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RUGBY TRAINING GUIDE
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Thank you for taking part in the rugby movement! By receiving this, you have officially been inducted into the massive rugby momentum sweeping the world! My name is Colin Hawley and I am proud to say that I was a member of the first group of American players to be contracted by USA Rugby and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to train towards an Olympic Gold Medal for 7’s Rugby while using the HSBC 7’s World Series Circuit as the regular season. The landscape of rugby in the world is changing and the opportunities currently emerging for rugby players are currently astounding. In the coming months, while you are perfecting your joystick skills, you can look forward to an immense amount of rugby action on the world stage. Firstly, the HSBC World Series is currently in the middle of the season and the top 4 teams at the end of the year will qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro! The last time Rugby was in the Olympics was in 1924 and USA currently is the defending Gold Medalists! But before the Olympic Games, the best teams in the world will compete in the 15’s Rugby World Cup in London where current champions the New Zealand All Blacks will look to maintain their current title as World Champions. The future of rugby is in your hands. By being a member of this movement, make sure that you are growing your game personally, and the larger game as a whole, in all the right directions. I hope you enjoy Rugby 15 and from one gamer to another, GAME ON! Thank you.
- Colin Hawley
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. STRENGTH TRAINING 2. DYNAMIC TRAINING 3. SKILL TRAINING 4. MATCH PREPARATION 5. POST-MATCH EVALUATION 6. GOAL SETTING 7. MENTAL GAME 8. NUTRITION 9. NOTES
TRAIN LIKE THE PROS
Training like the pro’s means that you have a keen awareness of what the sport of rugby is asking your body and mind to do and then having a plan of action of improvement around those areas catered specifically to your body type, current mental state, fitness level and position.
A rugby player must be the renaissance athlete. He is a multi-‐faceted athlete who is more than one-‐dimensional. It is the beauty and difficulty of the game. There is a saying amongst rugby
athletes which is “all skills; all players. This is a mantra that rugby athletes should take on themselves in an effort try to evaluate their positives and conversely, where their skills fall short. A small player still needs to tackle, ruck, and carry the ball effectively. Conversely, a big man on the pitch must still be able to pass the ball off of both hands and be evasive with ball in hand.
The more tools that you have in your “rugby tool-‐box” the more of an asset you will be to the team and the greater success you will have on the rugby pitch.
1. STRENGTH TRAINING As a rugby athlete, every player must be ready and willing to “win the collision.” In order to be effective, you have to pay attention to your ability to bring the appropriate physicality to the game while reducing the risk of injury. Having a strong physique coupled with flexibility training is vital in preparation for performance and safety.
WEIGHT TRAINING Weight training is directed primarily toward gym time. A modern rugby player must have an element of their training regiment dedicated to efforts applied to weight lifting that will be a supplement, not be the primary, to the training program.
Weight Training
Day 1
Exercise Sets x Reps Weight Used
Back Squat 4 x 10 | | |
RDL 4 x 10 | | |
Alt. Dumbbell Lunge Step 3 x 6 per leg | |
Leaning Hamstring 3 x 10 | |
Bicep Curl - Bar 4 x 10 | | |
Day 2
Exercise Sets x Reps Weight Used
Lat Pulldown 4 x 10 | | |
Supine Bench Press 4 x 10 | | |
Db Row 4 x 10 | | |
Push Up Progression up to 8
Shoulder Circuit (3) 3 x 10 | |
Day 3
Exercise Sets x Reps Weight Used
Dumbbell Box Step Up 3 x 6 per leg | |
Front Squat 4 x 10 | | |
Leaning Hamstring 3 x 10 | |
Bicep Curl - Bar 4 x 10 | | |
CORE
A rugby player’s core is their strongest physical asset and must be a major part of the training regiment.
PLANKS - Easiest and surest way to get core strength is to do front and side planks. All three in succession starting at 30 seconds for the front, left, and right side. Increase duration to challenge yourself.
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Front Pillar
Right Pillar
Left Pillar
BACK EXTENSIONS - With the appropriate equipment, this exercise is a great way to strengthen your lower back region; only coming to ninety-‐degree angle and weighted sets as you progress.
