Rugby players are always muscular and strong. As people cheer throughout the game, they also admire their fitness and strength.
What many people do not understand is what the players go through during training. They engage in aggressive and detailed rugby conditioning plans that entail different fitness and diet programs.
Whether you are a player, a coach, or a fitness enthusiast who wants to achieve a rugby player body, you should go through this article to know the popular rugby conditioning plans and how they work.
Good preparation for rugby matches or club rugby tour starts long before the active season. The year is planned well to give players enough time to prepare through rugby conditioning plans. Both the players and the coaches draft an effective preseason conditioning plan that involves exercise and diet programs.
The preseason rugby conditioning plans aim to build strength, endurance, and flexibility and keep players healthy while waiting for the active tournament season. Therefore, every effort is focused on a bodybuilding diet, strength training, endurance workouts, and mobility workout routines. Since there is ample time, the rugby players are given about two rest days every week for their bodies to recover.
Meals are a crucial part of rugby conditioning plans. During the preseason, players are required to add weight and build muscles. Therefore, high-calorie meals are needed every day. This also supports the vigorous training they are subjected to.
Bodybuilding rugby players rely on high-protein foods, especially meats, fish, eggs, legumes, and protein supplements in the form of shakes. They also eat other nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables and remain hydrated all throughout their training.
This is where the deal is. Most preseason rugby conditioning plans are all about working out on a daily basis except during the rest day.
Stretching and warm-ups are the typical starting points in every training session. The coach ensures that all players participate fully to avoid injuries or situations that will jeopardize training. Sometimes, a simple jog on the field while holding a rugby ball makes a big impact.
Splitting up and down the pitch is the common flexibility workout for rugby players during the preseason. Experts say it is good because it provides a similar setting to the real game, where players are required to run across the pitch. No wonder, it is done with the ball in the hands.
Weightlifting, presses, and other gym workouts are a big part of the rugby conditioning plans to build muscle, increase core strength, and condition the entire body. The coach and the fitness trainer draft a careful plan to create a balance in all body areas. This also averts the temptation to overwork some body areas at the expense of others such as focusing on the biceps and the triceps while missing the hamstrings and the anterior muscles.
The plan could involve two workouts and rest, or it could give players some days to rest in a week depending on the agreed upon plan. By the end of the preseason, the players should have enough stamina to play back-to-back games and train in between.
In-season rugby conditioning plans are characterized by low-tone workouts and supportive nutrition. Players reserve their strength for the real games. Coaches focus on tackling abilities, speed, and mental wellness to help players win their tournaments.
The aim is to keep players hydrated all throughout to avoid joint injuries and migraines and to maintain overall health. Well, the meal plans provide plenty of calories for enough energy, and protein levels are maintained to keep building muscles. But the players consume a lot of protein shakes, fresh fruit juices, and water as well.
Even as players reserve their energy for the games, they still need to exercise through a carefully planned rugby conditioning plan. As mentioned, the players do splits and run a lot while applying tactics like the ones they would in a real game. Coaches and fitness trainers keep a close eye on the players to avoid wasting time and energy on irrelevant workouts.
The gym sessions are reduced significantly during the on-season conditioning training because some activities such as weightlifting can be draining. If the team does not have a trainer, it is crucial to have a training manual, which you can easily get on the web.
When the season is over, there are many things to check. Players are tired and may have failed to focus on a few areas. The rugby conditioning plans for this season are all about recovery and maintaining a fit body in readiness for a break and another preseason rugby conditioning plan with new goals.
The players and the coaches eat meals focused on body recovery and healing such as proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Energy-giving foods are not a priority, but the players have to eat enough calories for recovery workouts. This is also the best time for cheat days since the diet plan is not as strict as during the other two seasons.
Players can also take a break from training to attend their other life events, but they should always remember the need to remain conditioned through gym sessions, boot camps, boxfit sessions, and running.
All rugby conditioning plans are essential to all rugby players and their coaches. As a team, rugby players are able to achieve their fitness goals and prepare for the upcoming tournaments. Regardless of the plan, there are numerous health and fitness benefits to all players.
For rugby players, strength, endurance, and flexibility are the main goals that are achieved through the conditioning plans we have just discussed. Many teams invest a lot of money to meet their goals. The good thing is that well-prepared teams often win and make a lot of money to pay the players well and keep a great reputation for the team.
Do you play rugby? Have you tried these rugby conditioning plans? Many players, coaches, and fitness players will agree that these plans are the best. Ensure that you follow the plans closely or modify them appropriately to help you and your team members achieve your goals.