Programme Justification

Strength and conditioning has become an essential part of athletic preparation for a large proportion of the sporting population (Bruce-Low & Smith, 2007). There has been a particular increase in demand for the execution of strength and conditioning programs within rugby, in which physical stresses of players have increased enormously over the past few years (Posthumus, 2009). Studies such as that of, Brooks, Fuller, Kemp and Reddin (2005) have highlighted further need for the role of strength and conditioning, in which they reported that on average a club, will have 18% of its players unavailable for selection due to injury.

Exercise Selection

 

Exercises including, dead lift, split squat and power clean have been shown to improve strength and power by stressing multiple joint complexes in the body. These exercises involve gross muscle involvement which simulates the demands of a rugby match on the body as most movements in a game of rugby involve more than one major muscle group or joint complex (Brewer, 2005). Brewer (2005) also states that as these exercises include a slow and fast component, and movements from a complete stop to sudden accelerations, they are maximally beneficial when it comes to muscular hypertrophy.  

Many exercises implemented in to the program involved holding a rugby ball or medicine ball as additional weight. Bompa (2005) recommended the use of free weights such as medicine balls and discussed that they add to the complexity of the exercise giving more benefit to the athlete. Earp & Kraemer (2010) state that medicine ball exercises are beneficial for power production as they allow the athlete to perform the exercise with at high speeds and with great force. Earp & Kraemer (2010) go on to say that because these exercises are performed in multiple planes of movement, they strengthen the body in the ranges of motion that are encountered in sporting performance.

There was minimal explosive power exercises incorporated in to the training plan, particularly during in-season. Bruce-Low and Smith (2007) state that as well as posing significant injury risks, there is little evidence supporting the effectiveness of these techniques, with some studies showing weight training as a superior method of improving strength and power.

Only one cardio session was implemented in to the sessions per week. Posthumus (2009) reported that players are often advised to reduce cardiovascular training during the off-season in order to optimize muscle growth and gain body mass.

Training Frequency

Faigenbaum & Schram (2004) suggested that regular resistance training is effective in reducing sporting related injuries. Posthumus (2009) suggested that for the muscular hypertrophy stage of the off season training programme, up to 6 sessions per week can be carried out to optimise muscle growth. However Brewer (2005) states that when the programme involves lifts that incorporate the whole body, only 3 quality sessions per week are required to build muscle size and strength, focusing on the quality of the session rather that the quantity. During the in season Posthumus (2009) suggests that the frequency of conditioning training should be reduced to 2-3 high intensity sessions a week lasting for 20-30 minutes only. 

Exercise Order

It has been found that when an exercise is performed last in the session, it is performed less well than those at the beginning, this means that exercises that are important in achieving training goals and that involve gross body movements should be at the beginning of a training session (Simão, Farinatti, Polito, Maior & Fleck, 2005).

Behm, Button and Butt (2001) found evidence demonstrating that stretching the muscles significant decreased subjects muscle force. This may have had a direct effect on the athlete’s power in resistance training; therefore flexibility exercises were placed towards the final stages of each session. These exercises were also less strenuous; therefore it allowed the athlete to gradually recover and cool down from their session.

Training Load and Repetitions

Posthumus (2009) suggested that in the off season exercises should be done for 6-12 repetitions at a load of 70-80% of their 1RM. For the in season Posthumus (2009) suggests that the load should range from 65-100% of their 1RM, more towards the higher % for the advanced athlete. He also states that repetitions should decrease and sets should be 3 for core exercises and 2 for assistance exercises.

Volume

Posthumus (2009) reported that the off-season typically involves less specific aerobic conditioning with low intensity and high volume training in order to increase power and induce muscle hypertrophy. While during in-season coaches attempt to make training more match specific by increasing the intensity and reducing the volume. This allows players to be more prepared for matches by mirroring match play throughout the training season. The amount of conditioning sessions also changes depending on the season, with Posthumus (2009) stating that during the off season up to 6 sessions a week should be carried out, reducing this to a maximum of 3 during the in season.

Rest and unloading weeks

Following heavy plyometrics sessions, the neuromuscular system can take up to 6 days to fully recover (Brewer, 2005). Due to this, it was therefore important that plyometrics sessions were not introduced during the in-season to ensure athletes were fresh and prepared for matches. Several studies such as Deutsch and Lloyd (2008) have discussed the positive aspects of combining plyometrics and weight training exercises in rugby. This is commonly known as complex training, in which the excitability of the central nervous system is increased allowing enhancement of muscle performance.

Core exercises were generally followed with 2-3 minutes rest between sets, while assistance exercises were given 1-2 minutes. These were guidelines recommended by Posthumus (2009).

Periodisation and peaking

The aim of the training program was to enable the athlete to reach their peak just as they reached the beginning of the in-season in September. The sessions were then based around maintaining this peak performance throughout the season. Brewer (2005) claimed that this was done through manipulation of training volume and intensities over the training week.