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Back Extensions
FLEXIBILITY A rugby player is a hybrid of a power and an endurance athlete. The way those two are glued together is from flexibility. A rugby player needs to be able to move dynamically in all areas of the game and put their bodies through a wide range of motions. Most importantly, it is one of the biggest factors in reducing the risk of injury to players.
KEY AREAS - hamstrings, quadriceps, shoulders, trunk (lower back), calves
STATIC STRETCH - Hold areas for a thirty second interval, concentrating on lengthening the stretch on the outbreath. Repeat three times.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP - A warm up consisting of “active” movements such as high knees, inverted toe touch, hamstring walks and etc. Do a total of ten active exercises for ten meters with a 10 meter jog at the conclusion of each ten meter exercise.
2. DYNAMIC TRAINING
The technical portion of the training regiment focuses on three aspects; Power, X-Factor and Acceleration/Speed. These areas will help a rugby player be more dynamic and dangerous on the rugby pitch. Listed below are ideas and training methodologies that will help improve this area of your game.
POWER In a rugby match, every player needs the ability to power through a tackle or bring another opponent to ground. A lot of this skill will be done in the weight room but should not be the only method to gain power in your game. Dynamic movements that incorporate accessing and developing power need to be part of the training regiment.
HILL SPRINTS - These are great to build leg power and endurance. Allow yourself limited recovery in between reps and sets. 60 seconds in between reps (walk back recovery) 3 minutes in between sets.
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Hill Sprints
TIRE FLIPS - A great way to get a total body workout that makes you sink into an athletic stance and allows for a leg lift and upper body push.
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Tire Flips
X-FACTOR The ability to beat a man one-‐on-‐one is paramount in the game of rugby. The ability to “step” and create space is a combination of speed, quickness and hip and ankle flexibility. Whatever position you are playing, the more ability you have to create space and offset a defender the better.
S-RUN - A great way to begin to get a bit of movement in your attacking run is start practicing an “S-‐RUN” . Essentially, make an S at full pace when you get the ball in your hands. As you evolve and get better, your S will be a tight combination of movements that will offset your defender and give you a “soft shoulder” to run through rather than a direct collision. It is called putting a little wiggle in your run. You can train this by running a figure eight with cones or markers. Space accordingly to balance speed and agility considerations. An additive would be to run in pairs having an attacker starting 2 meters ahead of a defender and racing the figure with the attackers main goal of not being tagged by the trailing defender.
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
S Run - Attack
S Run - Defense
LADDER DRILL - Standard ladder setup. 5 different ladder exercises (icky shuffle, one in one out, one legged hops, double legged hops, every other) repeated twice. 10 m distance.
Set 1 Set 2
Icky Shuffle
One In One Out
One Legged Hops
Double Legged Hops
Every Other
ACCELERATION/SPEED Everyone can be faster! This is an area that involves not only putting in the work but an acute sense of what your technique looks like to increase the efficiency of your movement. Efficiency of movement = increased rate of revolution = SPEED.
TECHNIQUE Body. Allow for a slight forward lean. Arms . Your arms should not be flailing wildly around your body or swinging from side to side. To be faster you must be efficient in your “hammer back”; where your arms are at ninety degrees at the elbow and you’re pretending to break a pane of glass behind you with a hammer in your hand. Legs . Your feet should be striking the ground with purpose and quickly off of the ground like it is hot lava. There should be an upward flexion of your toe as your foot comes off the ground. Knees should never come above a ninety-‐degree angle. These two should be working in unison as a highly efficient partnership that will improve your speed on the pitch.
10M/20M/40M SPRINTS -‐ Once you have studied your technique and are aware of how your body moves while sprinting you must train sprinting at the three lengths provided. Give yourself ample recovery in between reps. Remember, this is speed training, not conditioning.
Reps Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time 4 Time 5
10m 5
20m 3
40m 2
FITNESS A rugby player must have an immense work rate and be physically conditioned to play the game; the more fit you are the more you will enjoy the game. Put in the hard yards early and you will find yourself ahead of the pack come game time.
1000-METER SHUTTLE -‐ 20 meter line and back to 50-‐meter line and back to 75-‐meter line and back to 100-‐meter line and back then repeat without stoppage.
YOYO TEST- 20 -‐Meter interval testing that is one of the main measurements for fitness analysis for top tier programs.
