Lady Panther RFC Spring 2007 Preseason Fitness Training

1. Lady Panther RFC Spring 2007 Preseason Fitness Training Coach Scot Prunckle

2. Introduction • These workouts are adapted from the preseason training regimen used by the USA Rugby Women’s National Team • In the initial four week phase of training you will have three strength training days and two cardio days per week • We will designate group training leaders to assist you in learning the exercises and meeting your cardio and strength goals • If you have prior experience in these types of exercises, please let us know! We value your input!

3. Agenda • In Phase One you will complete a four-week workout focused on: • Periodized Strength Training: three sessions per week that take about an hour to complete • Cardio: Speed, Agility and Quickness - two sessions per week that take about an hour to complete • Core Conditioning: two sessions per week that take approximately 15 minutes to complete

4. Overview • The Purpose of Phase One conditioning is to create a base of muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness and core conditioning to prepare you for the rugby season. • The “hypertrophy” phase of strength training will prepare you for rugby by building up your base musculature. • The first phase of Speed, Agility and Quickness exercises will increase your stamina via sprinting exercises, which does not work counter-productively to muscle development • The Abdominal Circuit exercises will help build your core strength and ready you for contact.

5. Scope and GoalsThe Big Picture of Rugby Fitness (Part 1 of 3) Sometimes it helps a bit to know where you’re going with a conditioning program: The long-term goal of this workout program is to provide you with the proper development of strength, speed, agility and core conditioning. The program is based on three areas of focus • Periodized Strength Training: This segment of the program is designed to initially develop your muscularature, followed by increasing your strength then the power (explosive movements) of your muscles. The final phase of the workout is your maintenance phase. The overall goal is to initially increase the mass of muscle groups that are underdeveloped, then strengthen and tone your muscles – leading to a more balanced development of your body. • Phase 1: Hypertrophy Phase: Develop adequate muscularature throughout the body. The Hypertrophy Phase is also known as “Shocking the Muscles.” This four-week segment is the only muscle building you will do throughout the program. • Phase 2: Strength Phase: Develop a positive relationship between muscle size and strength. Lifting heavier weight with lower repetitions will increase strength without over-developing muscles. Plyometric Exercises and Total Body Lifts are introduced. • Phase 3: Power Phase: By increasing the speed of each repetition in Total Body Lifts, and adding plyometric exercises, you will increase the power (and speed) you produce with each concentric muscle contraction. • Phase 4: Maintenance Phase: Emphasis is placed on proper technique and quickness in Total Body Exercises to reduce you time in the weight room and maintain the strength and power you have developed.

6. Scope and GoalsThe Big Picture of Rugby Fitness (Part 2 of 3) • Speed, Agility and Quickness: The simple goal is to provide you with exercises that allow you to become an explosive runner, with the necessary agility for evasive maneuvers (continuity rugby) and the endurance for sustained sprinting. • Phase 1: Endurance and Mobility: Develop the endurance of sustained sprinting required in the sport. By training with middle distance sprinting instead of distance running, you will not be training at cross-purposes with the strength training portion of the program. In this section we aim to increase your cardio endurance. • Phase 2: Strength and Speed: With the introduction of higher intensity short-distance sprinting, and plyometrics, we begin to focus on the anaerobic training required to increase your stamina on the field. • Phase 3: Agility and Anaerobic Threshold: By increasing the use of shuttle exercises, we will extend your Anaerobic Threshold (AT) while developing the muscle reaction necessary for dynamic movement about the field (continuity rugby and dangerous running). • Phase 4: Speed and Aerobic Training: With renewed focus on longer sets of high-intensity short-distance sprinting, we will increase your ability to perform higher intensity sprinting at later and later times in the match. We aim to increase the amount of time in which you are able to work in the aerobic zone. This reduces fatigue during the match.

7. Scope and GoalsThe Big Picture of Rugby Fitness (Part 3 of 3) • Core Conditioning: Core strength development and conditioning is, in essence, training to prevent injury. Many athletes that play contact sports have underdeveloped core strength and are susceptible to injury in contact. Although many of these exercises are not the most fun to perform, they will make your rugby playing experience much more enjoyable for the effort. Not only will you be less likely to experience fatigue late in the match, but you will also have vastly increased recovery time. Core training also helps build the muscularature and endurance necessary to maintain proper rugby position. • Phase 1: Basic Core Development (8 weeks): This section focuses on introduction of the requisite core conditioning exercises, and develop adequate strength for the second phase of the core development program. These exercises focus primarily on abdominal training, with secondary development in the muscles of the lower back, hips and legs. The exercises are only performed once per week in this phase. • Phase 2: Advanced Core Development (8 weeks): In this phase, you will start performing core development exercises twice per week and add some exercises with weights to continue your core development.

8. Phase 1Week 1

9. NAME DATE Day One, Week 1Periodized Strength Training

10. NAME DATE Day 2, Week 1 – SAQ & Core ** See Agility Ladder Diagrams. When running Agility Ladders, the exercise is performed twice per set. If performing this exercise when coaches are not present, please perform one of the alternate exercises.

