[DOCUMENT TITLE] IT Services HCUK GROUP High Intensity Rugby Training Back Row

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Marybeth Floyd
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1 [DOCUMENT TITLE] IT Services HCUK GROUP High Intensity Rugby Training Back Row

3 The Back Row (arguably) require the widest set of physiological characteristics of all the positions: Size to be able dominate anyone and everyone on the field of play Strength to make tackle after tackle, carry hard, lift in the line and add to the drive in the scrum Strength-Speed to push your opponents back in the tackle, smash people out of the way at the ruck and make the hard yards when carrying Anaerobic conditioning to work at high intensities with insufficient rest in order to fulfil your role. Along with Centres, the modern Back Row can and should be seen as an athlete rather than a pure rugby player. This system was designed for this position, to turn you and your body into a weapon to be used on the field and destroy anything that is in front of you. The High Intensity Rugby Training (H.I.R.T.) we ll use a professional and scientific approach to forging your body into the ultimate Back Row that can scrimmage, work in the line, 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 B a c k R o w 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, preseason, 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 strength-speed 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 B a c k R o w 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. 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): Session Exercise Notation Notes Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy 1 2 Bench Press 3 x 70% Lat Pull Down 3 x 70% Squats 10 x 90% DB Shoulder Press 5 x 85% Lunges 3 x 75% 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 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 B a c k R o w Page 4

6 Push Press 5 x 80% 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. 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. 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 B a c k R o w Page 5

7 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 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. 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 B a c k R o w Page 6

8 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. 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 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 B a c k R o w Page 7

9 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 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 B a c k R o w Page 8

10 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 B a c k R o w Page 9

11 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 B a c k R o w Page 10

12 Session Exercise Notation Notes Back Row Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy Incline Bench Press Close Grip Pull Downs Back Squat DB Shoulder Press DB Flyes Bent Over Row 10 x 60% x 60% x 60% x 60% x 60% x 60% 4010 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. Control the lower on both exercises. If possible get a training partner to count the 4 seconds for you. One, count, two, count, three, count, four count. Slight flexion of elbow. Lower to shoulder level. Bent Over Row it is when the bar is moving away from you that you count for 4. 4 Romanian Deadlift DB Front Raise 10 x 60% x 60% 4010 Maintain strong postural position, DO NOT round off upper back Work with a training partner and get them to focus on calling out the 4 second eccentric contraction tempo. 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 B a c k R o w Page 11

13 Session Exercise Notation Notes Romanian Deadlift 4 x 75% Maintain strong postural position, DO NOT round off upper back. 1 DB Shoulder Press Bulgarian Split Squat 4 x 75% 4 x 8 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. Lower until the back knee is almost touching floor. Back Row Meso Cycle #1 Hypertrophy Progression DB Lateral Raise Incline Bench Press DB Flyes Close Grip Pull Downs DB Reverse Flyes SA DB Bench Press 4 x 75% 4 x 75% 4 x 75% 4 x 8 75% SA DB Row 4 x 8 75% Front Pause Squat Barbell Shoulder Press 10 x 85% 5 x 75% DB Upright Row 5 x 75% Slight elbow flexion raise up to shoulder height then lower under control. Compound set. Complete both exercises one after another then rest. Compound set Keep strong posture, let the back and arm perform the movement Hold in the bottom position for a count of 1 hold 2 hold 3 hold and up Hands together, keep the elbows high, pull up to your chin. Bench Press 4 x 75% 4 Chins 4 x BW DB Flyes 4 x 75% Wide grip, knuckles facing you Bent Over Row 4 x 75% Maintain strong posture 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 B a c k R o w Page 12

14 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 B a c k R o w Page 13

15 Session Exercise Notation Notes Overhead Squat 3 x 85% Wide grip as per snatch. Full depth. Snatch Grip Shoulder Press 5 x 85% 1 Back Squat 5 x 85% SA Alt DB Shoulder Press Incline Bench Press 3 x 85% 5 x 85% Start with both DB high, lower one, keeping the other high, press the lowered one back to start position. Repeat with alternate arm. Back Row Meso Cycle #2 Strength 2 Chins T Press Up Feet High Inverted Row 3 x 10kg vest 3 x BW 3 x 10kg Vest Deadlift 5 x 85% Wide grip, knuckles facing you. Wearing 10kg vest or 10kg pull up belt Push Press 5 x 85% 3 Barbell 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. Bar racked across the traps DB Shoulder Press 3 x 85% Arnold variation. Bench Press 5 x 85% 4 Pull Ups 3 x 10kg vest Close grip, knuckles facing away from you. Hindu Press 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 B a c k R o w Page 14