INTERVAL TRAINING
200m (60 second run and then 60 second recovery) x 5 100m (35 second run and 50 second recovery) x 5
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
200m Interval
100m Interval
SPRINT INTERVALS 15 second sprint followed by a 45 second jog. x 5
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
15 Second Sprint
3. SKILL TRAINING Skill training is the area where we focus on skills used in the game of rugby that are particular to the sport. The areas of direct importance are the contact area, the tackle area, passing and communication. A rugby player views each of these skill sets as asymptotes; meaning they are always in a constant state of performance improvement.
PASSING All players have to be able to pass off both the left and right hand. No exceptions. This can only be achieved through repetition, repetition, and repetition. The proper training progression can go from one handed passing to adding the “guide hand” and hitting a target along a scoring system. When facing a partner, the scoring system allows for the chest to be the highest point value and outstretched arms being the least. Generally scored on a 1-‐5 scale. Proper hand and elbow placement are crucial along with the “shake the hand” follow through method.
TACKLING Tackling is a mindset and the ability to get yourself in the right position to make the tackle: this is called tracking. Tracking is essential in understanding the lines of running a player needs to take to corner and/or trap the attacker in the defensive system.
TRACKING -‐ Always line-‐up inside eye to your man (meaning you are slightly closer to the source of possession) and stay there while you CLOSE the distance. If a player decides to cut back inside they should be running right into you. ABC-‐ Always Be Closing. TACKLE FORM -‐ Proper form begins after the defender has tracked the attacker within his “hula hoop”. The next process is a right shoulder, right step tackle or, conversely, left shoulder, left step tackle with the “cheek to cheek” method. Essentially your head us up and behind the player (not across the body) and your facial cheek is against the attackers butt cheek.
FINISHING THE TACKLE -‐ In rugby, there are rarely any “one-‐hit wonders” which is why there is an extreme emphasis on “finishing the tackle”. Once the power step and shoulder connects, the defender needs to “fish for the leg” and keep the leg drive to finish the attacker going backwards. This puts the attack on the back foot and gives your defense a better launch in the subsequent phase.
CONTACT AREA A player can be one of the smallest on the field but still take down the biggest. It is a combination of technique and power that allows a player to impose his physicality on another.
BODY PROFILE -‐ One of the most important factors in contact is how your body is positioned going into the collision. A low body profile lowers the player’s center of gravity and creates balance and power. A common critique is “going high” in contact on either side of the ball.
POWER STEP -‐ Highly important for attack and defense. This is one of the tools that you can use to “win the collision” and you either hit the other player or they hit you. As an attacker, make sure you don’t allow a defender to simply deliver a blow. Set your feet and take a strong balanced step into the defender bringing your body with you and initiate the contact. Conversely, as a defender, if you are tackling with your right shoulder you must have a right-‐foot power step and the same goes with the left.
COMMUNICATION This is absolutely a skill that can be trained and essential to playing the game of rugby. Due to the running clock, rugby players need to rely on each other to pass information from one person to the next. The team who is better at communicating what they want to do is usually the victor.
TERMINOLOGY - Know the basic rugby terms that your team is using. Everyone should have a common vocabulary so when a spur of the moment call is made you know exactly how to say it or what to do when called.
NARRATION - If you find yourself to be quiet on the field, start trying to say out loud what you are seeing. Narrate the game as it happens and you will start being able to be selective with the information and vocalize areas of importance to your teammates.
4. MATCH PREP Coaches and players analyze match video to find key aspects and tendencies about the opposition in order to take advantage of it come game day . Learn to do this on your own and quickly improve your personal readiness and match preparation that will directly correlate to better performances.
PART 1: VIDEO ANALYSIS
OPPOSITION RESEARCH WHAT TO LOOK FOR? The best rugby teams spend their practice time researching and analyzing video. Proper analysis will give the teams and players the extra edge they need to be victorious in closely contested matchups.
KEY PLAYERS Teams use specific factors to identify player’s who have a significant impact on the games they analyze and try to incorporate adaptations into their game plan accordingly. The key area to record on specific players include the following:
● Passing: “weak off the off-‐hand?” ● Running: “only steps off their left foot?” ● Tackling: “weak shoulder?” ● Kicking: “how accurate?”
OFFENSIVE PATTERN ● What are they trying to do? ● How can I stop them? ● How can I take advantage of their weaknesses?
