Arkansas Gryphons R.F.C.
High Performance Player Manual
Table of Contents
The Basics of Strength Training for Rugby.
Strength and Conditioning Program
Strength and Conditioning Benchmarks
Gents,
You are receiving this manual because you are a member of the Arkansas Gryphons Rugby Football Club. Our goal for the upcoming season is to develop AGRFC into a national contender. We will not tolerate mediocrity, but in order to achieve elite status, it will require hard work and a complete physical and mental overhaul of how we operate as players.
The following Manual is meant to assist you in your development as a player. All aspects of being an elite rugby player are important (strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental skills, skill development and tactical knowledge). If you want to achieve the goal of winning a national championship, you’ll need to continue to work hard and develop as a player in all of these aspects. I hope this information will serve to help you become the best player you can be, and I look forward to seeing your progression.
Regards,
Tucker Shaw
President, Arkansas Gryphons Rugby Club
tucker@arkansasrugby.com
214.563.3329
This sheet outlines what we are looking for in players as we seek a national championship. These are the characteristics that we look for in players to select for the starting rotation and if you desire to be a top level rugby player, then you should be able to truthfully answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions.
Jeremy Bettle, PhD ABD, CSCS.
Pacific Region Strength & Conditioning Coach
Overview
When training for rugby it is important to consider the predominant physical action that takes place in almost every activity in the game. This is extension of the ankle, knee, and hip with force transferred through the shoulder. This action is used for tackling, scrummaging, rucking, mauling, accelerating, jumping, and lifting! This gives us an idea as to which muscle to strengthen.
The muscles that make this happen are those in the rear of the body (posterior chain). These muscles are the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. The core lifts in your strength training programs will focus on these muscles.
CORE LIFTS
Squat: Squat variations that take the hips at least parallel with the knee are an essential part of any program. Follow the directions below to perform squats:
Dead-lift: The dead lift will increase your ability to overcome a static start position. This is important in activities such as the engage in a scrum or first step acceleration in defense.
Hang Clean:
SUPPLEMENTAL LIFTS
The supplemental lifts are those used to compliment the core lifts. They work to fill the gaps not covered by the big three lifts. For lower body day these may be unilateral movements such as lunges or step-ups, for upper body lifts these may be pull-ups or shoulder presses.
Body Composition and Performance
Body composition has a dramatic effect on all aspects of your performance. Many factors in rugby are reliant on outstanding relative body strength, meaning your strength in relation to your body weight.
If you have high body fat then you cannot have high relative body strength. This will negatively affect your endurance, acceleration, top speed, power. Putting this into practical terms, you will not be able to last a full 80 minutes, you will not be able to get off the line in defense, or accelerate through a gap in attack, you will not be able to support a team mate who makes a break, and you will not be able to jump as high for a ball in the lineout or in open play. Bottom line? You will never play for the eagles if you have too much body fat!
You can have a big impact on your body composition by following the nutritional guidelines set out and sticking to a lifting and conditioning program!
The following is a flexible 10 week strength and conditioning program that includes strength training, speed development, and conditioning program. Here is an example weekly workout schedule for the 10 week progression.
Weeks 1-10 | ||
| AM | PM |
MON | CONDITIONING | WEIGHTS 1 |
TUE | OFF | SPEED 1 & TRAINING |
WED | CONDITIONING | WEIGHTS 2 |
THURS | FLEXIBILITY | SPEED 2 & TRAINING |
FRI | REST | WEIGHTS 3 |
SAT | REST | GAME |
SUN | RECOVERY SWIM | REST |
FLEXIBILITY |
This can be flexible with your commitments and it is fine to do 2 session in the morning or evening depending on what you have going on in your life!
ALWAYS STRETCH AND HYDRATE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER WORKING OUT
Safety is always first with strength and conditioning. Before starting this program ensure that you are familiar with the exercises and can practice them safely. It is recommended that you first consult with a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) before beginning this or any program.
Each session should be started with 15 minutes warming up. This should include both dynamic and static stretching.
