Essentials Rugby Training Journal.

[essential222]

Hey guys,

I have had a journal in the workout section that I maintained for about 8-12 months over a year ago and its time to get back to it, much more motivating than writing it in my tattered notebook!

Right, at the time of writing this its mid season, it will be obvious from the workouts , I play second row, number four (Lock) and am the jumper at the number two position, as a result the demands of my position require exceptional fitness to basically do the boring hard grunt work in the engine room, be explosive at jumping to receive lineout ball and make my lifters lives easier, a good ammount of mass as I do a fair ammount of ball carrying around the fringes of rucks where you can't always hit it with pace etc

Stats
Height : 6'4
Weight : 104kgs/230lbs
Squat : 195kg/430lbs
Deadlift : 220kg/485lbs
Bench : 140kg/315lbs


The Training Schedule:

-I have been following Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 since the rugby season started and loving it, onto my fourth cycle now, as such the workouts are broken up into basically the following weekly schedule

Sunday :
-15 minutes Plyometrics (Box Jumping/broad jumps etc)
-5/3/1 Deadlift
-5x10 Deadlift
-5x10 GHR
-5x10 Weighted hang leg raise
-20minute foam roll/mobility work


Monday :
-5/3/1 Standing OH press
-5x10 OH Press
-5x10 DB Rows
-5x10 Dips SuperSet with as many BW chins as possible
-20minute foam roll/mobility work

-20 minute Hill Sprints ~50m steap hill 10-15 reps


Tuesday :
-GPP Work
-PowerCleans into front squat singles-tripples
-Farmers Walks
-20minute foam roll/mobility work

-One hour rugby practice, tuesday is heavy on conditioning


Wednesday :
-5/3/1 Squat
-5x10 Squat
-5x10 GHR/Back Raise
-5x10 Weighted Hang Leg Raise's
-20minute foam roll/mobility work

-20 minute Hill Sprints ~50m steap hill 10-15 reps
OR
-~20minute hill run, this sucker is huge ~300m vertical climb and walk down.

Thursday :
-5/3/1 Bench
-5x10 Bench
-5x10 Shrugs
-5x10 Dips SuperSet with as many BW chins as possible
-20minute foam roll/mobility work

-One hour rugby practice, more drill/play orientated.


Friday :
-Rest
-20minute foam roll/mobility work


Saturday :

-GAME DAY!

Nutrition :

Gotta be honest, its pretty poor right now, im not working alot of hours and money is an issue, im not getting enough calories of the quality kind, that is reflected by a 10lb drop in BW over the last 3 months, although I have also leaned out alot and am MUCH fitter now. Will improve greatly shortly.

Goals :

One: Continue to get stronger (S : 195KG=>220kg D: 220kg=>250kg B: 140kg=>150KG)
Two: Maintain or add to BW even through my inseason
Three: Manage existing injuries


A note on injuries, I have been struggling for some time now with pretty bad patella tendonitus, it has an effect on my squats unfortunately, if it was up to me i would squat twice a week.

Right, there is the current regime and my goals, DO WORK SON.

[essential222]

Monday :
-5/3/1 Standing OH press
3*48kg
3*55kg
7*63kg
-5x8 OH Press (50kg)
-5x10 DB Rows (50kg)
-5x10 Dips (BW+20kg) => 10,10,8,8,8,7,6 Chins.

-20minute foam roll/mobility work

Did not do any conditioning work today, partially tore patella in weekend (very small but sore as ****) and am resting the lower body as a result and icing the **** outta it.

[monatu]

strong mother****er

[essential222]

Tuesday:

-Skipped my GPP day and Rugby practice due to partial/small tear in patella from weekend.

[moose45]

Subbed. Good luck with the injury; sad to see a guy go down right after making a journal! lol.

[scott_donald]

ahhh hello another rugby journal...

subbed...

[toad1]

deadlifts after game day......you MAD. ive never considered doing 5x10 of the same exercise on a 5/3/1 hows that treating you.

be carefull with that pattella, it's one of those injuries that can stay for life. keep it at a small tear.

[essential222]

Subbed. Good luck with the injury; sad to see a guy go down right after making a journal! lol.

Haha yeah its an ongoing problem im used to it, ill be training again on thursday once the inflammation goes down.

ahhh hello another rugby journal...

subbed...

