Harvey Howard

Most Rugby coaches, trainers and players alike have already discovered the benefits of weight training. There are four basic components of this type of training.

They are:

1. Strength

2. Speed

3. Power

4. Cardiovascular

Along with all the other benefits of weight training, muscle growth is also improved. For many years now the top-level clubs have seen the benefit of adding weight training to their overall program. I would say it is common for all elite rugby clubs to hire full time weight training coaches as part of their coaching team.

For many amateur coaches the question remains of what is the best age to start weight training? There is no patent answer to this question; first, you must look at two important factors before answering. These are:

1. The age of the player

2. The development of the player's bone structure

The "age" of a player's skeletal structure is not directly proportional to their physical age. For instance, you can look at two 15-year-old boys and one may have a skeletal age of 17 while the other one is 13.

That being said it is accepted that most players are ready to begin weight training at 15. The lessons should be light and focused on form and technique. Once this is mastered, weight can gradually be added.

At this young age, the training should be focused on high numbers of repetitions and low weights. While doing this the player should exercise through the full range of motion.

A recommended training schedule is thirty minutes of weights at three sessions per week. These should be split up with a full day of rest in between. While using free weights and machines is great, a coach should also remember to incorporate body weight training as well. This can be done by scheduling chin-ups and push-ups into the routine. A proper warm up and cool down session of about fifteen minutes is also essential.

A rugby player should be aware that their training routine should be specific to their sport. Too many times players will hit the gym and begin training programs intended for professional body builders. You will not see many body builders on the rugby field or vice versa. Stick to what is best for your chosen sport and in this case, a program designed for rugby players.

A rugby player requires a combination of speed, strength, power and endurance. These components are not all present in a body builder's routine or in the training required for Olympic weight lifters. The latter need explosive power on demand that is why their training focuses on high power output alone.

Combine this type of training with strength exercises such as squats and bench presses and then some plyometric exercises and the result will be maximum power, speed and strength development. All these are applicable to the modern game of rugby.