Monday | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT |
Exercise |
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Max Effort upper body |
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Wk 1-4: BB bench press | 8 |
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Wk 5-8: BB Floor press | 8 |
| 8 |
| 6 |
| 5 |
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Wk 9-10: Close grip bench | 8 |
| 8 |
| 6 |
| 5 |
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| 8 |
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| 6 |
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Wk 1-4: push-ups | max |
| max |
| max |
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Wk 5-8: incline DB Chest press | max |
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Wk 9-10: Swiss ball DB chest press |
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Wk 1-4: BB bent over row | 12 |
| 12 |
| 10 |
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Wk 5-8: DB bent over row | 12 |
| 12 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
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Wk 9-10: Seated cable row | 12 |
| 12 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
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SUPERSET WITH | 12 |
| 12 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
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Wk 1-4: Rear delt flyes | 12 |
| 10 |
| 8 |
| 10 |
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Wk 5-8: Cable scarecrows | 12 |
| 10 |
| 8 |
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Wk 9-10: Face pulls | 12 |
| 10 |
| 8 |
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| 12 |
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Wk 1-4: Prone V's | 12 |
| 10 |
| 12 |
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Wk 5-8: Lateral raise | 12 |
| 10 |
| 12 |
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Wk 9-10: Upright row | 12 |
| 10 |
| 12 |
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Wk 1-4: Zottman curls | 10ea |
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Wk 5-8: BB biceps curls | 10ea |
| 12ea |
| 8ea |
| 10ea |
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Wk 9-10: DB biceps curls | 10ea |
| 12ea |
| 8ea |
| 10ea |
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| 12ea |
| 8ea |
| 10ea |
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Cable scarecrows: take a cable in each hand, standing back from the machine. Keeping arms straight pull the cables back squeezing the shoulder blades so
Wednesday | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT |
Exercise | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Max effort lower body |
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Wk 1-4: Box squats | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
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Wk 5-8: Back Squats | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
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Wk 9-10: Front Squats | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
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| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
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Wk 1-4: Reverse Lunge | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
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Wk 5-8: BB Step up | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
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Wk 9-10: Walking lunge | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
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Wk 1-4: Ball Hamstring curls | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
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Wk 5-8: Glute ham raise | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
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Wk 9-10: RDL | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
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Ball crunch | 12 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
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Superman | 12 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
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Reverse crunch | 12 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
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(Perform as circuit w/no rest) | 12 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
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Reverse lunge: with barbell on your back or DBs in your hands, start by bending at the knee, pushing the knee forward and the hips back. Lower your body so that you have a vertical line from your toe through your knee and into your chest. You should lower until your front thigh is parallel with the floor
Friday | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT | Reps | WT |
Exercise | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
Repetition upper body | ||||||||
Wk 1-4: DB incline chest press | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Wk 5-8: Supine row | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Wk 9-10: Chin ups | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||
(assisted if necessary) | ||||||||
Wk 1-4: J pulldowns | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | ||||
Wk 5-8: Chin-ups (see above) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | ||||
Wk 9-10: Lat pulldowns | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | ||||
SUPERSET WITH | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | ||||
Wk 1-4: face pulls | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Wk 5-8: rear delt flye | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Wk 9-10: Prone shoulder press | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | ||||
10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | |||||
Wk 1-4: BB Shoulder press | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||||
Wk 5-8: Upright row | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||||
Wk 9-10: lateral raise | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||||
12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | |||||
Wk 1-4: DB shrugs | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Wk 5-8: BB shrugs | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Wk 9-10: DB incline shrugs | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | ||||
SUPERSET WITH | ||||||||
Wk 1-4: Triceps pulldown | 15 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
Wk 5-8: Skull Crushers | 15 | 12 | 18 | 20 | ||||
Wk 9-10: Close grip push ups | 15 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
Each session should be started with 15 minutes warming up. This should include both dynamic and static stretching and some run-throughs also. Make sure you are ready and comfortable to sprint when the session begins. I’d suggest that you wear molded cleats and perform on grass to save your joints as much as possible. Finish with a static stretch and re-hydrating.
It is important when training speed that you always put in a maximal effort with every repetition, and that there if no fatigue during the workout. The rest periods are long for a reason, adhere to them! If you are not fully recovered then your muscles cannot produce their maximum force and speed and you end up training them to contract slower. The full rest period allows you to be completely recovered between repetitions. NOTE: you should not feel tired after this session, it is not conditioning!
Session 1.
