High metabolism, rugby player?

Question

Hello so I have recently joined my school's new rugby team. It's in America so please don't blame it (lol) and I used to play touch football (same as rugby except no tackling) in Sydney Australia. The problem I have is my weight, I'm 5"10' and only 140 pounds. I try to eat a lot of food but still I'm very light. I want to gain up to about 160 but it seems to be impossible, seeing I have quite a high level of metabolism. My previous sport didn't require me to tackle, but my current one does, what should I do to gain weight?

ps. I do work out a lot, exerices, swimming, all type of stuff, but talking about body weight...

Thanks.

Answer 1

ok i have a high metabolism too so i am going to help you my friend.

let me first start by saying, in a chinese elder style way, being a good rugby player mostly comes from the spirit of the person and the mind. be smarter, be more determined.

but any way... the diet should consist of complex sugar carbohydrates because these are slow release and simple sugars should usually be kept to a minimum, but in our case it doesn't matter as much.

protein shakes do work provided that the carbohydrate intake is sufficient enough to break it down.

most importantly! essential fatty acids, electrolytes, and recovery from exercise (EPOC). i supplement my diet also with things such as Royal jelly, ginseng, and a concentration of omega 3 because i do stuggle wih eating enough. these i take in the moning but can be taken whenever.

i also make sure that in order for my body to recover fully quicker i drink sport drinks often and before exercise intake high calorie foods. after i tend to eat and drink in small quantities at a time but frequently.

ps. dont substitute supplements for the food though, and if you dont understand something google it. hope that was helpful

Answer 2

Don't worry about your size.

I'm 5'10, and my playing weight fluctuates from 135-150. Over the years I've made several attempts at putting on mass, and I always find that the added weight is holding me back more than anything. I lose a bit of quickness and agility if I get over 155, as a full-back, fly-half, and wing, quickness and agility are some of my most important assets.

I'd recommend just focusing on your technique in all aspects of the game.  Being a technically sound player will serve you better than putting on a few more pounds, and really, unless you bulk up to 180 or more, that extra 15-20 pounds will be quite meaningless. Also, rather than adding mass, I'd throw in some more "body-resistance" training, basically just more push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, etc.

I thought I'd have to gain a lot of weight when I switched from soccer to rugby a little over a year ago, but my experiences on the pitch have proved that to be a false assumption, and even the coaches of my new team (moved from a D3-Social team to a D1 team) have instructed me to worry more about technique and speed than size.

Answer 3

I am pretty much the same size and weight as you, as i am just over 5 ft 10", and weigh 72 kg, and I get on fine in rugby, I continue to use weights and take protein shakes (try a muscle and weight gainer).

Also with weight it depend whether you have a high percentage of body fat, as I have quite a low one.

Also look at your position that you play, if you are good at passing and decision making try scrum half (that's where I play!!!!).

With weight lift heavy weights, but with lower reps, e.g. 3-4 sets of 4-6     reps.

Answer 4

Its not all about the weight, if your fast, it can be just as damaging to the other team then the size of you.

but eat lots of meats, do less cardio (running swimming) and do lots of heavy weights throughout the week. if this dosnt work, just practice tackles to gain technique...put your body online!

Answer 5

Well if you exercise regularly you might try protein shakes to gain weight after weight training, that or eat a lot of boiled chicken and other foods high in protein.