11. NAME DATE Day Three, Week 1Periodized Strength Training

12. NAME DATE Day Four, Week 1S.A.Q. & Core Training

13. NAME DATE Day Five, Week 1Periodized Strength Training

14. Phase 1Week 2

15. NAME DATE Heavy Lift Day Exercise Sets x Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Power Cleans 3 x 6 2 – 3 minutes rest Back Squat 4 x 10 2 – 3 minutes rest DB Bench Set-Ups (Front) 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Romanian Dead Lift 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Incline DB Press on Exercise ball 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Lat Pulldown 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Crunches 1 x 30 Day One, Week TwoPeriodized Strength Training

16. NAME DATE Day 2, Week 2 – SAQ & Core ** See Agility Ladder Diagrams. When running Agility Ladders, the exercise is performed twice per set. If performing this exercise when coaches are not present, please perform one of the alternate exercises.

17. NAME DATE Day Three, Week 2Periodized Strength Training

18. NAME DATE Day Four, Week 2S.A.Q. & Core Training

19. NAME DATE Day Five, Week 2Periodized Strength Training

20. Phase 1Week 3

21. NAME DATE Heavy Lift Day Exercise Sets x Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Power Cleans 3 x 6 2 – 3 minutes rest Back Squat 4 x 10 2 – 3 minutes rest DB Bench Set-Ups (Front) 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Romanian Dead Lift 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Incline DB Press on Exercise ball 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Lat Pulldown 3 x 8 2 – 3 minutes rest Crunches 1 x 30 Day One, Week 3Periodized Strength Training

22. NAME DATE Day 2, Week 3 – SAQ & Core ** See Agility Ladder Diagrams. When running Agility Ladders, the exercise is performed twice per set. If performing this exercise when coaches are not present, please perform one of the alternate exercises.

23. NAME DATE Day Three, Week 3Periodized Strength Training

24. NAME DATE Day Four, Week 3S.A.Q. & Core Training

25. NAME DATE Day Five, Week 3Periodized Strength Training

26. Phase 1Week 4

27. NAME DATE Day One, Week 4Periodized Strength Training

28. NAME DATE Day 2, Week 4 – SAQ & Core ** See Agility Ladder Diagrams. When running Agility Ladders, the exercise is performed twice per set. If performing this exercise when coaches are not present, please perform one of the alternate exercises.

29. NAME DATE Day Three, Week 4Periodized Strength Training

30. NAME DATE Day Four, Week 4S.A.Q. & Core Training

31. NAME DATE Day Five, Week 4Periodized Strength Training

32. Agility WorkDiagrams

33. 5 meters Denotes Star-Jump, Burpee, Squat-thrust or Down-up Agility Circuit #1 5 meters backpedal 5 meters Shuffle to left Shuffle to right Sprint to finish END Sprints between cones sprint START Slalom Run 2 meters sprint 2 meters 2 meters 2 meters 15 meters LPRFC Preseason Fitness Training 2007

34. Denotes Star-Jump, Burpee, Squat-thrust or Down-up 10 meters Agility Circuit #2 Agility Rope Ladder: Advance through ladder by putting two feet in each square, then one foot out This is the Icky Shuffle. Run between cone “gates” then backpedal around the deep cone and attack into the next gate. Decision Gate: If the coach moves left, you move right 5 meters END sprint Shuffle to left Shuffle to right 5 meters backpedal START sprint LPRFC Preseason Fitness Training 2007

35. Denotes Star-Jump, Burpee, Squat-thrust or Down-up Basketball Court Agility #1Distances given are on a regulation size NCAA basketball court that measures 84’ from baseline to baseline. NOTE: The sprint lines are drawn across the court for clarity. However, this agility work is designed to be performed in a single-file line. 15.38 meters Sprint to opposite free-throw line END Sprint START Sprint Shuffle to left Backpedal Sprint Shuffle to right Sprint to opposite free-throw line Slalom around block and free-throw tabs, sprint to baseline 5.85 meters 7.07 meters 7.07 meters 5.85 meters 12.92 meters 25.85 meters LPRFC Preseason Fitness Training 2007

36. Denotes Star-Jump, Burpee, Squat-thrust or Down-up Basketball Court Agility #2Distances given are on a regulation size NCAA basketball court that measures 84’ from baseline to baseline. 15.38 meters Sprint to workout partner END START Sprint to opposite free-throw line Decision Gate: If partner moves left, you move right Run into and backpedal out of block and tabs Shuffle to left Shuffle to right Backpedal Sprint 7.07 meters 7.07 meters 5.85 meters 12.92 meters 25.85 meters LPRFC Preseason Fitness Training 2007

37. Weight LiftingLift Diagrams

38. Weight LiftingAlternate Leg Dumbbell Lunges

39. Weight LiftingAlternate one arm DB row (use balance disc)

40. Weight LiftingBack Squat

41. Weight LiftingClean Pulls

42. Weight LiftingFront Squat

43. Weight LiftingGood Morning

44. Weight LiftingPower Cleans

45. Weight LiftingPush Press

46. Weight LiftingRDL – Romanian Deal Lift

47. Weight LiftingUpright Rows – use Dumbbells when indicated