16 Session Exercise Notation Notes Front Squat 5 x 85% Keep elbows high throughout, straight upright torso Push Press 5 x 85% The weight you are using should have increased from the last meso cycle 1 SL DB Romanian Deadlift 4 x 5 85% Maintain strong posture, control movement through the glutes and hip. 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. Back Row Meso Cycle #2 Strength Progression DB Incline Bench Press 5 x 85% Bent Over Row 5 x 85% DB Flyes 4 x 85% Chins 4 x 10kg vest Split Squat 4 x 5 85% Kneeling Shoulder Press 4 x 80% Wide grip, knuckles facing you Full depth, control movement. Keep one leg forward for the 5 reps then swap over Maintain strong posture Deadlift 5 x 85% SA Alt DB Shoulder Press SA DB Bench Press 5 x 85% 5 x 85% Wide base for support 4 Feet High Inverted Row Incline Bench Press Pull Ups 5 x BW 4 x 85% 4 x 10kg vest 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 B a c k R o w Page 15

17 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 B a c k R o w Page 16

18 Session Exercise Notation Notes Power Snatch 5 x 60% Jerks 5 x 60% Emphasise triple extension of ankle, knee and hip. Emphasise dip drive and pulling under the bar. 1 Snatch High Pulls 5 x 90% If the bar is going higher than chest height the load is too light. % is of 1RM Power Snatch SA Alt DB Shoulder Press 5 x 3 60% Back Row Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed 2 Lunge (Front) 5 x 3 60% Bench Press SA MB Press Bent Over Row MB Catapult 5 x 80% 5 x kg MB 5 x 80% 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 3 x 5 60% Power Snatch 5 x 60% Jerks 5 x 60% 3 Squat Jumps 5 x 60% Use hex bar if possible. Only use ¼ squat before driving upwards. Aiming for height. Snatch Grip Shoulder Press 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 B a c k R o w Page 17

19 Session Exercise Notation Notes Back Row Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed 4 Clapping Press Up 3 x BW Lat Pull Down 5 x 60% Clockface Press Up 3 x BW 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. Bent Over Row 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 B a c k R o w Page 18

20 Session Exercise Notation Notes Power Clean 5 x 60% Centres Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed Progression Box Jumps DB Shoulder Press Clean High Pulls 5 x BW 5 x 60% 5 x 90% Jerks 5 x 60% Incline Bench Press MB Rebound Press Pull Ups 4 x 60% 4 x 5-10kg MB 4 x BW Box should be at mid thigh height. Emphasise triple extension of ankle, knee and hip % relates to 1RM Power Clean The legs should do most of the work, be aggressive on the dip drive. 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. Use DB or KB for plank row. Plank Row 4 x 5 60% SA Bench Press 4 x 5 60% DB Chainsaws 4 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 B a c k R o w Page 19

21 Session Exercise Notation Notes Back Squat Single Leg Hops 4 x 60% 4 x 5 BW Superset. Aim for distance on each hop, with as little ground contact time as possible Back Row Meso Cycle #3 Strength-Speed Progression Push Press SA MB Shot Putt Bulgarian Split Squat 4 x 60% 4 x kg MB 4 x 5 60% DB Front Raise 4 x 5 60% Deadlift Counter Movement Jumps Power Clean Depth Jumps 4 x 60% 4 x BW 5 x 60% 5 x BW Superset. Aim to putt the MB as far as possible Have the bar racked across the shoulders back squat style. Superset. On the CMJ aim for height. Reset after each jump. Superset. Have the box you are stepping off to be mid thigh height, aim for height on the jump with as little ground contact time as possible. DB Lateral Raise 5 x 60% KB Swings 3 x 60% This is a leg and hip action. Keep the back straight, bend through the knees, the KB should go as low as possible. 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 B a c k R o w Page 20

22 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 B a c k R o w Page 21

23 Session Exercise Notation Notes 1 Plank Swiss Ball Crunches Windmills Supermen Swiss Ball Obliques Postural Strength 2 3 Dorsal Raises 3 x 10 V-Sits 3 x 15 Good Mornings 3 x 10 KB Side Bends Hip Raises 3 x 10 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 B a c k R o w Page 22

24 Session 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 B a c k R o w Page 23

25 Session Exercise Notation Notes Barbell Roll Outs 3 x 6 1 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 3 x 6 Swiss Ball Plank Glute Bridge with Leg Raise Plate Side Touches Weighted Hyper Extensions 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 B a c k R o w Page 24

26 This concludes the H.I.R.T. Back Row program. What you have now is a tool that you can use to transform your body into that of an elite athlete. 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 B a c k R o w Page 25

By Kevin Shattock 2014, All Rights Reserved

By Kevin Shattock 2014, All Rights Reserved 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 1 Everyone has their own stereotype of the #10 and, for the most part, it is just