight) and concentric muscle contraction (lifting the weight). The third number is the concentric muscle contraction (when the muscle shortens). This is traditionally when the weight is lifted. The fourth number is the pause between the completion of the concentric action and beginning of the next repetition. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 7

9 With this in mind, let s look at our example Squat: 10 x 60% 4010 This squat, with a 4010 tempo would have you take 4 seconds to lower the bar (flexing the hip & knee) into the bottom position. With no pause, you then take 1 second to extend the knees and hip back to the standing position, and then immediately start the next repetition without a pause. Tempo is absolutely key. Unloading This term generally refers to the end of a meso-cycle and often lowers the volume and/or intensity to provide a period of recovery, before progressing to the next meso cycle. Recovery Quality beats quantity. Rest as you need to. 2 3 minutes in between sets is generally a good starting point. When completing a high volume session or heavy load session the requirement may increase to 4 5 minutes. Bring a stopwatch though, as the time can fly by. The best you can get is a good night s sleep. Schedule rest days when your body needs it. All the meso/micro cycles have recovery factored into them (for example you will very rarely do two body parts on consecutive days) but factor in your technical training and the intensity of those sessions. Key SA = Single Arm SL = Single Leg EA = Each Arm EH = Each Hand EL = Each Leg ES = Each Side DB = Dumb Bell KB = Kettlebell MB = Med Ball BW = Bodyweight Alt = Alternate H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 8

10 Warming Up How you warm up is entirely up to you. I suggest using the R A M P protocol: R = Raise the heart rate, body and muscular temperature. (2-3 minutes of movement to raise heart rate and get blood flowing) Example: jogging, biking, rowing A = Activate the neuromuscular system, the energy systems and muscle groups you will be using. (Dynamic stretching routine, movement based skills) Example: Dynamic stretching M = Mobilise the joints and muscles with dynamic movements. Example: Dynamic stretching, foam rolling, exercise specific movements with a light load (bar only) P = Potentiate means increasing the intensity to get your muscles ready to workout. Exercise specific movements with light load / warm up set Example: Use a lightly loaded barbell to go through the movements you ll be doing Remember that warming up is not meant to look or feel like a real workout session. You are preparing the body for the stress of your workout, not stressing your body. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 9

11 H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 10

12 Let s get started. There are four workout sessions for hypertrophy. Complete all the sessions, every week. Most players will complete one session per day but if you train twice a day, you can do more than one session per day. Use this meso-cycle for 1-4 weeks and then advance to the Hypertrophy Progression 1 sessions for 1-4 weeks. After that, move onto the strength meso-cycle. How long you use the hypertrophy meso-cycle and progression is your choice, depending on your personal training goals and/or when you season starts. Both the Hypertrophy and Hypertrophy Progression 1 meso-cycles can be used for 1-4 weeks which means you should be spending 2-8 weeks gaining mass with hypertrophy. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 11

13 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes 1 Back Squat Incline Bench Lat Pull Down 1 x 80% 2 x 85% 3 x 90% 2 x 85% 1 x 80% Pyramid sets for all three exercises Deadlift 3 x 75% Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy 2 Barbell Shoulder DB Front Raise DB Upright Row 3 x 75% 3 x 75% 3 x 75% Bench 3 x 75% Raise up to shoulder level, control lower. Hands together, keep elbows high, pull up to chin. 3 Bent Over Row 3 x 75% Maintain strong posture. It should be the arms and back doing the work, not momentum. DB Flyes 3 x 75% DB Reverse Flyes 3 x 75% Maintain strong postural position 4 Front Squat 10 x 90% Snatch Grip Shoulder 10 x 90% Bar racked across anterior deltoids, elbow high and torso upright throughout. Hands wide, bar racked on traps. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 12