Props, second rows | Hookers, backrow, scrum halves | Flyhalf, centers | Wings, fullback |
6 x 5m sprint 6 x 10m sprint 6 x 15m sprint (start with a 5m lateral shuffle, then sprint 15m forward) 6 x 50m sprint | 8 x 10m sprint 6 x 30m sprint (start with 5m lateral shuffle, then sprint 30m forward) 6 x 60m sprint | 8 x 10m sprint 6 x 20m sprint Sprint forward 5m, immediately sprint 5m backwards=1 rep, complete 6, rest 30secs, complete 6 reps. | 8 x 10m sprint Run in a curved formation starting on the 15m line and finishing on the touchline – 20m in length, complete 5ea way. 6 x 15m |
Session 2
Props, second rows | Hookers, backrow, scrum halves | Flyhalf, centers | Wings, fullback |
6 x 40m, 6 x 30m 6 x 10m 8 x 5m, then 45 sprint off for 10m all from the get up position, 4 ea way. | 4 x 10m 4 x 20m 4 x 40m 4 x 70m 8 x 5m, then 45 sprint off for 10m all from the get up position, 4 ea way. | 4 x 5m 4 x 30m 4 x 40m 4 x 60m 8 x 5m, then 45 sprint off for 10m, 4 ea way. | 3 x 30m 3 x 20m 3 x 50m 3 x 10m 6 x 15m, then 45 sprint off for 15m, 3 ea way. |
Session 3
Single leg bounds (hopping)- Hop as far as you can in 3 hops, going again immediately on contacting the ground. The aim is to get as far as possible on your 3 hops with a limited and light contact with the grass between hops. Repeat on other leg. Repeat 4 times.
Speed with different start positions – Set cones a 0 and 10 meters and 15 meters.
Session 4
Complete the first sprint of the 4 reps in each set from a normal standing position, then rep 2 and 3 from “off the deck” position, and sprint 4 from the normal position. The 10 meter and 5 meter sprints are aimed purely at “explosion” type effort.
Session 5:
Hill Sprints:
Find a low grade incline street/hill. Complete 10 x 50 meter sprints up the hill with a slow walk back recovery
Session 6:
Ball Sprints:
Ball in two Hands at all times:
Double Leg Hops/Bounds as far/fast as possible for 20 meters; repeat 6x with walk back recovery
Single Leg Hops: Same as above but for 10 meters; 4x on each leg
4x 10 meter sprints with ball in two hands
6 x 25 meter sprints with ball in two hands
Each session should be started with 15 minutes warming up. This should include both dynamic and static stretching and some run-throughs also. Finish with a static stretch and re-hydrating.
Session1
Running: 3mins on (75%), 3 mins off' (50%) continuous for 18mins. (thus 3 full reps of 3 on and 3 jog) Complete rest 3 mins (walk). 2 mins on (80%), 2 mins off'(50%) for 12 mins continuous. Complete rest 2 mins (walk). 1 min on (85%), 1 min off (50%) for 8 mins continuous. Warm down and stretch
Session 2
Row 6 reps of 3mins with 2 mins recovery between reps. Aim to keep rate below 1.50/500m ideally below 1.48/500m. Try to row steady.
Session 3
Running: 400m and 300m session. 4 x 400 running every 3mins 30sec. (Therefore this time includes the time it takes you to run 400m) Run hard but not flat out - 90%. Rest 4 mins. 5 x 300m running every 2min 45 sec. Warm down, stretch, re hydrate.
Session 4
Running: Simple out and back run. Run out from your start point for 20mins. Having run for 20mins return to your start point via the same route as fast as possible aim for a maximum of 17mins.
Session 5
Row: 8 reps of 2 mins with 2 mins recovery between reps. Keep rate below 1.48/500m if possible, 1.45/500 is a good level to aim for.
Session 6
Running: 300m and 200m session. 4 x 300m running every 2mins 45. 4 min complete recovery. 6 x 200m with 2 mins between reps. Aim to run hard but not yet sprinting. Stay between 85 and 90% of max effort.
For those not using a track:
200m = 25sec hard run, 2 lengths of rugby field
300m = 45 sec hard run, lap of field excluding dead ball area.
400m = 65sec hard run, lap of field as above plus one side
Session 7
150m Shuttles:
Place 2 markers 25m apart and sprint 6 times between them. This represents 1 repetition of a 150m shuttle.
Complete 3 sets of 5 reps each, with 30secs in between reps and 90secs in between sets.
Session 8
15m Shuttles:
Sprints:
Backs: 80m run. Accelerate throughout with a deliberate step/swerve/change of direction every 20m. Increase speed aggressively every 20m. 3 x 3 with a slow jog back recovery: 1 min in between sets.
Forwards: 40m run. Accelerate throughout with a deliberate step/swerve/change of direction every 10m. Increase speed aggressively every 10m. 3 x 4 with a slow jog back recovery: 1 min in between sets.
Session 9
5-25 shuttle run – set a course with markers, with a marker on 5m, 10m, 15 15m, 20m, and 25m. Start by sprinting from 0-5 and back, 0-10m and back, and so on continuously for 30secs, rest for 30secs, complete 6 reps = 12mins in total. 6 minutes of work, 6 minutes of rest.
