Does anyone know any Fitness, diet and strength advice for a 14 YO rugby player?

Question

Could someone help me on how to gain wait safely and stay fit in rugby, I am not especially small but I am considered small for a forward. (I play openside flanker). I make tackles but I want to be able to tackle players moving forwards and smashing them :P which I find hard on some players. Also I want to gain speed. Stamina isn't a problem because I frequently take part in 1500 m races and cross country races but my pace for sprinting isn't that good.

I do attend the gym as much as I can around once a week if I'm lucky.

Could you help me because rugby is by far something I want to be doing for most of my life and plays a big part in it.

Thanks a lot

Answer 1

If you are with a club, get in touch with the senior club and try and arrange to speak with their fitness trainer.  Usually they have programs that would be appropriate.  Remember you are still growing and developing.  See if your coach can hook you up.  They should be able to advise you on diet and a weights program (you seem to have the cardio down, but I am sure they would have sprints training technics you can work on) that is age appropriate and will help you develop properly.

Remember to do this sensibly so that you can be playing, hopefully into your forties if you desire.

Answer 2

The best way to build muscle is few repetitions on high weights BUT if they are too heavy then the damage done to the muscle tissue will be counter-productive. Make sure you have someone show you what to do, make sure you don't push yourself hard, and take one day off a week for your muscles to re-build. With weight training it is really important you don't push too hard, as it ends up taking you back a step. Try to include lots of brown carbohydrates in your diet for energy: brown bread, wholemeal pasta and rice, wholegrain breakfast cereals etc, and high levels of protein. Protein is the stuff that builds and restores muscle tissue, so lots of meat, fish, eggs, dairy etc! You can get protein supplements, but these can be expensive, and aren't really necessary if you're eating well. Ideally you want to be training in some way for at least half an hour 6 days a week if you're serious about your sport, and about half of this should be cardio (running, cycling, anything to get your heart beating faster!), and half should be resistance training i.e. weights, but this could be at a gym, or doing press-ups/sit-ups etc in your room. As for increasing speed, the best way to do this is to practice sprints - choose a distance, 50 yards or so would be fine, and sprint it, and then walk back, sprint, walk back, and keep going until you can't run at your fastest. Rest and repeat. But the point at which you are only jogging the distance, the training is only working on general fitness, not speed, and you ought to stop and rest.

Answer 3

In General

When you want to create a high performance rugby team you need to look at the team assets and individual strengths of players. Piecing together the optimum position for the players is one of the great teambuilding activities of the coach and his players.

I think a lot of rugby coaches underestimate the motivational power that will develop when you start working with the players and discussing where their competence's will benefit the team the most.

With these rugby players specific pages I hope to identify the main tasks that come along with the position. A great teambuilding activity would be to let the team match their individual skills with the positions.

Definition is one, to agree with these tasks is important, performing the tasks is the third thing. Doing all three with all the players in the team is an elementary step to a successful team !

Good luck in developing your team spirit!



General issues on the Back Row players

The Back Row Players are also called Loose Forwards or Third Row Players. The three positions have special requirements, but also some in common like speed, mobility, ball skills, accuracy, aggression on attack and defence and they must blend together as a 'unit'. The backrow is the oil in the team, making everything work. Why are teams not "working", they miss the Loose Forwards - look at successful teams and their Loosies.....

At least one of the three must have 'height' for line out possession at the rear.



Open Side Flanker

I have a small book titled "Bluff Your Way into Rugby". A chapter in the book describes all the different positions so you can convince others that you have played one. The description of the open side is: "Psychotic tackler". A dramatic view but right....



Line-out

Back row players are line-out jumpers too. Develop your ability to catch with either left or right hand or both. Get organized with codes, different moves and practice. Your job is to secure the throw and give the team and attacking opportunity.



Scrum

Again a whole list of things to do for the back row:

    * Bind correctly, discuss this with your prop.

    * Channel the ball

    * Watch the ball when it moves through the scrum

    * Protect the Scrum Half

    * Explode of the scrum when the ball is out.

Work on the back row moves.

I have a special page on the scrum.



Open play: offence

The Open Side Flanker should comfortable with the ball in hand when first in support of the ball carrier. His decision making skills are key: pick&go, pop pass, go over and protect the ball, wipe opposition player from the breakdown, ... He must 'read' the opposition backline, communicate with his own backline and be accurate in lines of running.

All the skills of the other two back row players but must have the ability both to go to ground to control the ball and to stay on his feet to continue the attack. Work with the other loosies and knowing what the backs are doing to get the right lines to get to the breakdown.

Support the ball carrier and carry on the attack. Do whatever it takes to win the ball!



Defense

The Open Side Flanker has the ability to stop short/blind side attacks with deadly accurate and intimidating tackling. Speed is important for this role but accuracy in lines of running and physical presence in defense is essential.

Fearless, quick, accurate with a range of tackles.



Key issues

    * Aggression, go forward and a strong "will to succeed".



My favorite open side of all times

Marc Visser: he was a very clever player with ruthless ambition

hope this helps.. maybe not in fitness ideas but it may inspire you to be a better flanker...

Answer 4

eat taro bro

Answer 5

The best way to gain weight and staying fit at the same time is to start lifting more often at the gym and increase the amount of protein in your diet give it time and you will increase weight as muscle ways more than fat also you will become a better athlete and because of the increase in muscle.