Exercise Prescription - College Rugby Player in Off-season

Subject

College rugby team in off season

Speed and agility program

Rugby is a physically demanding contact sport that involves both anaerobic and aerobic pathways, requiring strength, power, speed, agility and mobility. Since we are in the off-season, there will be a larger focus on maximal strength and mobility, but we will also include speed, agility and change-in-direction drills 1-2x a week. 

Agility ladder 4X3 with 30 seconds between each set and 2 minutes between each drill. 

The workout will begin with some agility ladder drills. This is going to help our athletes get back to basics with foot work, emphasizing coordination, postural stability, and overall quickness with the feet. 

The first ladder drill will be quite simple, moving up and down the ladder with the leading foot, staying on the balls of the feet, trying to reduce the amount of time spent with each foot on the ground. Keep the knees flexed, chest slightly forward, creating a pelvic tilt. Keep the elbows in to swing the arms to the back and forward. Your arms should be coordinated with each foot. For example, as your right foot steps forward, your right arm swings forward. 

The second ladder drill is also helping with change-in-direction, jumping 90 degrees, while moving down the and in and out of the ladder. Keep the knees flexed with the glance forward. Elbows flexed to help with balance. In the video, I would have told myself to keep my center of gravity lower, flexing the hips and knees a little further, while tucking in the core more. This is also a warmup for the 180 degree jumps coming up later in the workout. 

The third agility ladder drill is helping the athlete with ankle, knee, and trunk stability, as they quickly change direction laterally in and out of the ladder. Keep your center of gravity low, by keeping the knees flexed with a slight pelvic tilt forward. Create lateral distance, by pushing down with the foot.

The fourth agility ladder drill is moving the athlete through two planes of motion, aiding them in quickly being able to change direction, while maintaining enough stability to correctly begin moving in another direction. 

Agility/Change in direction

180 degree jump squat with forward hop: This drill is helping with proprioception. As we jump up in the air 180 degrees, we don’t know where we are landing. Therefore, by adding in that extra little hop forward on one leg, it can help the athlete prepare for gaining control if they’re thrown off course during the game. For example, being tackled from behind or being pushed into a different direction. **10x3 with a 1 minute rest between each set

Cue your athlete to start with feet shoulder width apart, slight bend in the knees. Begin by flexing the knees and hips and bringing the arms forward to generate force. Begin extending the knees and hips, while swinging the arms back, as you lift off from the ground and rotate the body 180 degrees. Come down into a squat, so your lower body can absorb the body weight and build up enough force to take the single leg hop forward. 

5 meters forward/back (forward declaration drill): This drill is used to help with braking ability, by being able to decelerate from a faster speed to a stop, while maintaining stability and preventing injury. **4x3 with a 1 minute rest between each set 

Cue your athlete to sprint forward 5 meters, and in the last 3-5 steps, start to slow the legs down, and absorb the body weight with each step by flexing the knees and keeping the chest up, to control the posture. 

March Walk forward/backward: March walks are going to prepare the athlete for the sprinting section. This is more for mobility and hip flexor activation. Sprinting requires a great deal of force from the hips, so making sure we have proper range-of-motion through activation is essential. Adding in the march walk backward can help with proprioception balance. **1x4 - 15 meters with 30 seconds rest between sets. 

Cue your athlete to step forward with their dominant leg, while maximally flexing their swing legs knee and hip. On the way back, instruct them to step back with their dominant leg, while maximally flexing their opposite legs knee and hip, while keeping the chest up and glance forward, in order not to fall backwards. 

March walk with a hop: This is the progression of the march walk, adding in some power for each step, further preparing the athlete for the sprints to follow. **1x4 - 15 meters with 30 seconds rest between sets. 

Cue the athlete to push down to the ground with each step. Keep one foot off the ground at all times, by pushing off of the ground to powerfully flex the hip and knee. 

High rotational kick: This drill is also in preparation for the sprinting drills. This allows the athlete to slightly rotate the torso, while kicking the leg up and maintaining balance. It also allows for an active stretch of the hamstrings. **1x2 - 15 meters - 15 second rest between sets. 

Cue the athlete to begin walking forward by kicking one leg straight forward into the air as high as possible, keeping the leg straight, while reaching for the toe with the opposite hand. 

Sprints: Sprinting drills will not only help with anaerobic pathways, but will also aid in running velocity and impulse. Also, upright sprinting can enhance the stretch shortening cycle, needed in rugby, due to the quick changes from eccentric to concentric muscle movements. 

1x3 at 15 meters 20% intensity

1x2 at 30 meters 40% intensity

1x2 at 50 meters 60% intensity 

1x2 at 70+meters at 80+% intensity 

Cue the athlete to start in a split stance. Have their dominant foot forward and back leg approximately two foot lengths behind, making sure the hips are square with the pelvis to avoid any twisting of the torso. Cue the athlete to drop the back leg, so that their shin is parallel to the ground. Lean the body weight forward so that the majority of the weight is on the front leg. Both arms are extended with hands on the ground. 

Movement: Begin the sprint by pushing off of the front leg. As the athlete begins sprinting, cue them to build force by pushing against the ground quickly, while lifting their knees (flexing their hips), to shoot that force back into the ground when the hips begin to extend into the next phase. Simultaneously, swing the arms, by keeping the elbows in and pulling the hand down and back. Keep the head neutral and trunk upright.

Sprint/shuffle/high knees/back peddle: Here we are focusing on speed, agility and change-in-direction. The drill I provided here is just one example. However, I would vary the drills, by switching up the direction and order of the sprints, side shuffles and high knees, to keep the athlete alert and able to adapt to any scenario. This will help them change direction with force and stability, while preventing injury and loss of balance. 

1x4 with 30 seconds between each set. I would include 3 different set ups for these types of drills. I would apply a 2 minute rest between each drill. 

Cueing the athlete: For the sprinting portion (if you start with sprinting): Starting in a split stance, instruct the athlete to have their dominant foot forward and back leg approximately two foot lengths behind, making sure the hips are square with the pelvis to avoid any twisting of the torso. Cue the athlete to drop the back leg, so that their shin is parallel to the ground. Lean the body weight forward so that the majority of the weight is on the front leg. Both arms are extended with hands on the ground. 

Begin the sprint by pushing off of the front leg. As the athlete begins sprinting, cue them to build force by pushing against the ground quickly, while lifting their knees (flexing their hips), to shoot that force back into the ground when the hips begin to extend into the next phase. Simultaneously, swing the arms, by keeping the elbows in and pulling the hand down and back. Keep the head neutral and trunk upright. 

Decelerating: Begin slowing the legs down, and absorb the body weight with each step by flexing the knees and keeping the chest up, to control the posture, so you can quickly change direction and begin shuffling. 

Shuffle portion: Keep a low center of gravity, by flexing the knees and staying light on the balls of the feet. Keep the core engaged and arms bent with the elbows by the rib cage. 

Lateral high knees: Leading with the outside leg, being stepping laterally, while rapidly flexing and extending the knees and hips with each step. Apply enough force to the ground with each step, in order to flex the hip and knee up towards the chest. 

Back peddling: Staying on the balls of your feet, engaging your calves, being back peddling back towards the starting position, keeping your glance forward. 

References

Haff, G., & Triplett, N. T. (2021). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Human Kinetics.