14 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes Romanian Deadlift 3 x 75% Maintain strong postural position, DO NOT round off upper back. 1 DB Shoulder 3 x 75% Arnold Variation. Start with knuckles facing away from you, as you press upwards rotate the wrists so the knuckles are facing you at the top of the movement, reverse on the lower. Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy Progression Bulgarian Split Squat DB Lateral Raise Incline Bench Close Grip Pull Downs Front Pause Squat Barbell Shoulder DB Upright Row 3 x 8 75% 3 x 75% 10 x 60% x 60% x 85% 5 x 75% 5 x 75% Be strict on the 4 second eccentric contraction. Close grip, knuckles face away from you and the eccentric contraction is when the bars moves away from you. Hold in the bottom position for a count of 1 hold 2 hold 3 hold and up DB Bench 4 x 75% 4 Chins 3 x BW DB Flyes 4 x 75% Hands wide, knuckles facing you. Chin above bar, full arm extension at bottom. Bent Over Row 4 x 75% H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 13

15 After you ve trained for 2-8 weeks with the hypertrophy mesocycles, you re ready to turn that added mass into raw strength. On the next pages, you ll find our Strength meso-cycle and our Strength Progression 1 meso-cycle. Each has four sessions. Again, you have to decide for yourself to spend 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks on each of these. In total, you ll spend 2-8 weeks building strength. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 14

16 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes Back Squat 5 x 85% Full depth. 1 Snatch Grip Shoulder Lunges 5 x 85% 3 x 5 85% Step out is dependent on height, bend both knees through 90 degrees. SA Alt DB Shoulder 3 x 85% Incline Bench 5 x 85% Chins 3 x BW Wide grip, knuckles facing you. Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #2 Strength 2 T Up Feet High Inverted Row 3 x BW 3 x BW Deadlift 5 x 85% Maintain strong posture. They should be a straight line from shoulder to hip and knee. Push 5 x 85% 3 Overhead DB Step Up 3 x 5 80% Have platform height so that when the flat foot is placed on it the axis of the knee is higher than the axis of the hip. DB Shoulder 3 x 85% Arnold variation. Bench 5 x 85% Pull Ups 3 x BW Close grip, knuckles facing away from you. 4 Hindu Up 3 x BW SA DB Row 3 x 85% H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 15

17 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes Front Squat 5 x 85% Keep elbows high throughout, straight upright torso Push 5 x 85% The weight you are using should have increased from the last meso cycle 1 SL DB Romanian Deadlift 3 x 5 85% Maintain strong posture Upright Row Drop Set 3 x 8 x 75 / 65 / 55% Complete 8 strip some weight off, complete 8 more reps, strip weight off, complete 8 reps. Rest = 1 set. Complete 3 sets. Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #2 Strength Progression DB Incline Bench Bent Over Row 5 x 85% 5 x 85% DB Flyes 3 x 85% Chins Overhead Squat Kneeling Shoulder 3 x BW 3 x 80% 3 x 80% Wide grip, knuckles facing you Full depth, control movement Maintain strong posture Deadlift 5 x 85% SA Alt DB Shoulder SA DB Bench 5 x 85% 5 x 85% Wide base for support 4 Feet High Inverted Row Incline Bench Pull Ups 5 x BW 3 x 85% 3 x BW H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 16

18 We ve added mass, turned that mass into strength, and now we need to train our muscles to deliver that strength quickly. The equation for power is strength x speed. In this section, you ll find our Strength-Speed and Strength-Speed Progression 1 meso-cycles. Again, you should decide to spend 1-4 weeks on each. This meso cycle emphasises the strength portion of the equation. You still need to be performing the movements quickly but the load will be 60-80%. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 17

19 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes Power Cleans 5 x 60% Jerks 5 x 60% 1 Clean High Pulls 5 x 80% If the bar is going higher than chest height the load is too light. SA Alt DB Shoulder 5 x 3 60% Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed 2 Lunge (Front) Bench SA MB Bent Over Row MB Catapult 5 x3 60% 5 x 60% 5 x kg MB 5 x 60% 5 x 5-10kg MB DB Flyes 3 x 60% Superset. Aiming to press the MB as high as possible. (Partner required) Superset. Aiming to catapult the MB as far as possible SA DB Row Power Snatch 3 x 5 60% 5 x 60% 3 Jerks 5 x 60% Squat Jumps 5 x 60% Use hex bar if possible Snatch Grip Shoulder 5 x 60% H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 18

