Ashley Jones Q&A Archives Page 2

[sthompson@getstrength.com]

Hi Ashley,

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on a very interesting and informative webite!!!

I am a 26 year ex professional rugby player. Since I last played professionally 3 years ago I have lost a lot of muscle and strength and have decided that the next season is a make or break one for me. I play in the Welsh Premiership so I am just looking to plan my preseason and will have a good 12 week period to concentrate on conditioning. My aim is to bulk up and get my strength back to what it was. I am currently weighing in at about 109kg and am 1.90m in height so I want to put on as much lean mass as possible without compromising my mobility. I can get to the gym 3 times a week and was wondering if you could give me some pointers as to how I should go about this?

Look forward to hearing from you soon,

Andy

Hi Andy,
thanks for your comments, 12 weeks gives you a good length of time to strengthen explosively as you move towards your season, I prefer a modified Olympic lifting approach, which I include below, but also a great articel by DeFranco using the Westside template is also a great off season plan to follow for rugby forwards, more tight forwards than loose forwards, go to http://www.elitefts.com or http://www.t-nation.com and check back articles and look for WestSide for Skinny Bastards, outstanding. Below is my fully programmed approach using Olympic lifting, go well, ashley

Training Month with Weekly Variation

* Olympic- Strength/Speed Movements (all workout weights are written as %)

Week
Work Out
Intensity Rating
Volume

1
(70 x 4, 73 x 4, 76 x 4) x 2
Medium/Heavy
24

2
(82 x 3, 85 x 3, 88 x 3) x 2
Heavy
18

3
61 x 5, 64 x 5, 67 x 5
Medium
15

4
91 x 2, 94 x 2, 97 x 2
Very Heavy
6

# Strength Movements

Week
Work Out
Intensity Rating
Volume

1
(70 x 5, 73 x 5, 76 x 5) x 2
Medium/Heavy
30

2
(82 x 3, 85 x 3, 88 x 3) x 2
Heavy
18

3
61 x 7, 64 x 7, 67 x 7
Medium
21

4
91 x 2, 94 x 2, 97 x 2
Very Heavy
6

Basic Program Example – Pull, Push, Squat, Posterior Chain – Heavy, Light, Medium

Monday
Wednesday
Friday

Snatch Pulls*
Power Snatch*
Power Clean*

Rack Jerks*
Military Press#
Push Press*

Back Squats#
Overhead Squats#
Front Squats#

Romanian Dead Lift#
Glute Ham Raise#
Good Morning#

Program follows the sets and reps and load/intensity protocols as listed

Weekly Volume
Week 1 330 reps – Medium/Heavy Load 39%

Week 2 216 reps – Heavy Load 26%

Week 3 222 reps – Medium Load 26%

Week 4 72 reps – Maximal Load 9%

Total for month – 840 reps

This volume only refers to work weights and does not take into consideration the number of sets or reps that would be required to get to the working weight required for the session.

Hi Ashley

My name is Thomas from Canberra I am 14 years old. I am trying to get fit and build my strength up for our rugby season. I go too gym seven days a week, l was sprint training also two days a week until l tore my ankle ligament in November 07, l am now recovered with the physio just giving me the ok too start jogging. Since November l have been on a good eating regime with this and training l have lost 20kg, but l do not feel like l am getting anywhere with my strength and fitness.

My mum and l are moving to Christchurch in Jan 09 so l can continue with my rugby as one day l would like to play professional. This is my program, please give me as much advice as possible.

Day 1

Bike 10 mins warm up

Bar Bell bench press 3×12

Dumb Bell Incline Press 3×12

Shoulder press 3×12

Dumb bell side raise 3×12

Bench dips 3×12

Tricep pushdown 3×12

Fit ball crunches 3x max

Side ankle taps 3x max

Bridging 3xmax

Day 2

Bike 10 mins warm up

Bike 20 mins.

Treadmill 20 mins

Rower 1500metres

Day 3

Bike warm up 10 mins

Lat pull down 3×12

Seated rows 3×12

Dumb bell shrugs 3×12

45degree leg press 3×12

dumb bell fit ball squat 3×12

dumb bell step ups 3×12

Leg curls 3×12

Seated dumb bell curls 3×12

Back extension 3×12

Day 4

Bike warm up 10 mins

Bike 15mins

X- trainer 15 mins

Stepper 5 mins

Rower 5 mins

Kind regards

Thomas Gribble

Hi Thomas, as a 14 year old I made my first start in the the gym, I may have been luckier back then since there was not the vast array of equipment available to you today, I was given a very basic diet of the “big bang” exercises, and when I read your question I see that you have been seduced into thinking that more is better, you are one of many and this is an often asked question, we need to build a base which is going to support you throughout your rugby and other sports life and way into the future, Reg Park a very famous South African bodybuilder, who was actually teh man that Arnold idolised when he was growing up once said”show me a man who can press his bodyweight over his head and I will show you someone who never needs to do lateral raises”, honestly you need to cut out the exercsies where you can only use light weights and focus on the exercsies that will have a marked effect on your body both hormonally and also mechanically:

Squats
Dead Lifts
Presses – Bench, Incline, Overhead
Pulls – Bent Row, Chins,Upright

A program of these initially twice a week and then 3 times a week on non-alternate days using a set and rep range of 4 – 6 setsof 6 – 10 reps, wil set you well for a strong powerful physique for all you want to do, cheers, ashley

[Author]

Posts