Session 10
Bike: On a stationary Bicycle: Sprint (flat out as hard as you can for 30 seconds) then relax and peddle slowly without stopping for 30 seconds. Continue for 30 minutes total
Session 11
80m x 16 running every minute (on the minute) back and forth
Session 12
Swim: Swim 25 meters (any stroke type). Rest same amount of time it takes to reach 25 meters. Repeat continuously for 30 minutes.
Session 13
60m x 16reps running every 1min. Aim to complete run in 9secs and therefore you will rest for about 50secs. Run flat out each rep.
Session 14
120m x 12 with walk back recovery
Note: These are best practice scores that players should aspire toward, and if they reach it, try to surpass it.
Fitness Testing: Desired Tests
Vertical Jump (Standing Broad if unavailable): Strength and Explosive Power
40 Meter sprint : Speed
1K Shuttle: Fitness
NOTE: With weight training exercises: ALWAYS WORK WITH A C.S.C.S (Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach) to be properly educated on how to safely and correctly perform each of these exercises BEFORE attempting. They are complex movements that REQUIRE correct form to be performed correctly.
Arkansas Rugby Mens Players | |||||||||
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| Vertical Jump | 10 Meter | 40 Meter | 1k Shuttle | ||||
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| Elite | Competitive | Elite | Competitive | Elite | Competitive | Elite | Competitive |
Forwards | Props | 27 | 24 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 3:50 | 4:10 |
| Back 5+ Hooker | 28 | 25 | 1.75 | 1.87 | 5.3 | 5.55 | 3:45 | 4:00 |
Backs | Inside Backs | 30 | 26 | 1.75 | 1.85 | 5.15 | 5.4 | 3:45 | 4:00 |
| Deep 3 | 31 | 27 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 5 | 5.25 | 3:40 | 3:55 |
Lift 1 Rep Max: Squat (1.6x Body Weight); Clean (.8x Body Weight); Bench (1.3x Body Weight) |
See Benchmarks Below:
Vertical Jump
Purpose: This is the preferred measuring tool of explosive power. If a vertical jump can’t be tested for, please test for a standing broad jump. Only one of these tests is needed.
Equipment Required: Vertical Jump Mat or Vertec vertical jump measurer (both can be found at a performance gym).
Description/procedure:
Using the Pad: Stand on pad with two feet flat. The athlete may swing their arms. A two-foot take-off and landing is used, with swinging of the arms and bending of the knees to provide upward drive. The subject attempts to jump as far up as possible, landing on both feet. Two attempts are allowed.
Using the Vertec: Stand on pad with two feet flat directly below vertec measuring. Extend arm and hand to maximum reach and measure vertical reach. The athlete may swing their arms. A two-foot take-off and landing is used, with swinging of the arms and bending of the knees to provide upward drive. The subject attempts to jump as far up as possible, (not smacking the vertec with a swinging arm, but jumping up, reaching vertically and taping the vertec measuring bars) landing on both feet. Two attempts are allowed.
Standing Broad Jump
Purpose: to measure the explosive power of the legs
Equipment required: tape measure, to measure distance jumped, non-slip floor for takeoff, and soft landing area preferred. The take-off line should be clearly marked.
Description / procedure: The athlete stands behind a line marked on the ground with feet slightly apart. A two-foot take-off and landing is used, with swinging of the arms and bending of the knees to provide forward drive. The subject attempts to jump as far as possible, landing on both feet without falling backwards. Three attempts are allowed.
Measurement is taken from the back most heal. The tape measure is secured to the ground, with the 0cm mark on the start line and ran down the length, which the players will jump right next to. Measured in meters and centimeters.
40m Sprint
Purpose: The purpose of this test is to determine acceleration, maximum running speed.
Equipment required: measuring tape, cones, timing gates (if possible), stopwatches and 3 people recording.
Description / procedure: The test involves running a single maximum sprint over a set distance, with time recorded. The test is conducted over 40 meters (44 yards). The starting position will be standardized, starting from a stationary position with a foot behind the starting line, with no rocking movements, no 3 or 4point stance. If you have the equipment (e.g. timing gates), you can measure the time to run each split distances (10, 40m) during the same run, and then acceleration and peak velocity can also be determined. Two attempts will be allowed. 3 timers will be used and mean time used if no timing gates. Stopwatches will start on the athletes’ first movement; index fingers will be used and not thumbs.
1K Shuttle
If the beep test cannot be performed, please perform the 1K shuttle test:
The test is performed by running a series of shuttles. The player begins at one try line, runs to the 22 and back to the try line, half way and back to the try line, to the far 22 and back to the try line, and to the far try line and back to the try line. He repeats this process again running a total of 1000 meters without stopping. The field must be marked properly (100 meters/110 yards).