DEFENSIVE STRUCTURE ● What is their line speed? ● Is it a drift defense? ● Where are they vulnerable to attack?
PART 2: PERSONAL PREP MENTAL CHECKLIST The most important aspect of preparation for a rugby athlete is to know your job. That includes all set piece and rolling plays, my specific position responsibilities (fly-‐half is generally a play-‐maker/distributor while the inside center is usually a battering ram), understanding the team pattern and the rules of the game.
CHECK YOUR GEAR Always make sure that you have a checklist for all the gear that you need the next day and check them off as you place them into your bag. Along with checking your gear, I suggest cleaning your boots the night before a game. Use the time to go over your responsibilities in your mind while you make sure you do not run on to the pitch with muddy cleats. Look good; play good.
NUTRITION It is extremely important to have a healthy diet in general but even more so come match time. Make sure that you are giving your body the best fuel to succeed and cutting out the sugary foods and drinks. Be mindful to try and “eat the rainbow” and get yourself a well-‐balanced meal.
SLEEP Sleep is an athlete’s best friend, and even more important to a young one, because it is the absolutely best recovery an athlete can get. While you sleep, your body is hard at work repairing and healing all the training that you have been doing throughout the day as an athlete. Do not use your electronic devices before bed!. The white light emitted from these electronic devices creates a chemical reaction in the brain telling the individual that they are in fact supposed to be awake.
5. POST-MATCH EVALUATION
The ability to properly look at your performance and create an honest unbiased synopsis will be one of the greatest tools that you can use towards improvement and success in the game of rugby. From creating your own post-match evaluation, you can create a specific and targeted approach to your training regiment.
GENERAL EVALUATION
In order to be the best that you can be, this portion is vital and should be done as soon as possible after the match while it is fresh in your mind. I would recommend getting with your coach (absolutely preferred) or parent after the match and filling out the sheet with your combined interpretation of your performance of the game. It is something that will be invaluable for your understanding of your own personal performance and where you need to focus your efforts.
General Evaluation
Name Date
Opposition
Attack
1. Contact Area:
2. Open Play:
3. Work Rate:
Defense
1. Tackle:
2. Structure:
3. Work rate:
Set Piece
Forwards
1. Line Out:
2. Scrum:
Backs
1. Catch/ Run/ Pass/ Kick:
2. Set Piece:
3. Phase Play/ Counter:
Comments
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistically evaluating your rugby performance is valuable during both practice sessions and matches. Over time, you will see trends develop in your rugby game and receive valuable feedback on where you should be focusing practice time. Before you know it you will have targeted the parts of your game that need work and what’s holding you back from better performances.
PASSING -‐ When you evaluate your passing game, try to think how many of your exchanges were Good (in front of the receiver), Bad (ball behind the man or low etc.), or Deck (the ball misses man completely and hits the ground).
TACKLING -‐ Negative (you went backwards when contact was initiated), Positive (the ball carrier went backwards), and Neutral (inconsequential territory gains from either side)
BALL RETENTION -‐ Lost (ball turned over in the tackle), Retained (ball recycled in the tackle), Slow Ball (of the balls retained, how many were slow emerging from the ruck)
Rugby Stat Sheet Total Good Bad Deck
Passing
Total Negative Positive Neutral
Tackling
Total Taken-In Retained Slow Ball
Ball Retention
STRENGTHS + WEAKNESSES After completing the General Evaluation and Stat Sheet, think back on the match as a whole. What did you do well and what aspects did you struggle with? Review the above forms and compile three strengths and three weaknesses. This will be instrumental in modifying your training leading up to the next match.
Strengths 1
2
3
Weaknesses 1
2
3
After completing the exercises laid out in the Post-‐Match Evaluation section, you will have a much better understanding of how your game truly looked like in the eyes of a rugby professional. The metrics and methods used here is the material that enable good players to become great. With this information, a player will have a clear picture of their current level which will enable them to create a specific and effective path to improvement.
6. GOAL SETTING Goals help you step out of your comfort zone and reach your maximum potential. With persistent hard work and focus, we better ourselves and achieve our goals. The most well rounded players are constantly trying to improve themselves in all areas, personal and on-‐pitch. Keeping an eye on your goals is essential to staying on track and achieving them! Posting your goals on the wall of your room is not only a good organizational technique, but also a motivator. If you want something bad enough, wake up every morning and ask yourself, “How will I get closer to achieving this goal today?”