Haha thanks mate, been following yours for a bit, impressive weights being moved.

deadlifts after game day......you MAD. ive never considered doing 5x10 of the same exercise on a 5/3/1 hows that treating you.

be carefull with that pattella, it's one of those injuries that can stay for life. keep it at a small tear.

Its the only time i can put a lower body session and still have a day off doing anything before game day, the 5x10 of the same exercise is just part of boring but big from the e-book with a couple more assist, and yeah love it.

Yeah my patellas are both sore 90% the time, tendonitus is a pain in the ass!

[essential222]

Wednesday :
-5x10 GHR ( Bodyweight )
-5x15 Weighted Hang Leg Raise's ( Gonna have to start adding weight
to these )
-5x6 Chin ups ( BW+15kg )
-20minute foam roll/mobility work

-Skipped the Hill sprints today, still nursing the knee.


-Light session today, did some hamstring work and some more chins, im working hard on bringing them up as they are a weekpoint, knee still not up to squating,

-had a friend who is a wing for our team, never been in the weight room yet phenomenally strong considering, damn samoan genetics, so basically spent today coaching him on squats and giving him the required mobility work for a virgin squater.

[beertank23]

In.

[scott_donald]

so what is the prognosis with your knee????

[essential222]

so what is the prognosis with your knee????

Slight tear in the patella apparently, tonnes of swelling and ****, mobility is good but I tried loading it with squats yesterday and its a no go, might skip rugby prac again tonight and try to get a half a game on saturday,

I have done the same thing to the other knee before and took about a week to get better but this is worse.

[essential222]

Thursday :
-5/3/1 Bench Press
( 3*90KG )
( 3*102KG )
( 3*115KG )
-5x8 Bench Press ( 85KG ) => -Chins BW+15KG 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
-5x10 Dips ( BW+15kg )
-5x12 Shrugs ( 180KG )


-Good session, next bench cycle im not gonna increase it, bench is stalling, only got the prescribed reps on the third set today, might up the shrugs next week,

-Quick note on my new training partner, never touched a weight in his life and one repped 87.5KG today which is almost his bodyweight, its amazing the genetic difference between him and myself when I first started, easily twice as strong as I was.

[essential222]

Game Day

-Played 25 minutes with bad knee, was alright, had an ACL strappping on it which alleviated some pressure, the 25 minutes I came on at the end was almost entirely on defence, made at least 15-20 tackles in that time,

We went down 10-12 in the end after defending our line for 23 phases.

[scott_donald]

unlucky with the loss... those games are normally fun though...

how does the knee feel now after the 25mins???

[essential222]

unlucky with the loss... those games are normally fun though...

how does the knee feel now after the 25mins???

Not too bad, iced it and all the normal drama, i should be sweet back into normal training next week but ill keep strapping it just in case,

Yeah was fun but I forget how tough it is comming off the bench when your cold and fitness has suffered a little after a week off.

[scott_donald]

haha ye... i quite often get stuck benching for first grade as can cover back row and second row so know how you feel!!!

watching sevens right now from murrayfield - scotland on next then another game then the all blacks...

[essential222]

Sunday:

-Power Cleans working up to one RM
2*60kg
2*80kg
2*100kg
1*110kg
1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1*115KG

-5x10 Back Raises ( 35kg BB behind neck )

-5x10 Chins ( BW )

-Did what I felt like doing today basically, didnt wanna load the knees too much up on deads by going heavy which in hindsight made no sense considering i did heavy singles on power cleans haha,

I normally dip into a front squat but not today due to knee, also couldnt go as heavy as normal due to not being able to dip under the bar so much

[BenT]

subbed.

nice training dude, hope the knee gets better soon.

[scott_donald]

wow massive volume at such high intensity... impressive...

[essential222]

Monday:

-5/3/1 Standing OH Press
5*55kg
3*63kg
2/2*70kg

-5x10 OH Press ( 50kg )

-5x10 DB Rows ( 50KG )

-5x6 Chins ( BW+15kg )

-5x8 BB Floor Press ( 80kg )

-Felt great today, epic epic pump for some reason, the OH press's I am struggling on, dont know if I will add weight to them next cycle, no cardio today as I started a new job with long hours and its dark when I get home so I am gonna have to get creative.