If you are using a football field, start at one goal line, run to the near 25 yard line and back, the far 45 yard line and back, the far 15 yard line back, then to the back of the far end zone and back (repeat twice).
Food Class | PROTEIN | Vegetables & Starches | Fruits & sugars | Fats |
First cLass Ideal foods that should be eaten at any time in accordance with your nutrition plan |
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Second class Foods that are best eaten at specific times or if First Class foods are unavailable |
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NO CLASS Avoid at all costs |
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10 RULES:
1. Eat every 2-3 hours, regardless of hunger levels
2. Get lean protein at every meal
3. Eat healthy fats every day. Avoid all hydrogenated (trans) fats and fried foods…all the time.
4. Pre-, during, and post-training/game nutrition is actually one big meal, and it is the most important meal of the day
5. Go to bed, but not without protein. This includes sleep at night, as well as naps during the day (naps are to be encouraged).
6. Eat vegetables at every opportunity.
7. Drink water all the time. Drink green tea some of the time. Drink anything with high fructose corn syrup NONE of the time.
8. Eat these foods at least 3 times per week/at camp:
• Lean red meat
• Salmon
• Omega 3 eggs
• Low fat plain yogurt
• Protein supplements
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
• Mixed berries
• Oranges
• Mixed beans
• Whole oats
• Mixed nuts
• Avocadoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Green tea
• Liquid exercise drinks for pre and post-training/game nutrition (should have carbs and protein)
9. Food first. Use supplements intelligently, not as a crutch or to make up for inattention to diet.
10. Food is a drug, and sports nutrition is a performance enhancing drug. Therefore, accept that being professional about rugby means being professional about nutrition. Folks who eat to beat and focus on what they do to their insides are usually pleasantly surprised by what they see happening on the outside.
• For more information, to provide feedback or to ask a question on nutrition/supplements, go to http://hpnutrition.wordpress.com
• For information on combining protein, carbs, and fats into meals, see this free “recipe finder” at Runner’s World: http://www.runnersworld.com/topic/0,7122,s6-242-303-0-0,00.html
• For direct questions, email Adam at highperformancenutrition@gmail.com
1 Adapted from: Competitive Sports Nutrition: Do you eat? Or do you Eat to Beat? © Adam Russell
Here are three tables that help guide your decision-making and focus for each part of the day depending on whether you are training, playing, or recovering/preparing. Blue days are training days; Red days are game days; and White days are either recovery days or preparation days (getting ready for a game the next day). If necessary, you can re-arrange the schedule, but not if it violates the 10 rules.
Figure 1.1
Training Day | |||
Time | Purpose | Focus on | Avoid |
Breakfast | Halt muscle loss due to sleep; fuel up and rehydrate; align circadian rhythms to local time |
• Whole grains and oatmeal • lean protein like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese • water/green tea;
| Foods that are high in both fat and sugar; fried foods; foods high in salt; not getting enough protein (can lead to blood sugar crash) |
Training | Provide energy, maintain hydration, blunt break down of muscle tissue |
• A 6% solution with electrolytes, sugars and amino acids • Drinking at every opportunity (even if only a sip)
| Powerbars, powergels, or drinks that are above 6% (hard to absorb and can dehydrate) |
Post-training (within 15 minutes of end of training) | Restore muscle fuel, provide tools for body to rebuild tissue, re-hydrate |
• Water • Recovery shake with carbs/amino acids, like chocolate milk or protein in Accelerade/Gatorade
| Fat and high salt, which slow absorption of needed nutrients |
Lunch | Continue to recover; take advantage of anabolic environment from training stimulus |
• Full spectrum of carbs, protein, and good fats • Eat a “rainbow” of vegetables, grains, lean protein, fruits, and good oils/butter • Water/green tea
| Not getting enough protein; foods that are high in fat and sugar; fried foods; failing to drink enough water |
Training | Provide energy, maintain hydration, blunt break down of muscle tissue |
• A 6% solution with electrolytes, sugars and amino acids • Drinking at every opportunity (even if only a sip)
| Powerbars, powergels, or drinks that are above 6% (hard to absorb and can dehydrate) |
Post-training (within 15 minutes of end of training) | Restore muscle fuel, provide tools for body to rebuild tissue, re-hydrate |
• Water • Recovery shake with carbs/amino acids, like chocolate milk or protein in Accelerade/Gatorade
| Fat, fried, and high salt, which slow absorption of needed nutrients |
Snack (within 90 minutes of end of training) | Keep blood sugar levels steady, take advantage of training stimulus, and avoid over-eating or making poor choices at dinner |
• High protein • Complex carbs • Good fats (mayo, butter, oils) • Nuts, sandwiches, smoothies, etc.