GOALS After taking the time to look over your General Evaluation, Stat Sheet and Strengths and Weaknesses, you are ready to develop your short-‐term goals. These are aspects you plan to improve leading up to your next match. If you are going to pick three short-‐term goals, make two skill based and one mental game based.
Goals 1 Rugby
2 Rugby
3 Mental
ACTIONS Goals are worthless without a specific plan of action for achieving them. Lay out your road map for what you plan to achieve and how you will specifically go about doing it!
Plan of Action 1 Rugby
2 Rugby
3 Mental
7. MENTAL GAME
Being able to hone your mind is a constant struggle and you must be diligent in where you place your thoughts. To perform at your highest potential you must learn to eliminate all outside distractions. These distractions include negative behavior, over thinking plays and unnecessary pressure.
PERFORMANCE = POTENTIAL - INTERFERENCE
My single biggest positive factor that I have learned to hone my mind is the concept of “How would my opponent not want me to think?” If I stepped on that field and they were able to take a peek inside my thoughts, what would I want them to see? What would unnerve them?
MENTAL GAME RESPONSIBILITIES
OWN YOUR ATTITUDE -‐ You are the only one responsible for your attitude and it’s the number one key to your peak performance.
TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR CONFIDENCE -‐ A bit of inner arrogance is great! Make your mentality and physicality a priority because confidence in your physical and mental preparedness will carry into the rest of your game.
LET GO OF YOUR BAD PLAYS -‐ The concept of athlete amnesia; sometimes it is better to just let go of what happened, flush it, and move on to the next task at hand. After a bad play, give no response for 5 seconds. Act like it didn’t happen and replace it with improved effort and intensity.
REINFORCE GOOD MEMORIES -‐ Feel the joy that comes from making a great play for your team! High emotion enforces memory. Celebrate your victories!
MENTAL PERFORMANCE LOG Nearly every professional athlete has their own Mental Performance Log. It contains everything from how you sleep at night to the perceived quality of their training sessions (usually scaled 1-‐10). It’s a habit carried by the best of the best and should be adopted as early as possible.
This is a great exercise to engrave positive thoughts in a player’s mind every day. Many rugby players come off the pitch complaining about the bad plays during the match. This is a for sure way to create a negative culture for yourself and your team. Instead, try focusing on the best plays of the day.
● Note your best plays or moments every practice/game. ● It’s also important to note your emotion in response to the play. Feeling good about a
well-‐executed moment is a great thing to remember. ● After you log your daily good moments, go back and read through the Behavioral
Performance Log. This will encourage positive thinking and increased confidence in the future.
AFFIRMATIONS An affirmation is a carefully formatted statement that should be written down and repeated daily. For an affirmation to be effective, it must to be in the present tense, positive, personal and specific.
● When writing affirmations, focus on specific areas of your game that need improvement, physically and mentally: Passing, Tackling, Rucking, Winning, Physicality, Emotional Maturity, Handling Adversity, Mental Preparation, Getting in the Zone.
● Recite your personal affirmations every night, out loud, in the present tense. When reciting affirmations, use strong emotions and vivid imagination. With every sentence, create a mental image of yourself in that situation.
● Below is a set of sample affirmations. Write your own and place them on a wall to read at least once a day.
Affirmations
Tackling
I am a great tackler and always land my tackles when they matter the most.
I execute every tackle with speed, power and perfect technique.
I am great because I treat all of my tackles with the same high level of importance and commitment.
Passing
I am a great passer because I get in quality passing practice every day.
I practice passing drills at the start of a session, when I’m fresh, because I recognize it’s importance.
I love to practice passing off both my left and right hands. It’s where I separate myself from the other players.
Mental Preparation
I take tremendous pride in preparing my mind before every competitive match.
I visualize myself on the pitch; committed, decisive, patient and living in the moment -‐ one play at a time.
I step on the pitch, mentally and physically prepared to the best of my ability. My game plan is laid out. My mind is clear. All that’s left is to execute.
ON-PITCH VISUALIZATION To the worlds best rugby players, the mind is their #1 weapon. When it comes to the mind, whatever you are focused on, your body will tend to gravitate towards. Fear, failure, defeat. Confidence, success, dominance. You choose where to put your mind and those thoughts will heavily influences your actions.
