Programming for the Back Three – Part 2 Speed and Conditioning

[ashley]

Back Three – Speed and Conditioning
Ashley Jones

In the previous article on Back Three programming I discussed the various permutations around the weights programming, in this article I will be looking at aspects of speed and conditioning and then developing a weekly plan.

Speed is definitely the key, I have often quoted from an unknown American coach when asked “coach, how do I get my team faster” and his famous reply “recruit faster players”, in that top send speed maybe somewhat genetically determined you can improve acceleration and work on aspects of this key element of performance. I would train the Back Three on a 3 day per week program ideally immediately preceding or as close to the weight training elements of the program as possible.

I have already outlined a possible speed/power combination session on the Wednesday which I firmly believe is the way to go for many rugby players. If you can not organize a session like the one mentioned then follow elements of the speed program as outlined below. I highly recommend everyone obtaining a copy of Eric Cressey’s Magnificent Mobility and using elements within this DVD as the basis for your pre speed warm up.

Speed Sessions

I have provided a brief outline as to the type of activities that I would program in a training session. In a team situation where you have a number of players I would make many of the drills competitive and also bring in game situation speed drills. All sessions require at least a 10 – 15 minute progressively increasing intensity warm up starting with mobility drills, building into ladders and mini hurdles with accelerations out of them. I know ladders and mini hurdles have had there critics over the years but I find them ideal as a warm up and movement related drill.

Warm Up

Dynamic warm up drills for 10 – 15 minutes

Ladders: forward & lateral series

Hurdles: lateral series, march, skip, run 10m accelerate out

Plyometric

Select 2 drills and do 75 foot contacts

1. Bounding x 40m
2. Power Skip x 40m
3. Single leg hop L to 22m R to 50m repeat with reverse distances
4. Power Jumps for distance, say try line to 22 metre line
5. Repeat Hurdle jumps

Acceleration

Accelerations from different starts 20 metres maximum distance, can be down with a weighted vest as well, do l0 reps with a different stance every second rep:

3 point stance
lying on chest
lying on back
lying on back roll to left and roll to right
hurdle jump & go
standing facing opposite direction
chip kick regather then go
grubber kick regather and go

Medicine Ball throws and sprint out after them trying to touch or pass them on the second bounce of the MB, do 10 throws:

Rotational throw
Caber throw forward
Squat into push press
Backward overhead throw

Maximal Velocity

Select 2 drills from this list and do for 15 minutes, slow walk back recoveries between maximal efforts, you do not get fast by running slow

Flying 28’s – build for 22m and then sprint maximally to the half way line

In & Outs – hard for 20m easy for 10m hard for 20 easy for 10

Change of direction cut – sprint hard for 30m hard cut diagonal for 10m then hard cut off other foot to straighten for another 30m

Straight sprints – 40m, 50m, 60m, 80m

Resisted Speed

Sled sprints with added resistance 20kg, 6 x 25 metres OR

Parachute and Release – 25 metres with parachute release then 25 – 40 metres without the parachute x 6

Conditioning Sessions

Irrespective of position you have to be aerobically/anaerobically ready to go the entire 80 minutes, to this end I firmly believe that for the Back Three 2 sessions a week and a games session or cross training session are important in the overall plan. Examples and progressions for 4 weeks in both repeated speed and hill repeats are included below.

Repeated Speed

Session 1:
20 x 40secs on 20secs rest distance based on 110% of VO2 max from
2,400m time trial range 150m to 220m or 200 metres in <40 seconds rest 20 seconds and then 100 m in <20 seconds rest 40 seconds x 10 (see note below *)

Session 2:
5 minute continuous run at VO2 max pace; then 20 x 50 metres at top pace from goal line to half way line then ease out and walk to the other goal line turn and start the next sprint, then 5 minute continuous run at VO2 max pace

Session 3:
30 x 100 m every 60 seconds

Session 4 :
20 x 78m every 45 seconds, 10 x 50m every 30 seconds, 20 x 22m every 15 seconds (2 minute walk between sets)

*Note on calculation of distances from 2,400 metres time trial, if a player runs 10 mins 40 secs for the time trial his VO2 max is approximately 48.0, if we want to gauge distances at 110% of VO2 max we raise his VO2 max to 52.8 which equates to a time around 9 min 45 secs or 4.10 metres/second or 164 metres for each 40 seconds effort

Hill Repeats

Session 1:
1 x 5 min, 5 x 3 min, 5 x 1min (1:0.5 walk back recovery)

Session 2:
15 x 60secs/30secs (1:0.5 walk back recovery)

Session 3:
10 x 60secs/45secs/30secs/15secs (1:1 walk back recovery)

Session 4:
15 x 30secs/15secs/45secs (1:1 walk back recovery)

