Bollington Fitness - Personal Training, Exercise advice, Sporting Performace




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Sports Conditioning at Bollington Fitness, Personal Training in Bollington, Macclesfield, Cheshire

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JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
COMPETITION				REC		PREP		COMPETITION
MAINTAIN S/P				AR		S/A	P/A	MAINTAIN S/P

S = strength	P = power	A = agility
AR = active rest (maintenance of sports skills

The following sessions will help James maintain and develop various necessary skills for rugby. Strength is needed to ensure that, as a front row player in the scrum, he has the ability to contribute to equalising the force of the opposition's scrum. A great deal of force will need to be withstood, placing a huge emphasis not only on the shoulders, but the back and legs. Strength is also required to counter tackles as he will be hit with some force by opponents regularly. A power programme is also included. The passes, and the throw-in, need to be executed with precision and speed to ensure success; a pass without power behind it and therefore speed, is more likely to

be intercepted and a turnover secured by the opposition. The ability to dodge tackles will depend on quickness in changing direction and anticipating an opponent's movements, therefore an agility session is also planned.

Session 1

Strength - gym-based session

My client is used to training in a gym, and has quite a firm base of strength training, so many of the exercises suggested will be carried out using free weights rather than resistance machines. This will encourage his core stability and ensure that he uses more muscles to stabilise the moves, for example the abdominal and muscles of the back on the seated exercises such as the incline dumbbell press.

Frequency:	4 times per week - 2 upper, 2 lower body sessions
Intensity:	85% + 1RM
Time:	3 sets 1-6reps (3 min rest periods)
Type:	3 lifts - compound exercises - plus abdominals 3 out of the 4 sessions

Warm-up/mobility:

Trunk twists and lateral bends, 5 minutes fast walking (e.g. 7km/h) with incline (6%)
Prep stretch of all major muscle groups, including pectorals, deltoids, triceps, erector spinae,
quadriceps hamstrings, gastrocnemius and soleus.

Upper body:

Bench press/incline dumbbell press
(targets the pectorals, triceps and serratus anterior, all major muscles used in the throw-in, so particularly useful for James).
Low pulley bent over lateral raise
(works the deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, infraspinatus and teres minor/major, so strength here will help to support the humerous in the glenoid cavity; important for the scrum, pass and throw).
Bent-over row
(works latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoids, biceps brachialis, brachioradialis and, if pushing scapulae together, rhomboids and trapezius).
Incline sit ups, with twist
(targets rectus abdominus, obliques, tensor fascia latae and rectus femoris; vital for core stability and passing the ball).

Lower body:

Squats
(targets glutes, hamstrings and quads, which need to be strong for the scrum).
Standing calf raises
(isolates the gastrocnemius and soleus).
Cable abduction
(although the weight he can lift will be lower than if using the

machine, using cables allows for greater range of movement, and with side steps at speed, this will be vital for James).
Incline sit-ups
(see above).

Cool Down:

Light CV work, e.g. treadmill to allow lactic acid to be flushed from the body and the muscles to be
rewarmed prior to stretching. Stop when heart rate is below 110BPM.

Post-workout stretch:

Stretch the major muscle groups (see above) - to be held for 15 sec's (maintenance) or 30-60 sec's (developmental). On the lower body workout, James would benefit from PNF stretching of the hamstrings to encourage flexibility, although a partner is needed here.

Bollington Fitness accepts no responsibility for injury or discomfort caused by or during execution of these exercises. Consult a professional Personal Trainer or Doctor before trying these exercises.