Programmes - Conditioning Programme

Conditioning

Conditioning is arguably the most significant component contributing to rugby success. The RUGBY 101 conditioning programme caters for teams and individuals and is administered by conditioning specialists. The following aspects can be tested and/or be developed to required or optimal standards:

a) Strength and power conditioning - Strength and power development are the cornerstone of a successful rugby conditioning programme. The benefits of improved strength and power within the game are as follows:

1. Improved body control and stability
2. Improved movement pattern performance
3. Enhanced anaerobic and aerobic conditioning (fuel mix conditioning)
4. Improved acceleration
5. Stronger basis for power development and,
6. Greater protection to withstand injury

b) Fitness conditioning - aerobic and anerobic. through fuel mix conditioning (which is a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning) . The aim of fuel mix conditioning is to improve the individuals' capacity to generate energy and to continue to resist fatigue so that they can perform effectively and efficiently for the duration of the game.

c) Contact conditioning - Rugby is a contact sport and as such players should be conditioned accordingly. Surprisingly, rugby does nit have contact conditioning specialists. RUGBY 101 are pioneers in providing this essential component of rugby conditioning with the utilisation of principles from American Football contact conditioning.

d) Speed and agility - Speed, and agility play a crucial part of any individuals' game and training to improve both these aspect will result in the ability to cover the ground both efficiently and economically as well as ensuring that individuals develop the best attacking and defensive skills possible without interruption to both speed and control thereby reducing wasted energy and movement.

e) Flexibility - Flexibility training can improve rugby performance by allowing the individual to sprint faster as well as to change direction both effectively and efficiently. Poor flexibility negatively effects several aspects of rugby performance and can lead to injury.

f) Core stability and postural training - Core stability training is a fundamental element of rugby training. It is defined as "the ability of the trunk to support the efforts and forces of the arms and legs so that the muscles and joints can perform in their safest, strongest and most effective positions". Ultimately, the individual can function more effectively with less risk, thereby being more stable in contact and better able to withstand a tackle situation.

Ideal posture allows the joints and muscles to perform more efficiently and effectively. Poor posture and muscle imbalance is seen to be at the root of many preventable injuries and has been shown that more energy is required to move the body when postural alignment is poor.

g) Recovery and nutrition - Recovery and correct nutrition are important tenets for the modern player because of the current demands placed on individuals because of the high impact nature and continual breaking down of individuals within the game.
Adhering to recovery strategies offer individuals a number of benefits:

1. Effective adaptation to training
2. Resistance to injury and illness
3. Ability to perform to one's potential.

Optimal nutrition leads to overall better health and higher standards of performance.