20 Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed Sessio n 4 Exercise Notation Notes Clapping Up Lat Pull Down Clockface Up Bent Over Row 3 x BW 5 x 60% 3 x BW 5 x 60% In the press up position, heading pointing at imaginary 12 o clock. Complete a press up then walk the hands so the head is pointing to one o clock on the clock face, repeat for all numbers on the clockface = 1 rep. 3 sets x 1 rep. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 19

21 Sessio n Exercise Notation Notes Power Clean into Jerks 5 x 60% Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed Progression Box Jumps DB Shoulder 5 x BW 5 x 60% Split Squat 5 x 60% Incline Bench MB Rebound Pull Ups Plank Row 3 x 60% 3 x 5-10kg MB 3 x BW 3 x 5 60% Box should be at mid thigh height. Superset. Partner is required. Partner stands on box / platform with MB, you lie on floor on your back next to box hands outstretched. Your partner drops the MB catch and immediately press the ball back up to your partner. SA Bench 3 x 5 60% DB Chainsaws 3 x 5 60% H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 20

22 Fly Half / 10 Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed Progression 1 Sessio n 3 4 Exercise Notation Notes Back Squat Single Hops Push SA MB Shot Putt Bulgarian Split Squat DB Front Raise Deadlift Counter Movement Jumps Power Clean Hockey Strides DB Lateral Raise 3 x 60% 3 x 5 BW 3 x 60% 3 x kg MB 3 x 5 60% 3 x 5 60% 3 x 60% 3 x BW 5 x 60% 5 x 3 BW 5 x 60% Superset. Aim for distance on each hop. Superset. Aim to putt the MB as far as possible Superset. On the CMJ aim for height. Reset after each jump. Superset. Hockey strides: Standing on one leg, drive off laterally, looking for as much distance as possible and landing on the opposite leg. KB Swings 3 x 60% H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 21

23 Postural strength should be completed every session. The purpose of these sessions are to supplement your main workouts (hypertrophy, strength, and strength-speed) with more dynamic exercises. It is up to the individual of how they would like to incorporate it into the session. Some individuals wait until the end of the session and complete all the exercises in one. Some like to complete a postural exercise after each main exercise. H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 22

24 Sess ion Exercise Notation Notes 1 Plank Swiss Ball Crunches Windmills Supermen Swiss Ball Obliques Postural Strength 2 Dorsal Raises 3 x 10 V-Sits 3 x 15 Good Mornings 3 x 10 KB Side Bends Hip Raises 3 x 10 3 Scissors Fire Hydrants Plate Side Touches Keep the hips and shoulders square 4 Waiter Holds Up Down Planks DB Chops H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 23

25 Sess ion Exercise Notation Notes 1 Hands Out Plank Knee Up Swiss Ball Rolls Windmills Supermen Swiss Ball Obliques 3 x 15 Postural Strength Progression Hyper Extensions 3 x 10 V-Sits 3 x 15 Good Mornings 3 x 10 Side Plank Seated Med Ball Side Throws Scissors Seated Overhead Plate Holds Plate Side Touches 3 x 30Secs 4 Leg Throw Downs Flutter Kicks Band Chops High to Low H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 24

26 Sess ion 1 Exercise Notation Notes Barbell Roll Outs 3 x 6 Hanging Leg Raises Windmills Supermen MB Drops Postural Strength Progression MB Slams 3 x 10 Rebound Ball or Med Ball Twists 3 x 15ES Good Mornings 3 x 10 KB Side Bends Weighted Hip Raises Swiss Ball Plank Glute Bridge with Leg Raise Plate Side Touches Weighted Hyper Extensions 3 x 6 3 x 10EL Swiss Ball Pikes 3 x 6 Barbell Pivots 3 x 6ES H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 25

27 This concludes the H.I.R.T. fly half / #10 program. What you have now is a tool that you can use to transform your body into that of an elite #10. By training like a professional with meso-cycles, you will separate yourself from your competition and be a stand out performer on the pitch. This is what will get you noticed and selected for higher honours. I look forward to hearing about your progress and being your coach as you achieve success. -Kevin Shattock H i g h I n t e n s i t y R u g b y T r a i n i n g F l y H a l f / 1 0 Page 26