Weekly Plan

Monday:
AM Speed then Power weights
PM Games – Basketball, Handball

Tuesday:
AM Rest
PM Hill Repeats

Wednesday:
AM Speed/Power Combo
PM Anaerobic/Conditioning Games

Thursday:
AM Rest
PM Repeated Speed

Friday:
AM Speed then Power or Strength Weights
PM Cross Training or Boxing or Wrestling or Mixed Martial Arts

Hope this helps out those players who play in the one of the Back 3 or Finisher positions, cheers, ashley

[sthompson@getstrength.com]

Programming for the Back Three – Part 2 Speed and Conditioning
By Ash

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[seansurmon]

Hi Ash,

Absolutely spot on – awesome programme and layout. I work with boys aged 18-22yrs at the smallest (45 players) and only private rugby academy/campus in South Africa – Rugby Performance Centre (RPC) under directorship of Alan Zondagh (http://www.az-rugby.com) .

The boys stay on campus for 10 months of the year and up to three years in a row. This type of specific conditioning and programming I am now starting with the second and third year guys – and its working wonders! The 1st-year boys I spend a lot of time on teaching technique, getting your brain to work and concentrate before, during and after every lift/exercise/drill to enhance the learning effect.
One of the best aspects of your programme is that each session is short, effective, specific to 1 goal and high intensity – allowing for ample recovery during sessions as well as making it possible to have a couple of sessions on a day. There has been a lot of focus on recovery techniques amongst the scientific researchers here in SA. The most significant finding has been that the most popular and effective form of recovery amongst team sports is to relax with team mates and de-brief/discuss the match/session – after this contrast bathing, compression garments and massage followed.
My own thoughts, and maybe we can get some responses on this, are that there is a huge lack in proper planning of sessions, resulting in some sessions going to 120min even 180min – coaching and/or training sessions! Maybe the research is focusing on the symptoms and not the causes of burn-out.
If we plan specific, stay focused on the goals we want to achieve, teach 1-3 new skills in a session properly and walk off the field in 60 minutes or less, we might have less needs to recover!? Any thoughts anyone?

Ash, thanks for a great programme and all the guys from GetStrength – you have an awesome site and your contribution to this industry is priceless and much appreciated. THANK YOU!

Train hard, train smart, recover well!
regards
sean

[ashley]

Thanks so much for the feedback and I am so glad you have found my programming useful for the group you are working with, I have always been of the opinion of getting in working hard and spercific and then getting out and enjoying everything else that life has to offer. I think players appreciate the time they save in training and by keeping it fresh, specific and interesting I am sure they apply themselves better to the task at hand and thereby get the results they want, thanks again, and I hope to be able to pay your Academy a visit when I am in SA next year, cheers, go well, ashley

[cmjones01]

Thanks Ash!!! This looks like an amazing program! I’ll let you know how i’m getting on in a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Chris

[tomwill]

hey ash,

great programme. i play 15 myself so looking forward to giving it a try.

just a quick question: any suggestions on where to find eric cressey’s DVD? the only place i’ve found it is on t-nation but it’s US$80?!?! throw in shipping to sunny england and that’s one expensive DVD….!

any ideas on where i can pick one up?

thanks mate, and keep up the good work.

[willo]

Hey Tom,
I live in North Wales and got the Magnificent Mobility DVD from Robertson Training Systems – (there is a link on Cressey’s site if you can’t find it)
it cost me $62.98 with delivery and it’s worth every penny!!!

[ashley]

@cmjones01 953 wrote:

Thanks Ash!!! This looks like an amazing program! I’ll let you know how i’m getting on in a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Chris

Cheers Chris hope it will assist you in being the best that you can be, keep me updated on your progress, ash

[ashley]

@tomwill 954 wrote:

hey ash,

great programme. i play 15 myself so looking forward to giving it a try.

just a quick question: any suggestions on where to find eric cressey’s DVD? the only place i’ve found it is on t-nation but it’s US$80?!?! throw in shipping to sunny england and that’s one expensive DVD….!

any ideas on where i can pick one up?

thanks mate, and keep up the good work.

Cheers Tom, it will be the best $80 you have spent in a while. maybe try his web site http://www.ericcressy.com, I think that is it or you can google up his name and I am sure it will take you to his personal training site, ash

[tomwill]

@willo 956 wrote:

Hey Tom,
I live in North Wales and got the Magnificent Mobility DVD from Robertson Training Systems – (there is a link on Cressey’s site if you can’t find it)
it cost me $62.98 with delivery and it’s worth every penny!!!

Cheers Willo, i’ll check it out.

[tomwill]

@ashley 958 wrote:

Cheers Tom, it will be the best $80 you have spent in a while. maybe try his web site http://www.ericcressy.com, I think that is it or you can google up his name and I am sure it will take you to his personal training site, ash

thanks ash, i’ll have a look today.

cheers!

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