Hinckley RFC

Resistance training guidelines

The information below is intended to provide general guidance for resistance training. It is not a substitute for appropriate testing, coaching and supervision by a qualified individual. If you require further advice, or if you have any questions please contact Paul Robertson (email: ; mob: 07837 468302).

Introduction

  • Resistance training has the potential to improve rugby performance and reduce injury risk
  • Resistance training can achieve several aims (e.g., increased strength, increased muscle size), and by manipulating the training variables (e.g., number of repetitions, load lifted) different aims can be focused upon
  • Playing position, experience of resistance training, and injury history can all influence the aim of a resistance training programme
  • The guidance is summarised in the table below. Following this, further information and explanation is provided on resistance training and how to organise a training programme
  • Resistance training video examples can be viewed at:

Table 1. Summary of training variables

Aim / Training variable
Sets / Repetitions / Tempo
(secs) / Load
(repetition maximum) / Rest between sets (mins) / Exercises
Muscle size / 4 / 8 – 12 / 2 up: 2 down / 8 – 12 / 1 – 1½ / primarily multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, bent-over row etc.)
Strength / 4 / 3 – 5 / As fast as possible up: 2 down / 3 – 5 / 2 – 3 / primarily multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, bent-over row etc.)
Strength-speed / 4 / 3 – 5 / As fast as possible / 3 – 5 / 2 – 3 / primarily Olympic lift variations (e.g., hang clean/snatch, jerk, push press etc.)
Speed-strength / 4 / 5 / As fast as possible / body weight; medicine ball / 2 – 3 / medicine ball throws/slams (e.g., overhead, rotation, chest pass etc.); plyometrics (e.g., jumps, bounds etc.)

Aim: increase muscle size (hypertrophy)

  • There is a clear relationship between muscle size and strength; however, muscle size is not the only contributor to strength
  • To increase muscle size the following guidelines are recommended:
  • Sets: 4
  • Repetitions: 8 - 12
  • Load: 8 – 12 repetition maximum (i.e., a weight that allows you to perform 4 sets of between 8 to 12 repetitions with the recommended rest between sets; if you perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions increase the weight next session)
  • Tempo: 2 secs up: 2 secs down
  • Rest between sets: 1 - 1½ mins
  • Exercises: primarily multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, bent-over row etc.)
  • Example session:
  • Back squat
  • Romanian deadlift
  • Bench press
  • Pull-up
  • Incline press
  • Bent-over row

Aim: increase strength

  • Strength is a result of muscle mass and how well the nervous system can activate that muscle mass
  • To increase strength the following guidelines are recommended:
  • Sets: 4
  • Repetitions: 3 - 5
  • Load: 3 – 5 repetition maximum (i.e., a weight that allows you to perform 4 sets of between 3 to 5 repetitions with the recommended rest between sets; if you perform 4 sets of 5 repetitions in a session increase the weight next session)
  • Tempo: as fast as possible up: 2 secs down
  • Rest between sets: 2 - 3mins
  • Exercises: primarily multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, bent-over row etc.)
  • Example session:
  • Deadlift
  • Bench press
  • 1-arm row
  • Standing shoulder press

Aim: increase strength-speed

  • Strength-speed is the ability to exert high forces (strength) at speed, as in making or breaking a tackle
  • To increase strength-speed the following guidelines are recommended:
  • Sets: 4
  • Repetitions: 3 - 5
  • Tempo: exercises to be used are required to be performed at fast as possible
  • Load: 3 – 5 repetition maximum (i.e., a weight that allows you to perform 4 sets of between 3 to 5 repetitions with the recommended rest between sets; if you perform 4 sets of 5 repetitions in a session increase the weight next session); weight must allow correct technical execution of the lift
  • Rest between sets: 2 - 3mins
  • Exercises: primarily Olympic lift variations (e.g., hang clean/snatch, jerk, push press etc.)
  • Example session:
  • Hang clean
  • Back squat
  • Push press
  • Bent-over row

Aim: increase speed-strength

  • Speed-strength is the ability to move at high speed whilst producing lower levels of force, as in jumping to challenge for a high ball
  • To increase speed-strength the following guidelines are recommended:
  • Sets: 4
  • Repetitions: 5
  • Tempo: as fast as possible
  • Load: body weight, or medicine ball that allows high speed movement and correct technique (particularly for landing)
  • Rest between sets: 2 - 3mins
  • Exercises: medicine ball throws/slams (e.g., overhead, rotation, chest pass etc.); plyometrics (e.g., drop jumps, depth jumps etc.)
  • Example session:
  • Box jumps
  • Depth jumps
  • Medicine ball slams
  • Medicine ball chest pass
  • Medicine ball rotations

Training organisation (periodisation)

Level: novice (never resistance trained)

  • Novices will make rapid gains in all areas with very little variation in the training aims
  • This means that training variables (e.g., sets, repetitions etc.) can remain the same over a period of weeks
  • Example:
  • Weeks 1 - 4: muscle size
  • Weeks 5 - 8: strength
  • Weeks 9 - 12: strength-speed/speed-strength

Level: intermediate (resistance training at least 6 months)

  • Intermediate resistance trainers will make slower gains than novices and require greater variation in the training programme
  • This means that training variables (e.g., sets, repetitions etc.) must be changed more regularly than for novices
  • Example:
  • Week 1: strength
  • Week 2: strength-speed
  • Week 3: speed-strength
  • Week 4: regeneration week (i.e., reduced resistance training)
  • Repeat 4-week cycle with increased loads

Level: advanced (resistance training for at least 12 months)

  • Advanced resistance trainers will make slower gains than intermediate trainers and require very frequent variation in the training programme
  • This means that training variables (e.g., sets, repetitions etc.) must be changed very often
  • Example:
  • Week 1 - 4: 9 x strength sessions; 4 x strength-speed sessions; 3 x speed-strength sessions distributed across 4 weeks (e.g.., week 1: 2 x strength sessions; 1 x strength-speed session; 1 x speed-strength session)
  • Week 5 - 8: 4 x strength sessions; 9 x strength-speed sessions; 3 x speed-strength sessions distributed across 4 weeks
  • Week 9 -12: 3 x strength sessions; 4 x strength-speed sessions; 9 x speed-strength sessions distributed across 4 weeks

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