| Fat, fried, and high salt, which slow absorption of needed nutrients |
Dinner | Get body ready to sleep and provide nutrients for recovery; rehydrate; bolster mood |
• Full spectrum of carbs, protein, and good fats • Eat a “rainbow” of vegetables, grains, lean protein, fruits, and good oils/butter • Water/green tea
| Typical American mistakes at dinner, such as eating too much meat at expense of vegetables/fruits; avoid fried foods and foods high in fat and sugar; |
Pre-bed snack | Enhance sleep, provide nutrients for body to assimilate when sleeping to enhance recovery |
• Protein • Small number of good carbs • Good fats • Peanut butter, cottage cheese with some nuts, lean meat, protein shake with flax oil
| High sugar/carbohydrate foods like pizza, fries, etc. |
Figure 1.2
Game Day | |||
Time | Purpose | Focus on | Avoid |
Breakfast | Halt muscle loss due to sleep; fuel up and re-hydrate; align circadian rhythms to local time |
• Whole grains and oatmeal • lean protein like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese • water/green tea;
| Foods that are high in both fat and sugar; fried foods; foods high in salt; not getting enough protein (can lead to blood sugar crash) |
Snack | Provide energy, maintain hydration, enhance focus |
• Small portions of carbs/protein • Green tea/water
| Fat and high levels of sugar |
Pre-game | Fuel and hydration |
• Small portions of foods that you are familiar with • Drinking enough liquid to have clear/straw colored piss
| Fat and high salt, which slow absorption of needed nutrients; foods you haven’t tried before (like Uruguayan butter); |
Warm Up | Fuel and hydration |
• A 6% solution with electrolytes, sugars and amino acids • Drinking at every opportunity (even if only a sip)
| Passing up opportunities to fuel/hydrate; overly large portions of high sugar foods like gummy bears or Jaffa cakes; |
Game | Provide energy, maintain hydration, blunt break down of muscle tissue |
• A 6% solution with electrolytes, sugars and amino acids • Drinking at every opportunity (even if only a sip)
| Powerbars, powergels, or drinks that are above 6% (hard to absorb and can dehydrate) |
Post-Game (within 15 minutes after game) | Restore muscle fuel, provide tools for body to rebuild tissue, re-hydrate |
• Water • Recovery shake with carbs/amino acids, like chocolate milk or protein in Accelerade/Gatorade
| Fat, fried, and high salt, which slow absorption of needed nutrients. Avoid alcohol. |
Snack (within 90 minutes after game) | Keep blood sugar levels steady, take advantage of training stimulus, and avoid over-eating or making poor choices at dinner |
• High protein • Complex carbs • Good fats (mayo, butter, oils) • Nuts, sandwiches, smoothies, etc.
| Skipping this. This is a VERY important time to eat. Avoid alcohol. |
Post-game Meal | Get body ready to sleep/drink beer and provide nutrients for recovery; rehydrate; bolster mood |
• Full spectrum of carbs, protein, and good fats • Eat a “rainbow” of vegetables, grains, lean protein, fruits, and good oils/butter • Water/green tea til your piss is clear again
| Typical American mistakes at dinner, such as eating too much meat at expense of vegetables/fruits; avoid fried foods and foods high in fat and sugar Avoid alcohol until the end of the meal and you have pissed clear at least once |
Pre-bed snack | Enhance sleep, rovide nutrients for body to assimilate when sleeping to enhance recovery |
• Protein • Small number of good carbs • Good fats • Peanut butter, cottage cheese with some nuts, lean meat, protein shake with flax oil
| Foods high in sugar and fat like pizza, ice-cream, fries, burgers, etc.; fried foods |
Figure 1.3
Recovery/Preparation Day | |||
Time | Purpose | Focus on | Avoid |
Breakfast | Halt muscle loss due to sleep; fuel up and re-hydrate; align circadian rhythms to local time |
• Whole grains and oatmeal • lean protein like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese • water/green tea;
| Foods that are high in both fat and sugar; fried foods; foods high in salt; not getting enough protein (can lead to blood sugar crash) |
Snack | Rehydrate, provide amino acids to body to re-build tissue |
• Small portions of carbs/protein • Green tea/water
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Recovery session | Fuel and hydration; anti-inflammation |
• Gatorade with protein; chocolate milk • Drinking enough liquid to have clear/straw colored piss
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Snack | Hydration, recovery, and anti-inflammation |
• High protein • Complex carbs • Good fats (mayo, butter, oils) • Nuts, fruits, sandwiches, smoothies, etc. • Water/green tea
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse). You should be pissing clear by now |
Lunch | Provide energy, maintain hydration, blunt break down of muscle tissue |
• Full spectrum of carbs, protein, and good fats • Eat a “rainbow” of vegetables, grains, lean protein, fruits, and good oils/butter • Water/green tea
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Snack | Keep blood sugar levels steady, avoid over-eating or making poor choices at dinner |
