Ever wondered what it takes to build the kind of formidable physique seen in elite rugby players? In the video above, we get an exclusive glimpse into the intense **rugby training** regimen of Ellis Genge, one of the sport’s most powerful athletes, as he walks Andrew Tracey through his approach to strength and conditioning. It’s not just about lifting heavy; it’s about smart, strategic training designed for peak performance and unparalleled robustness on the field.
Ellis Genge’s workout philosophy, deeply rooted in the demands of professional rugby, offers valuable insights for anyone looking to elevate their strength, power, and resilience. This isn’t your average gym routine; it’s a meticulously crafted program that blends traditional heavy lifts with advanced techniques, all geared towards making an athlete ready for anything the game throws at them. Delving into the nuances of his routine reveals how professional rugby players optimize their bodies for sustained high-level performance.
Advanced Strength Techniques for Rugby Players: The Ellis Genge Workout Blueprint
For elite athletes like Ellis Genge, maximizing every training session is paramount. This necessitates incorporating advanced techniques that push physiological limits and stimulate specific adaptations. His program highlights several key strategies that move beyond conventional lifting to build a truly robust physique.
Mastering Eccentric Training for Unrivaled Strength
One of the most intriguing aspects of Ellis Genge’s routine is his emphasis on eccentric lifting, particularly during accessory days. Andrew Tracey aptly explains the science behind this: you are inherently stronger during the lowering (eccentric) phase of a lift compared to the lifting (concentric) phase. By artificially overloading the eccentric portion, athletes can stress muscles in a way that concentric movements alone cannot achieve.
For instance, Ellis describes using an assisted eccentric pull-down, where a partner helps push the weight down further, forcing him to resist an even heavier load than he could concentrically lift. This technique is not merely about strength; it significantly enhances muscle growth (hypertrophy), improves power output, and increases resistance to injury. Studies indicate that eccentric training can produce greater muscle damage, which, when properly recovered from, leads to superior muscle adaptation and strength gains. Given the high-impact nature of rugby, developing stronger, more resilient muscle fibers through such methods is a strategic advantage, contributing directly to a player’s long-term durability.
Strategic Pulling Movements with MAG Grips
Ellis Genge’s program incorporates a variety of pulling movements, strategically alternating grip widths throughout the week, often utilizing MAG (Maximum Advantage Grip) handles. On a typical heavy Monday, pulling exercises are performed with maximum effort, transitioning to varied grips, such as wide grip, on subsequent days like Thursday. This variation is key not only for targeting different muscle fibers in the back and arms but also for direct application to rugby-specific actions, where players constantly grapple, pull, and engage opponents from various angles.
The preference for MAG grips, as Ellis points out, extends beyond mere muscle activation. For rugby players whose hands and fingers endure significant wear and tear, these ergonomic grips distribute pressure more evenly, reducing strain on compromised digits. This thoughtful adaptation allows athletes to focus entirely on the working muscles rather than being limited by grip fatigue or discomfort, thus ensuring the quality of each repetition. Ellis, for example, is able to handle the full stack, potentially 120-140kg, on these specialized grips, demonstrating the heavy loads possible even with considerations for hand health.
Developing Core Strength: Squats and Bench Press for Rugby Performance
No **rugby training** program would be complete without the foundational lifts: squats and bench press. Ellis Genge’s approach to these exercises underscores their critical role in building a comprehensive athlete, though his prioritization reflects the unique demands of his sport.
The Rugby Squat: Power, Depth, and Robustness
Despite popular belief, Ellis Genge reveals that professional rugby players like himself don’t squat as frequently as one might assume, typically once a week for heavy lifting, with an additional power session later in the week. His personal best squat stands at a remarkable 223kg, especially impressive considering his body weight of approximately 120kg. While he humbly states it’s not quite double his body weight, this feat of strength speaks volumes about the raw power required in the front row.
The discussion also touches upon squat depth and form, specifically high bar versus low bar, and the infamous “depth police” from social media comments. Ellis opts for a high-bar squat, emphasizing functional depth over maximizing absolute weight at the expense of range of motion. Interestingly, he reflects on his younger days, recalling a phase of German Volume Training (10 sets of 10 reps) with weights under 120kg, which he suggests made him “stronger when I was 18 than what I am now.” This highlights a common evolution in elite athlete training, where specific strength peaks shift with age and career demands, moving from pure mass building to sustained performance and injury prevention. The goal is robust legs, capable of generating immense power, rather than just hitting a maximal single lift.
