Rugby League Fitness & Conditioning

Aerobic training addresses the foundation of any conditioning program – maximal oxygen uptake. Aerobic capacity represents the individuals ability to generate energy through the use of oxygen. For the Rugby League athlete, it is particularly important to aid recovery between bouts of exercise and to allow the athlete to maintain a high level of intensity over the full 80 minutes.

Anaerobic training addresses the athletes ability to recover from repeat high intensity exercise and to allow for efficient removal of the waste products associated with anaerobic energy production such as lactic acid. The anaerobic system promotes the development of the strong, powerful athletic movements essential for success at the highest level.

Together these sessions provide a progressive approach to the development of Rugby League specific conditioning. Each week is designed to build on the previous allowing the athlete to progress through increasing intensities and complexities of exercise in order to develop a sound, robust foundation essential for the game of Rugby League. This type of fitness is often the difference between making, breaking or missing the tackle at critical points in the game.

Rugby League Speed & Agility Training

Speed training addresses the athletes ability to perform repeat high speed movements in a safe and optimal manner. In any team sport, it is often said that there is no substitute for speed – these programs, alongside the development of functional and absolute strength, allow this to be a strength rather than a weakness!

These sessions provide a progressive approach to the development of Rugby League specific speed and agility, starting from the development of general speed technique, functional mobility and postural strength to the development of the multi directional acceleration qualities essential to the modern game of Rugby League. All facets of speed development are addressed, including increasing contact speed, plyometric advancement and speed endurance qualities.

Rugby League Strength & Power Training

As with any weight training program, it is imperative to support both strength and power development with a comprehensive injury prevention and functional development program. Functional development programs complement the gains made in the strength programs by addressing the quality and range of movement that allows all movements to be performed in a safe and productive manner.

The first 3 week strength sessions provide a foundation for the strength accumulation progressions to be encountered within subsequent strength phases through pre season 2, pre competition and in season cycles. The power sessions at this time address initial technical preparation for Olympic Lifting training protocols as well as further accumulating the strength required for participation in Rugby League. Lifts and loads are designed to concentrate on speed and quality of movement rather than high load.

In the second 3 week block, the strength program further progresses the strength accumulation attained within the initial strength phase, increasing the intensity and complexity of lifts accordingly. Reps are further decreased with set progressions and loading parameters again provided over a 3 week period. The power sessions supplement the strength gains as well as introducing increased speed of movement preceding top end power development through explosive concentric phases.

Rugby League Recovery & Flexibility

In order to perform day after day, week after week it is imperative that the athlete has sufficient, optimal recovery and regeneration strategies in place. If this is not in place then overtraining may occur leading to the increased likelihood of injury and illness as well as decreased performance levels.

If training is followed by sufficient recovery then a state of ‘supercompensation’ is reached where physical capacity is increased. If this is performed over a period of time, the adaptations to exercise are positive. However, if there is insufficient recovery then performance levels and capacities drop, leading ultimately to overtraining, injury and illness.