• High protein • Complex carbs • Good fats (mayo, butter, oils) • Nuts, fruits, sandwiches, smoothies, etc. • Water/green tea
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Dinner | Hydration, recovery, and anti-inflammation |
• Full spectrum of carbs, protein, and good fats • Eat a “rainbow” of vegetables, grains, lean protein, fruits, and good oils/butter • Water/green tea
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Snack | Get body ready to sleep and provide nutrients for recovery; rehydrate; bolster mood |
• • High protein • Complex carbs • Good fats (mayo, butter, oils) • Nuts, fruits, sandwiches, smoothies, etc. • Water/green tea
| Fat and high levels of sugar, and fried foods (can make inflammation worse) |
Pre-bed snack | Enhance sleep, provide nutrients for body to assimilate when sleeping to enhance recovery | Protein • Small amount of good carbs • Good fats • Peanut butter, cottage cheese with some nuts, lean meat, protein shake with flax oil | Foods high in sugar and fat like pizza, ice-cream, fries, burgers, etc.; fried foods |
Don’t eat to keep up with your competitors, eat to beat them.
Guidelines by Adam Russell (questions to highperformancenutrition@gmail.com)
“Never forget, somewhere in China a little girl is warming up with your max.”
Jim Conroy, Olympic lifting coach
Okay, so ask 100 athletes to define “sports nutrition” and you’ll get a laundry list of commandments: thou shalt not eat fried foods and candy bars, thou shalt eat fruits and veggies, thou shalt drink water and Gatorade, thou shalt maybe consider a protein powder. Some of them will be right, some will be wrong, and some will be very, very wrong. But all 100 will have some opinion.
Now ask them to define the mechanisms by which these commandments actually make a difference to them. That gets a little tougher. Now you’re down to maybe 50 who will give you a reasonable argument for why thou shalt not eat fried foods or thou shalt hydrate religiously or thou shalt consume Gummy Bears after training.
Now ask those 50 to describe how the sports nutrition actually gives them an edge – how it improves their performance beyond that of their competitors. Chances are you’ll be down to 10 – generously – who might have an idea. They’ll tell you how “sports nutrition,” like Gatorade, can enhance their performance…IF their competitors don’t also drink it.
Finally, ask those 10 what elite competitors might do that’s different from them. Now you’ve got maybe one athlete who can give you an opinion – and that’s probably wrong.
As athletes, we are – or at least we should be - inherently competitive. Thus, our nutrition should be geared to hand us a competitive edge over other teams, whether that’s having fewer colds, not as many injuries, or recovering faster from workouts and being sharper on the day than our competition.
If your nutrition doesn’t do this, then don’t call it sports nutrition.
“Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from convention, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.”
- Bertrand Russell
The premise of competitive sports nutrition is that the brain is the most important organ in deciding who wins and who loses in sport. I won’t go into more detail here, but suffice it to say that the 3 ½ pounds of jelly-packed cells that evolved over 4 million years to end up between our ears – what we call the brain – is the master and commander of the rest of the body. It cares about itself, first and foremost, and it has its priorities, which are basically: survive. If the brain is not being optimized, then it will sabotage other systems of the body, including muscles. Muscles, by the way, which have not changed very much since they first evolved to move bodies…tells you something, doesn’t it? Thus, CSN is about making the brain work optimally, which will then translate into the rest of the body performing to its competitive best. Following are 10 tips explaining the best ways to do this.
"It's never too late to be who you might have been."
- George Eliot
"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."
“We improve ourselves by victories over ourselves. There must be contests, and you must win.” - Edward Gibbon
“The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” - Vince Lombardi
“People who say that something is impossible should not get in the way of people who are doing it.”
“Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.”
- Baltasar Gracian
"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." - George Washington Carver
• Lean red meat
• Salmon
• Omega-3 eggs
• Low fat plain yogurt
• Protein supplements
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage)
• Mixed Berries
• Oranges
• Mixed Beans
• Whole Oats
• Mixed Nuts
• Avocados
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fish Oil
• Flax Seeds or Flax seed oil
• Canned pumpkin (no sugar added)
• Green Tea
• Liquid Exercise Drinks (carb/protein)
• A vegetable/fruit concentrate supplement – these are supplements that are composed of freeze-dried fruits and veggies that help round out the required nutrients that are increasingly hard to find in the nutritional desert called Modern America.