[essential222]

Tuesday:

-PowerClean into Front Squat:
5*40kg
5*60kg
1,1,1,1,1,*100kg
1,1,1,1,1*110kg

-5x10 OH Cable extension ( 89kg )

-5x Max distance Farmer's walks( 50kg DB's )

-Easy day got rugby practice in 30mins so took it easy and did what I felt like basically, lol i need to squat a hell of alot more, I got pinned by the last power clean into front squat haha.

[scott_donald]

you certainly P clean well in weight... what is your technique like???

[essential222]

you certainly P clean well in weight... what is your technique like???

I like to think its pretty good, I dont jump or move my leg placement or anything and always catch it in the front squat position, I am training myself to dip more so that I dont have to clean it as high since I catch at like 1/4 squat at deapest at the moment, wanna start moving some serious weight, 140kg powerclean+front squat is the goal.

Ill try get a video some time.

[scott_donald]

I like to think its pretty good, I dont jump or move my leg placement or anything and always catch it in the front squat position, I am training myself to dip more so that I dont have to clean it as high since I catch at like 1/4 squat at deapest at the moment, wanna start moving some serious weight, 140kg powerclean+front squat is the goal.

Ill try get a video some time.

sweet... ya my main problem is the drop... but in snatches...

[essential222]

Wednesday:

-Back Squat ATG
5*60kg
3*80kg
3*100kg
2*120kg
2*140kg
1*150kg
1*155Kg
1*160kg Just missed.
1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1* 140kg
1,1,1,1,1*130kg


-5*3 ATG Jump Squats ( 60kg )

-5x10 Glute Ham Raise ( Bw no assist )

-5x Max Hang Leg Raises( 15,10,8,8,7 )

-20minutes Foam Roll/mobility work

-Alright got a bit to talk about in relation to todays workout, I wasnt happy with the parallel squats I was doing at a heavier weight as it was punishing my knees, ATG for whatever reason olympic style high-bar knees infront of toes don't even flinch it, wierd. So today was about testing my true ATG max. This highlighted a weakness where my form breaksdown, For me I explode out of the hole and about halfway up I stall bigtime, the point where you start to loose hip drive and quads take over, I needa bring quads up asap!

-My new training partner today was his first day where I let him max out on squats, 125kg for someone who has never been in a gym at 90kg, true ATG and good form, I can't believe this guy.

I also wanna bring the legs up big time and now might not be the best time since its inseason but im gonna start squating or powercleaning every day basically, I will decide whether to stick to 5/3/1 for squats while I do this.

-The jump squats were awesome, pounded the calves and made me work, could have gone heavier but I ahve never done them.

[essential222]

sweet... ya my main problem is the drop... but in snatches...

I would love to try snatches but I dont have access to bumper plates, I spose I could snatch it BS it and then drop and catch like a heavy BTN push press and then rack it. Also in your journal you say snatch pulls, what are these? like a wide grip clean to neck height?

[scott_donald]

I would love to try snatches but I dont have access to bumper plates, I spose I could snatch it BS it and then drop and catch like a heavy BTN push press and then rack it. Also in your journal you say snatch pulls, what are these? like a wide grip clean to neck height?

not to neck high but more just he first 2 pulls of the snatch...

with snatches you just drop onto you thighs from over head... but i dont do a weight that i cant throw around pretty easy...

how long did todays workout take you??? lots of singles there that must have taken ages...

[essential222]

not to neck high but more just he first 2 pulls of the snatch...

with snatches you just drop onto you thighs from over head... but i dont do a weight that i cant throw around pretty easy...

how long did todays workout take you??? lots of singles there that must have taken ages...

Oh nice, thanks yeah i can do them, ill give them ago on sunday, 1:15 we were warmed up done and warmed down,

I find dont need much rest between with singles, just enough time for us to change weights and my partner to push out a single, so squating took probably 25minutes.

[essential222]

Thursday:

-Bench Press
5*60kg
3*80kg
3*100kg
2*115kg
1*120kg
1*130kg
1,1,1,1,1,1*115Kg
1,1,1,1,1*110kg


-5*8 Dips ( BW+20kg )

-Weighted Chins ( BW+20kg 8,7,7,6,6,6 reps )

-20minutes Foam Roll/mobility work

-Basically what I felt like doing on an upper pressing day again, went heavy and did singles, I have lost around 10kg on my bench as I leaned and lost ~5KG

-Dips Felt strong, Chins felt strong, Gonna go do some heavy single cleans and learn snatches today later on