In the demanding world of rugby, where powerful collisions, explosive sprints, and relentless scrums are the norm, a robust strength and power training program is not just beneficial—it’s essential. For players seeking to enhance their performance and fortify their bodies against the rigors of the game, understanding the right training methods is paramount. That’s precisely what Adam Bishop, Britain’s Strongest Man and Senior Strength Coach for Harlequins Rugby, delivers in the insightful video above.
Adam guides us through a crucial in-season strength and power session, highlighting exercises specifically chosen for their impact on rugby performance. This guide expands on his expertise, providing a deeper dive into these key movements and their benefits for anyone looking to build serious functional strength for the pitch.
Building Explosive Power for the Pitch
Explosiveness is a cornerstone of rugby, influencing everything from breaking tackles to launching into a ruck. Developing the ability to generate maximum force quickly can significantly impact a player’s effectiveness. These exercises focus on cultivating that raw power.
The Foundation of Explosiveness: Box Jumps
Box jumps are a fantastic way to develop lower body explosive power, a critical component for rugby players. Unlike traditional jumps, landing on a box significantly reduces the impact on joints, making it a safer option for larger athletes and during the competitive season. This movement forces you to be explosive, as there’s no way to jump onto a box without exerting maximum effort.
For proper technique, initiate the jump with a quick, shallow dip rather than a deep squat. Drive powerfully upwards, landing softly and stably on the box. Critically, always step down from the box rather than jumping off. This protects your joints and conserves energy for subsequent reps, preventing unnecessary impact associated with higher volume plyometrics.
Dynamic Upper Body Force: Medicine Ball Throws
While often seen as an upper body explosive movement, the forward medicine ball throw is a total-body exercise crucial for rugby. It mimics the full-body power generation needed for tackles, fend-offs, and explosive carries. This simple yet highly effective exercise helps to develop the fast-twitch muscle fibers that are vital for quick bursts of energy on the field.
To perform this movement, hold a medicine ball at your chest, loading into a squat position with your hands behind the ball. From this loaded position, explosively project your entire body forward, launching the ball into the air with maximum force. This trains your body to generate power from the ground up, linking your lower body, core, and upper body in a fluid, powerful motion.
Maximizing Speed and Strength
Rugby demands not just raw power, but also the ability to translate that power into effective speed and formidable strength. These exercises build foundational strength and improve acceleration, critical attributes for every player.
Unleashing Acceleration: Loaded Prowler Sprints
Maintaining speed work during the in-season is often challenging due to limited space or the need for maximum effort sprinting outdoors. Loaded prowler sprints offer an excellent solution, providing short, intense accelerations within the gym environment. The advantage of a loaded sprint is that it places the body in a forward-projected position, directly mimicking the mechanics of accelerating on the field.
This exercise requires minimal equipment – just a sled, some weights, and a stretch of turf or even concrete. Prowler sprints effectively tax your muscles and cardiovascular system, enhancing your ability to generate force quickly and sustain high-intensity efforts. They are a fantastic way to improve your initial burst and overall work capacity without excessive joint stress.
Core Strength Builder: Barbell Back Squats
The barbell back squat remains a cornerstone of any effective strength program, serving as the primary lower body strength stimulus for rugby players. This compound movement builds immense power in the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, all essential for driving through contact, sprinting, and powerful jumps. Prioritizing proper technique is crucial to maximize benefits and ensure safety, especially when lifting heavy loads.
When setting up, ensure a stable base with your feet firmly planted. Adam Bishop prefers coaching a high bar squat, where the bar rests on your traps, just below your neck. This position is generally easier to learn and allows for a more upright torso, offering great carryover to athletic movements. Actively pull down on the barbell to engage your lats, which are vital for stabilizing the spine throughout the lift. Initiate the descent by pushing your hips back and knees out, tracking over your toes. Aim to squat to parallel or slightly below, if your mobility allows, gradually building range of motion before increasing load. For in-season training, Adam suggests multiple sets of 3-5 reps, occasionally going up to 8, to focus on strength without overtaxing the system.
Developing Upper Body Dominance and Resilience
The upper body in rugby is constantly engaged, whether in tackles, rucks, mauls, or lineouts. Developing powerful, stable upper body strength, along with robust neck resilience, is crucial for both performance and injury prevention.
Overhead Prowess: Military Press
For rugby players, particularly forwards, the military press often takes precedence over traditional bench pressing as a primary overhead pressing movement. This is largely due to its direct relevance to lineout lifting, where players must generate powerful overhead force and maintain stability. Beyond its specific application, the military press effectively engages and strengthens the core muscles, which are paramount for overall stability during heavy lifts and high-impact actions.
For proper execution, adopt a grip slightly narrower than shoulder-width, with your hands about a thumb’s width away from the smooth part of the barbell. While a false grip (thumb over the bar) can be used, a full grip (thumb wrapped around) is also perfectly acceptable. Pull your elbows in tight, engage your lats, and maintain a tall, rigid posture. From the starting position just below your chin, drive the bar straight up overhead. A slight lean back as the bar clears your head is natural, immediately pushing your head through and locking out your arms at the top. Control the descent back to the shoulder position, ensuring the bar doesn’t rest on your deltoids at the bottom, maintaining tension and control.
Fortifying the Neck: Injury Prevention Essentials
Neck training is non-negotiable for all rugby players, regardless of their position on the field. From the front row grappling in a scrum to wings facing high-impact collisions, a strong neck provides critical protection. Adam Bishop emphasizes isometric neck training for the vast majority of the squad, which involves holding a static position against resistance. This method is highly effective for building strength and endurance in the neck muscles, enhancing their ability to withstand sudden forces.
A simple yet effective exercise involves using a resistance band within a power rack. Securely choke the band around a pillar or a loaded barbell to prevent it from moving. Place the band around your forehead, taking a small step forward to create tension. Maintain a neutral neck position, avoiding excessive flexion or extension. Hold this position for five seconds, then step back to release tension. Repeat this sequence three times for a total of three five-second holds. This should be performed in all four planes of neck movement: flexion (pushing forward), extension (pushing backward), and side flexion (pushing to each side). Consistently strengthening the neck in these ways offers invaluable protection against the inherent risks of rugby.
Adam Bishop’s Rugby Workout: Your Questions Tackled
What is the main purpose of Adam Bishop’s rugby workout?
This workout, designed by Britain’s Strongest Man Adam Bishop, focuses on in-season strength and power training to boost rugby performance and fortify players against the game’s physical demands.
Why is ‘explosive power’ a key focus for rugby players?
Explosive power is vital in rugby because it helps players generate maximum force quickly for actions like breaking tackles, launching into rucks, and making powerful sprints.
What types of exercises are included in this rugby workout?
The workout includes exercises to build explosive power (like box jumps), maximize speed and strength (like squats and prowler sprints), and develop upper body dominance and resilience (like military press and neck training).
Why is neck training essential for rugby players?
Neck training is crucial for all rugby players to build strength and endurance in the neck muscles, providing critical protection against high-impact collisions and potential injuries on the field.
Is this training program designed for rugby players during their competitive season?
Yes, Adam Bishop specifically guides players through a crucial in-season strength and power session, highlighting exercises chosen for their impact during the competitive season.