“Do today what others won’t, so you can do tomorrow what others can’t.”
"Progress often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?"- Bernice Fitz-Gibbon
The jury’s still out on some others, like citrulline malate, d-ribose, etc., but many of these are showing significant promise. Two important points - I highlighted certified for a reason: if companies aren’t willing to provide independent lab assays demonstrating their products’ purity, then don’t buy. It’s the least they can give to you, the consumer. Second, think of supplements like rugby accessories (e.g. boot stud length, mouth pieces, gloves, pads, etc.) – they are vital, but they need to be tailored for individuals. Don’t dump all of these into you at once, and don’t play without testing each one reasonably to see how YOU do on them. You wouldn’t run into a game with a new pair of boots that someone else handed you if you hadn’t worn them in practice. Supplements are the same.
“If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, ‘Sorry, Mom,’ but nobody beats me.”
- Leo Durocher
Final thought – if you decide to do this, you will probably catch some heat from folks. They will call you strange, obsessed and possibly crazy. They’ll tell you that there’s no proof this works; they’ll tell you that you’re wasting your time and money; they’ll tell you that all they need is a bag of Doritos and a Coke after game time. And, when they’re 18 and able to eat crap and still play, or retired, broken, and overweight (and the latter is usually the former only 10 years later) they might actually believe that.
But chances are that – like HFCS and trans-fats - they are toxic people, who will almost unconsciously revel in slowing down your progress. Such people can be well-meaning, but this doesn’t make them any less toxic. As the quote at the beginning demonstrates, this is because when you follow these steps, you challenge what they have always known and done. Departing from a common path forces others to consider the possibility that there may be better ways of doing things than how they have always done it (not tough to conclude if you actually study the last 10 years of research but what kind of dork does that?!).
Remember: the definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing but expecting a different outcome. If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten.
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
- Sun Tzu
This worksheet is meant to serve as a goal setting guide to give yourself motivation and direction on what your goals are and how to achieve them.
1: Take an audit of yourself as a player by listing strengths and weaknesses (engage your coach for feedback).
2: List outcome goals that you’d like to achieve (ex. Make a team, win a championship, etc.) These are long term goals with an outcome, that often times you don’t have complete control over, but that supply you with motivation.
3: List performance goals that will help you achieve each outcome. These performance goals are what you do have control over and should be your focus on doing everything in your power to give you the best chance of achieving your outcome goals (achieving these is the highest level of success).
4: List processes for each performance goal that you will put in place on a daily/weekly basis to reach your performance goals.
5: Complete and print this sheet out. Put it somewhere where you will see it daily to motivate you.
Date | |
What are your strengths as a player? | Example: Strong Ball Carrier 1: 2: 3: |
What are your weaknesses or areas to improve as a player? | Example: I’m not fit enough to play my best 1: 2: 3: |
What are outcome goals you would like to achieve as a player? | Example: Make USA U18 National Team 1: 2: 3: |
What performance goals will you achieve to give you the best opportunity to achieve that outcome? | Example: Be as fit as I can be and run a 13 on the 20 meter beep test by June 1st. 1: 2: 3: |
What processes will you put into your daily training to achieve those performance goals? | Example: Do 3 fitness workouts each week on top of my team training and eat with good nutrition. 1: 2: 3: |
Goals should be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Aligned/Adjustable, Realistic, Time-Based)
Gentlemen, reading about high performing athletes and rugby players and learning from there example is a great way to learn and improve as a player. We suggest you take a look at these books:
COACH/ATHLETE:
MENTAL SKILLS
NUTRITION
Rugby is a game that requires all players to have all skills. That means that all players must be able to go into contact and put back a ball, run, pass, tackle, play within an attacking or defending system, compete for the ball, etc. However, rugby is also a game that requires specific skill sets out of specific positions.
These positional profiles are meant to serve you as a guide for what is specifically required of you out of your position on the field, on top of the general skill sets required of all players listed above.
1/3: Prop
2: Hooker
4/5: Lock
6: Blindside Flanker
7: Openside Flanker
8: Eight Man
9: Scrum Half
10: Flyhalf
dummy, feint, long-short, short-long
long, wipers, box, chip, grubber, drop goal
12: Inside Center
13: Outside Center
11/14: Wing
pace, fend
of game
clean out, snake
15: Fullback