Bench Press: Beyond “Bro Science” to Bone Density
When faced with the hypothetical choice between losing the squat or the bench press for his current rugby career, Ellis unequivocally chooses to keep the squat. However, he quickly clarifies that for post-rugby life, the bench press would be the keeper. This prioritization reflects the immediate, functional demands of the sport, where lower body power and resilience are paramount.
Nonetheless, the bench press holds significant importance in his **Ellis Genge workout**. He typically benches two to three times a week, incorporating various grips and methodologies like the flat bench and roller press. What’s particularly insightful is his perspective on the bench press’s contribution to overall “robustness.” Citing DEXA scans, he notes that front-row players who lifted substantial weights often exhibited significantly denser chests, suggesting that the act of “chucking the weights about” directly contributes to bone density in the rib cage. This unique benefit provides an almost “calloused rib cage,” offering enhanced protection in the brutal collisions inherent to rugby. His preference for a tight, close grip also ensures maximum muscular engagement, rather than just moving the most weight.
Conditioning for Repeat Effort: The Rugby Athlete’s Engine
While strength is critical, the ability to repeatedly perform high-intensity efforts is what truly separates a rugby player. Conditioning for Ellis Genge and his teammates is not about long, steady-state cardio but about developing a powerful “repeat effort” engine, which is vital for the stop-start, explosive nature of rugby.
Wattbike Protocols and Power Development
The Wattbike plays a central role in their conditioning protocols, specifically targeting the ability to recover and perform intense bursts repeatedly. Ellis details several max-effort Wattbike protocols:
- Six 1k Intervals, Three Sets: A demanding protocol focusing on sustained power output over short distances.
- Six Seconds On, 24 Seconds Off: Pure power intervals, designed to maximize peak wattage in short bursts.
- 10 Seconds On, 30 Seconds Off: Similar to the six-second protocol but with slightly longer work intervals, challenging both power and power endurance.
- 60 Seconds On, 20 Seconds Off: A more extended interval requiring sustained high output, pushing the limits of anaerobic capacity.
These protocols are not just exercises; they are tests of an athlete’s mental and physical fortitude, with wattage outputs often recorded and compared on whiteboards to foster competitive drive. The emphasis on “max efforts” highlights the intent to develop explosive power and the ability to maintain it under fatigue.
The Assault Bike: The Ultimate Finisher
While all conditioning is challenging, the Assault Bike earns the distinction as Ellis Genge’s least favorite, yet most effective, “body finisher.” This machine is notorious for its ability to push athletes to their absolute limits, leaving them completely spent. Ellis recounts a grueling “Matt Fraser one” workout: 20 calories every minute on the minute for six reps, totaling eight minutes with a warm-up. He completed his first set in 19 seconds but the last in a challenging 37 seconds, illustrating the rapid onset of fatigue this machine induces. The Assault Bike’s full-body, high-resistance nature perfectly simulates the demanding, all-encompassing exertion required in rugby, making it an indispensable tool for building true grit and resilience in **rugby strength and conditioning**.
Ruck & Maul: Your Questions on the Elite Rugby Workout with Ellis Genge
What is the main goal of Ellis Genge’s elite rugby workout?
The workout aims to build a formidable physique, focusing on smart and strategic training to achieve peak performance and robustness for elite rugby players on the field.
Who is Ellis Genge?
Ellis Genge is an elite professional rugby player known for his formidable strength and power, whose intense training regimen is highlighted in the article.
What is eccentric training, a key technique in his workout?
Eccentric training focuses on the lowering phase of a lift, where muscles are inherently stronger. It helps enhance muscle growth, improve power, and increase resistance to injuries.
Why are squats and bench presses important for rugby players like Ellis Genge?
Squats build powerful and robust legs for the demands of the game, while the bench press contributes to overall upper body strength and can increase bone density in the rib cage for better protection during collisions.
What kind of conditioning does Ellis Genge do for rugby?
He focuses on developing a powerful ‘repeat effort’ engine, using machines like the Wattbike for intense power intervals and the Assault Bike for grueling full-body finishers that simulate game demands.