Ashley Jones Q&A Archives Page 9

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Hi

Thank you for the great amount of free information you provide. I’m 17, play prop and have been using the program you have outlined in your Top Ask Ash question. I have made great gains in strength and size, but i really need to improve my mobility, whilst if possible loosing fat and still increasing strength. I was wondering if you could give me any advice on how to organise by training week and what training sessions i should use to meet my goals,i can train twice a day if needed. My diet is good and i follow alot of the nutrition info found on T-nation.

Thank you for your help,

Jon
Hi Jon, thanks very much for your comments, as to your question, I think by adding some GPP work at the end of each strength training session will help in losing body fat very quickly, using a Tabata protocol and selecting maybe an aerobic exercise and then also a strongman exercsie and perfroming 10 Tabata sets of each, for a totoal of 10 minutes work will see some amazing results, for example 10 x 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest on a Concept 11 rowing ergometer, then doing a heavy object lift and carry for the same protocol, we use granite stones from Atomic Athletic in the US.

General mobility work needs to done in a game specific mode as much as possible at training but also can be achieved by doing a lot of ladder/fast feet drills as well, hopefully this can be a start for you to work from, off season is the time to really develop these ideas, for a prop we will perform 3 – 5 strength/power sessions each week, with 3 agility/power sessions as well as the main frame for his overall traiing, cheers, ash
Gday Ash Scott Campbell here looking at a well rounded shopping list for a weekly strongman session next pre season. Could you give me a few tips eg best size K balls etc .Havent caught up for ages howsit going, regards scott
G’day Scott, yes mate it has been years, good to hear from you and to see that you are still in the game and producing fine rugby league athletes, we go to 40kg KBells, but we will need heavier very soon, a lot of our explosive circuit work is done with the 28′ and 32’s as to the strongman shopping list I feel the bare minimum is as follows:

Yoke Walk apparatus
Large Tyre
Farmer’s Walk Implements
Conan’s Wheel
Stones, I have some on order from Roger LaPointe at http://www.atomicathletic.com
Conditioner or Prowler
Sled
Anchor Chain

We work strongman as a circuit training option, usually in pairs 1 minute work one minute rest then jog together to the next station, although I am going to include more of strongman as a finishing exercise after the mainstream strength/power workout, say 4 x 22 metres timed farmers walk with the heaviest weights you can.

Will be back in Sydney for Christmas, hope to catch up with you then, cheers, ash
Hi Ashley

Your articles and training tips are great and have given me ideas for my own training.

Im going to Australia in January from the U.K to play rugby league and my main goal is to try add quite abit of full body bulk and also improve my aerobic/anaerobic conditioning.

Your article Top Ask Ash Question has a really good program which i want to try its the crusaders off season weights program(upper body hypertrophy emphasis).

What reps and sets would you use for the tue and thur lower body sessions taking into account i want to bulk my legs up or would you advice just to do power/strength work?How would you cycle the program would you change the exercises/reps and sets every 3 weeks?

What gym fitness sessions would you reccomend? ive got enough field based condsitioning sessions from your articles.

Regards Ben
Hi Ben, I always advise players to work for power and strength in the lower body, size will come from this but by doing hypertrophy work I feel you run the risk of adding non specific bulk which has the potential to slow you down, so i would advise that you do not go above 6 reps for the lower body exercises. I would keep the same structure and change the exercises every 3 weeks, rotating through a set and rep scheme, week 1 – 2 x 5, 3 x 3, week 2 – 2 x 3,2,1 wave week 3 – 5,4,3,2,1 for lower body.

