Top 5 Exercises Every Rugby Player Should Be Doing

Pre-season in any sport is the time in which the foundation qualities needed for the long season ahead are established.

In a collision sport like Rugby League, the intense mental and physical challenges of the game need to be mirrored and exceeded in this period, allowing the player to feel confident to face any of the myriad of trials presented to them on the field.

This period can make or break your season, so programs must be designed carefully, pushing players to the limit of their capacity without going over the line.

These 5 exercises develop the qualities of strength and power in a progressive, challenging manner applicable to a fast, aggressive contact sport.

Best Exercises for Rugby Players

DB Uneven Squat

The DB Uneven Squat is an exercise particularly used to develop the postural qualities of the squat in a staggered environment. One foot is placed on a box, with the other on the ground. Holding the dumbbell between the legs with both hands lower to the ground and repeat.

Romanian Deadlift

This exercise is essential in developing eccentric strength through the posterior chain, focusing on the muscles of the lower back and hamstrings.

It is essential to keep a derivative of this exercise in the program to aid in reducing soft tissue injuries. Hold a barbell placed on the ground in front of you. Bend the knees slightly and keep the shins vertical, hips back and back straight.

This will be your starting position. Keeping your back and arms completely straight at all times, use your hips to lift the bar as you exhale. Once you are standing completely straight up, lower the bar by pushing the hips back, only slightly bending the knees.

Related: Best Muscle Building Supplements

Standing Barbell Split Power Press

When developing upper body strength it is essential to develop the upper-lower body strength transfer. The Split Power Press emphasizes triple extension through the ankles, knees and hips, transferring the strength into an upper body vertical pushing action whilst also stressing contralateral trunk strength and shoulder stability.

Using a barbell loaded at one end, place the unloaded end into a corner so that it will not slide. With the barbell held in one hand at shoulder height and feet staggered, perform a quarter squat and drive upwards through the lower body, pressing the barbell overhead.

Bulgarian Split Squats

It is often missed that most sports are performed in a predominantly single leg environment.

The Bulgarian Split Squat introduces single strength in a semi-stable environment allowing an increased emphasis on load rather than difficulty. Place the loaded bar across your shoulders and move one foot back so that your toe is resting on a flat bench 1m behind you.

Your other foot should be stationary in front of you. Slowly lower your leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Leading with the chest and hips and contracting the quadriceps, elevate your leg back to the starting position.

Step Ups with Knee Drive

This exercise helps develop single-leg power and postural strength in a more specific movement pattern crossing over with the type of drill performed within speed development sessions.

This exercise can be progressed by adding elastic resistance around the hip area to improve further hip drive and trunk integrity, which is essential for speed development. With the barbell on the shoulders step up onto a knee height box, driving the opposite knee up and through with full hip extension. Repeat.