PRE-MATCH -‐ When you visualize a play on the rugby pitch as part of your pre-‐match routine, you have just executed the play in your subconscious mind. Visualizing your play is a way of telling your brain, “This is something I can handle. I’ve done it before.” Giving your brain a detailed image will provide mental validation and dramatically increase your chances of executing the play in real time.
DON’T DO IT! -‐ The subconscious mind is unable to process the word DON’T! When you tell yourself, “don’t miss the tackle on the winger”: Your brain hears: “Miss The Tackle!” Change the way you phrase the objective in your mind from “don’t miss the tackle” to “I am going to make this tackle” A simple change of how the objective is phrased will dramatically increase motivation and decrease fear and anxiety.
OFF-PITCH VISUALIZATION Allowing your mind to prepare for rugby success needs to extend to outside of the pitch. Take time every night to visualize yourself competing at the next level. Always visualize yourself performing above your current performance and comfort levels. This is a great way to help you prepare for pressure situations as they present themselves on the pitch. You can also watch your favorite professionals on TV paying close attention to their demeanor and how they carry themselves.
VISUALIZATION WALK-THROUGH - Picture yourself at an upcoming match. Mentally take yourself through your match preparation, to the pre-‐match, the match itself and the post-‐match. The goal is to use all of your senses and emotions to get the most vivid experience of the event to come.
EXAMPLE ● I always get a good night sleep, starting 2 nights before the match. ● I am always packed and prepared upon leaving for a match. ● I eat a healthy meal before and visualize myself playing the game. ● I get to the pitch and warm up just like in practice. ● I get on the pitch and am a bit nervous. I focus on my personal responsibilities and
visualize the task at hand, helping calm my nerves. ● The kickoff is up and the match begins! ● I make several tackles and stick to the game plan. Conservative play and not giving away
unnecessary penalties. ● I have handling errors and I am not deterred in the least! I know my game is strong and I
will rebound with ease. ● I never let up! If I am having a tough day, odds are the entire team could be struggling too. ● I am coming down to the last few minutes with a one-‐point lead. I am nervous and
pumped up on adrenaline. Again, I take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand, settling the nerves.
● As I poach the ball on the last minute to gain possession for the win, I maintain my composure and help secure the possession. As the clock hooter sounds I enjoy the moment! My hard work has paid off yet again. Winning is always my goal and achieving goals should be celebrated.
● I am humble in my “man of the match” speech and thank my parents, the team and the coaches who support me.
8. NUTRITION Ruggers follow a disciplined diet to keeping their energy up at all times and to have fuel in the tank in the 80th minute. This section displays a sample diet for a competitive rugby player. It shows how you should be eating before, during and after a match of rugby.
PERSONAL NUTRITION A nutrition plan is extremely player specific; knowing what and how much fuel to put in your body with respects to how it affects you will be an ongoing experiment. Here is my nutrition plan
on gameday.
Game Day Nutrition Breakfast
Scrambled eggs
Toast
Piece of fruit
Yogurt (Greek-‐probiotic)
16 oz. water
During Warm-up
Piece of fruit (Bananas help with cramping)
Carbohydrate Bar (PowerBar, Gatorade bar)
Water (Constant gradual intake)
Post-Match
Protein Shake
Amino Acid Complex
Water or Gatorade
Dinner
Chicken (Protein)
Spaghetti (Complex carbohydrate)
Vegetables
Lots of water
POST-MATCH RECOVERY After games and workouts you should get an influx of protein within 45 minutes for maximum synthesis into your body. Protein shake, protein bars etc. My recovery plan includes more than just nutrition: stretching, hot/cold showers, and even a pool recovery workout.
EXAMPLE ● Hot shower or tub/Cold dips/Stretching ● Wrapping/Icing any knocks or injuries ● Pool Recovery Workout: This is a great low-‐impact way of getting in a workout or
recovery session the following day. Here is an example session. (If no pool is available, try cycling or cross training with other sports)
1 x swim a ladder, that is swim 50m then rest the same amount of time, then swim 100m, work up to 200m and back down to 50m.
Distance Completion
50m
100m
150m
200m
150m
100m
50m