AS for gym fitness sessions you could, do intervals on any piece of aerobic equipment my personal favourite would be the grappler (http://www.thegrappler.co.uk) or the versa climber or the Concept II rower, work for 45 seconds and then only have 15 seconds rest and go again, a set of 20 reps at the conclusion of each gym session will greatly enhance your metabolic ability on the field. Cheers, ash
Hi Ashley,

I have just finished my first season of rugby and have really enjoyed it. I am 20 years old, 6 foot 2 97kgs. In my opinion I am quite weak. I can bench press 60kg 6 times, but haven’t worked out my 1RM yet. I am also recovering from some shoulder injuries as they are very weak and were easily hurt playing rugby. Rotator cuff, the physio said. i’m coming right tho, doing the exercises she prescribed. I started at number 8 for the colts team at my club, but after my initial shoulder injury i was shifted to lock so i didn’t have to run if off the back of the scrum. I would like to get back to number eight. I am willing to follow any sort of program you can give me. I would like strength, power, hypertrophy, agility, speed, flexibility, anaerobic and aerobic fitness. Pretty much I want to do everything i possibly can to be hugely improved by next season and hopefully help my team to the title. I managed to get to the area’s trial for under 20’s that i play in so that was pretty exciting, however i wasn’t fit enough or strong enough to make the team, I only managed about a nine on the beep test and can run ten metres in 3.33 seconds, pretty bad aye. I hope you can help me in some way or another as I would really like to improve and push my self to the limit in rugby as i have become very passionate about it. Thank you for reading this anyway, i hope it makes a little sense.

Dave
Hi Dave, thanks for your question this is a common area with younger players, particularly if you have had the misfortune of a shoulder injury early, we use a board press with all our guys who have a history of shoulder problems and this helps immensely, start with a 3 or a 2 board and get some time under the bar with this, I would estimate you current 1RM to be about 80 – 85 kg’s, a basic program will work best for you, like the one I started on over 30 years ago the basics do not change;

Squat or Front Squat
Dead Lift or Romanian Dead Lift
Bench Press (3 board for you) or Incline Bench Press
Bent Over Row or Seated Row
Standing Shoulder Press or DB Shoulder Press
Chins or Pull Downs to Chest

4 – 5 sets of 6 – 8 reps, 2 or 3 days per week over a 3 month period of time will put mass on parking meters, do the first group of exercises on monday and Friday and the second group on the Wednesday for best results, limit your conditioning to speed and repeated speed work at the same time and you will amaze yourself, make sure you are eating correctly 5 – 6 meals per day.

Cheers, ash
To ASH,

I would just like to thank you for a very helpful and informative website. I think it is great that someone at your level is sharing training tips and secrets in detail. I have just read your article on strength training for club rugby and think that it is perfectly suited for someone like myself. I would just like to ask a few questions.

1. Where can i find examples/images and explanations on how to perform the exercises as i am yet to try a few of them?

2. Do you recommend wearing a weight belt to perform the exercises, or will this stop me from using my core muscles?

3. Will the program also help me build size?

4. Is there an alternative to the masoe full body sit up as i train alone?

5. Will running on grass help me build my calve muscles and strengthen the shins, or should i add some exercises?. This is because i have small calve muscles and am prone to getting shin spilts during the season.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated

Thank You

Terry
Hi Terry and thanks for your kind words, as to your questions

1. Where can i find examples/images and explanations on how to perform the exercises as i am yet to try a few of them?

best place I have found is just to google the exercise name up or see what videos are on the http://www.elitefts.com or http://www.t-nation.com web sites, also Bill Pearls Keys tho the Inner Universe book is filled with figures of exercises, also http://www.nsca-lift.org will be of great assistance in showing techniques and pictures.

2. Do you recommend wearing a weight belt to perform the exercises, or will this stop me from using my core muscles?

we do not use weight belts at all in our program, but there is good evidence that you will lift more using a belt so there are times when during a very heavy phase it may be advised but not throughout the year

3. Will the program also help me build size?

Yes, it will depending on you level of nutritional support and how hard you are pushing yourself in the gym

4. Is there an alternative to the Masoe full body sit up as i train alone?

The turkish get up is a great substitute for the Masoe sit up

5. Will running on grass help me build my calve muscles and strengthen the shins, or should i add some exercises?. This is because i have small calve muscles and am prone to getting shin splints during the season.

If you can run a little on the beach will help, but yes grass running will be much better for your calves and legs.

Hope this of some assistance, cheers, ash

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