Overload

Your body adapts if you overload it.  Overload is the very core of training.  This is fairly obvious but there are elements to the overload principle that are less well known, or at least less well practised.  

Progression is key.  You need to increase the demands on your body in strength, speed and other drills otherwise it will not adapt and improve.  However this progression needs to be managed carefully in order to be effective, and guard against injury.  You usually can’t train if you get injured and that is enormously frustrating.  Especially if you have to watch your previous efforts wasted.   

Injury, or poor adaptation can happen to players who overload too much too quickly.  It can also happen to players who do not overload and progress enough.  It should be said that problems are more common amongst rugby athletes from trying too much too soon.  Your rate of overload progression can speed up the fitter you become.

Overloading too quickly is a common problem and results in conditioning taking longer and being less complete.  If drills can’t be completed properly and with a full range of movement, you are wasting a lot of your effort.  You develop quicker and better if you do them right.

The body doesn’t do its adapting when you are training, it adapts immediately afterwards and while you sleep.  So nutrition and rest are vital.  See our section on recovery and avoiding injury for more information on the importance of rest.

Overload and progression can be achieved through heavier weight, reduced time and frequency of inter-set rest, increased distance or height target, additional reps, increased complexity of movement and newer types of training such as plyometrics.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics is an advanced form of training that is extremely beneficial in speed and power development.  It works by developing maximum force or power output for a muscle group. The maximum force that a muscle can develop is attained during a rapid eccentric contraction.

When a concentric contraction occurs (muscle shortening) immediately following an eccentric contraction (muscle lengthening) then the force generated can be dramatically increased. Top athletes in most sports use this cutting edge technique.

RugbyMax is extremely effective during plyometric sessions which we strongly advise you to do. Taking RugbyMax daily will help ensure your body is equipped to do extra, advanced movements in a plyometric session.  Ensure you work with a coach to determine how many impacts you should be working with and focus on the quality of movements.

Take a look at the University of Leicester's site for a good introduction to rugby-specific plyometrics.

Or see an alternative here from the coach of the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

If you are familiar with plyometrics try "complex" sessions.  These combine regular weights and immediate plyometric movements on the same muscle group with no recovery between the two exercises, just between sets. In many players this can improve the output of plyometrics further still. Do this under supervision.

RugbyMax helps ensure you can deliver the explosive bouts of movement, harder, and for a longer period. Explosive rugby speed training movements use very specific types of energy conversion processes in your muscle cells. Deploying speed also needs unimpeded nerve activity to fully deliver necessary force, and to do it in a co-ordinated fashion. Finally you need the right balance of nutrient compounds to replenish this system. RugbyMax delivers for you on all these key areas.