THE PROGRAM

WEEK 1 – DAY 1

10 SETS OF 3X SQUATS @ 80% 1RM + 3X BOX JUMPS ON 3 MIN

Time: 40 min – Reps: 30

Timing & Pacing

That’s a bit of a mouthful isn’t it? Let’s break it down. The first thing to understand is that the total workout time is 40 minutes. That includes your warm-up and your cool down. What else takes 40 minutes? That’s right, a single half of rugby. The purpose of this rugby leg workout is to replicate a the power you would use during a rugby game. So the time is important. If you’re going over 40 minutes for the workout, you’re likely giving yourself too much rest between sets. To maintain your pacing through the leg workout, you’ll want to start a new set every 3 minutes. This gives you consistent rest periods and forces you to work throughout the 30 minutes of effort. It also gives you plenty of rest.

DO NOT INCREASE YOUR REST TIME. It’s easy to justify this to yourself by saying that you’ll produce a better quality squat with longer rest periods. But remember, we’re trying to replicate a rugby game, not a squat session. If you’re struggling during the last couple of sets, reduce the weight slightly so that you can maintain correct squat form. Again, don’t reduce your rest time. Get back in there and lift.

Weight, Sets & 1RM

During this leg workout, we’ll be working at 80% of your maximum squat weight. We call this your 1RM (one rep max). For example, if your best squat (1RM) is 315 lbs, then you would be working at 255 lbs during this program. Working at this weight should feel difficult, but not overwhelming. The key here is that you’re not trying to do 8 rep sets. You only need to get to 3 reps during each set. And you’ll be getting plenty of rest between sets.

The key to this workout is to actually avoid fatigue during each set. Yes, you will fatigue during the workout. But your third rep in each set should be at least as strong as the first with solid technique. During longer sets (6-8 +) your technique goes out the window and you start trying to wrestle with the squat bar. The advantage of keeping sets shorter is that you’ll be doing more high-quality squat movements. That’s a good thing, just FYI.

WEEK 1 – DAY 2

10 SETS OF 2X SQUATS @ 90% 1RM + 2X BOX JUMPS ON 3 MIN

Time: 40 min – Reps: 20

The force-velocity curve

You’ve recovered from Day 1’s workout and its time to go for Day 2. Hopefully, you’ve put at least 2 days rest between the two leg workouts. At this point, you might be wondering why you’re being asked to do sets of just 2 reps. To better understand why we’ve designed our rugby leg workout in this way, it might be worth jumping over to the rugby renegade website to read their article about the force-velocity curve in rugby.

Day 1’s workout was focused on the strength-speed portion of the force-velocity curve which is ideal for rucking, tackling and breaking tackles. On day 2, we’re going to be working in the maximal-strength portion of the curve. This is the training zone that will help you with scrummaging and fighting for the ball in contact. It’s also a critical training zone for mental performance. The fact that we’re making you perform at close to your maximum effort over and over and over again is a mental hurdle that if passed will make you a mentally stronger rugby player.

Let’s take a tip directly from rugby renegade:

…working up to two- to five-rep maxes, followed by possibly a jump variation. Performing lifts under heavy loads is one of the best things a rugby player can be put through, as it requires a great deal of mental focus, mental toughness, and competitive drive, all of which are necessary to succeed not just on the playing field but also in life.

Knock them out and breathe deeply

If you were keeping an eye on the clock during Day 1, you’ll have noticed that doing a single set of 3 squats and 3 box jumps takes ~ 60 seconds. That’s your target time for each set, which gives you at least two minutes rest. On Day 2 each set is going to take you around 45 seconds. Since you need to start again within two minutes, that gives you around 75 seconds to rest. That’s not very much is it?

Luckily, that’s a good thing. The longest break you’ll get in a game of rugby is about 90 seconds. That’s the time it takes for a try + conversion + kickofff OR scrum / lineout to take place. Remember, we’re not training to squat, we’re training to become more powerful rugby players. Embrace the lack of rest. Practice deep breathing. Practice recovering. Practice staying mentally sharp and performing multiple work efforts for 40 mins at a time.

WEEK 2 – DAY 1

10 SETS OF 3X FRONT SQUATS @ 80% 1RM + 3X SINGLE LEGS ON 3 MIN

Time: 40 min – Reps: 30

Staying stable

There’s a lot to be said for the simple back squat. It allows you to move the most weight of any push exercise (if not, we have bigger problems to solve) which is excellent for developing brute strength. But on Week 2, we’re going to change things up and go with the front squat so that we’re working slightly different muscle groups and practicing a different body position. The primary benefit you can derive from including front squats in your rugby leg workout to force your stabilizer muscles to support your lift.

During a front squat, the muscles in your hips, obliques and posterior chain will be contracting for an extended period of time (around 20 seconds or so). Time under tension is critical for developing core strength and this is one of the best ways to get it using a functional movement. Core strength is essential for rugby. Yes, we’re doing a power leg day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be working on complimentary muscle groups at the same time.

Front squats need mental preparation

This probably goes without saying. But doing a lot of sets of front squats is really hard. Before you get to the gym, take a few minutes to prepare mentally for what’s about to happen. Front squat days are one of the few times where a cognitive enhancer can be useful in the gym. You’re going to need focus, attention and clarity of mind to get through these next two sessions. Stay off Instagram, in fact, just put your phone back in your gym bag.

WEEK 2 – DAY 2

10 SETS OF 2X FRONT SQUATS @ 90% 1RM + 2X SINGLE LEGS ON 3 MIN

Time: 40 min – Reps: 20

Mental cues and short-term focus

How do you even approach a rugby leg workout like this? Any way you slice it, 15 sets is a lot. The best way to approach this session is not to think at all about the sets. Remember, your effort period is still only 30 minutes. And you’re still only doing 30 reps. Nothing has changed from the other 3 leg sessions we’ve done here. You’re just altering the pacing slightly. That’s what we tell ourselves before stepping up to the bar on Week 2 Day 2 for the final front squat session.

Keeping a short-term focus will help you too. We try to break the workout up into 5 blocks of 3 sets. The first block, you’re really just getting warmed up, working on your breathing and trying to lock your form down. The last block, you’re holding on. And all the stuff in between? Well that only takes 18 mins and anyone can get through an 18 min leg workout.

Single legs to success

When you hit your stride with this rugby leg workout, the way you feel about it changes. Initially, you’ll be stressing about the front squats and the single leg box jumps will be an extension of your rest period. That’s ok when you start the program. But as your front squat improves, you’ll begin to see the 2-rep sets as a piece of cake and you’ll be ready to challenge yourself with increasingly difficult jumps.

Much like the front squat, the single leg box jump variation works minor muscle groups that a standard box jump doesn’t really hit. In the front squat, you’re working stabilizing muscles through a slow contraction which gives your stabilizer muscle great time under tension. With the single leg box jumps, you’re working those same muscles in an explosive manner and landing in a crouched position. The landing in particular, combined with a full extension back to a standing position is excellent for your balance and body control. As we stressed above, always get back to standing.