Fitness  l  Nutrition  l  Hydration  l  Principles of Training  l  STRETCHING

Warm up: Prior to any training session or playing a game, you need to warm-up adequately. A warm-up should be functional for the specific session that will follow it; therefore, the structure of warm-up will vary with your sessions. Whilst it may take 45 minutes to warm-up for a game, some sessions will require a shorter warm-up. However, you should spend a minimum of 10 - 15 minutes on a warm up if it is carried out properly.

Purpose of the warm-up: A warm up is the period of exercise performed before a training session or game which is designed to prepare the player for maximal levels of subsequent performance and reduce the risk of injury occurring within the performance. The warm-up serves 3 basic purposes:

This should be followed by a period of gentle stretches that begin at the core, progress down through the muscles of the legs and, back up the body to the chest, back, shoulders, arms and neck. Static stretches should target all of the major joints and muscles. Warm up stretches should be held for 10-15 seconds. Move into each stretch slowly, and perform each stretch twice, ensuring good technique. (Refer to Stretching exercises).

It is important to note that the stretches undertaken here are designed to prepare the body for the impending activity: Stretching to increase range of movement over a more permanent period should be undertaken in separate sessions. Interestingly, the over-use of static stretches at the limit of the range of movement could potentially reduce temporarily [i.e. for a period of up to an hour] the power that you are able to produce following such stretches. Therefore, you should avoid over-using such stretches in a warm-up session, although static stretches that do not operate at the limit of range of movement of a muscle may form ideal preparative stretches for dynamic movements that follow.

Dynamic (movement) stretches should therefore also be incorporated, to prepare the muscles for the impending exercise. These are sports specific ranges of movements under direct muscular control, and include such activities as butt-kicks and High knee drills, and also movements that relate to the specific activities that will be undertaken in the following session. For example, consider twisting movements, diagonal movements of the trunk, and vertical and horizontal movements.

The next stage of the warm-up should involve proprioceptive (internal sense) activities. Activities such as single-leg hops on the spot, other low impact plyometric activities, or “wobbleboard” work, (all of which should be performed with the eyes closed) all help to prepare the bodies sensory mechanisms for the impending performance. If a wobbleboard is not available, stand on tennis balls to perform activities such as reaching, catching, throwing and bending. Such activities also serve to warm-up the joint structures around the ankles (for example), that cannot be warmed-up with other stretching activities.

The final phase of the warm-up should involve activity specific movements, such as dynamic changes of pace or direction. Activities to be considered here include higher intensity ball-drills, preparative contact (i.e. not full-pace), touch rugby games, plyometric jumps (low intensity) and specific agility and acceleration drills. It is important for a player to undertake some work at full pace in this section of the warm-up, as activities of such an intense nature will occur during the game. It is important for athletes to warm up and cool down after a session or game.

Stretches for Specific Regions of the Body: There are a number of static stretches that can be performed for individual muscle groups, each of which has a number of variations. Those listed below I consider being easy, effective and safe methods of static stretching each of the major muscle groups used in rugby, although you will come across variations of these in many practical sessions.

The Chest:

Stand in a doorway, or corner, or use a partner stood behind you supporting the arms just inside the elbows. Flex the elbows to 90°, and raise the elbows to shoulder height, with the forearms pointing straight upwards. Place your forearms flat against the walls or doorway. Exhale and lean forward so that the arms are supporting your body weight. This will particularly stretch the sternal and shoulder insertions of the pectoral muscles, which are vital in scrummaging and ripping motions.

The Shoulders:
(1) Sit or stand with one arm raised to shoulder height. Flex the elbow so that the arm comes across in front of the body and the hand touches the opposite shoulder. Keep the palm facing forward.			(2) Grasp the elbow with the opposite hand, exhale and pull the elbow across the body whilst keeping the trunk facing forward. Repeat with the palm facing towards the body .

There are a number of static stretches that can be performed for individual muscle groups, each of which has a number of variations. Those listed below I consider being easy, effective and safe methods of static stretching each of the major muscle groups used in rugby, although you will come across variations of these in many practical sessions.

Abdominals & Trunk stabilisers:

(1) Lie on your stomach, with your elbows directly below your shoulders, palms flat on the floor. Keeping your hands still and the pelvis in contact with the floor, straighten your arms until you can go no further.

(2). Hold, and return to the floor. Reach your arms around to the left side, keeping the pelvis in the same position and arms bent. Straighten the arms, so that the body twists to the left, and hold when you cannot straighten the arm further without moving the pelvis

(3) At this point, turn your head as far left as you can, to stretch the front neck muscles. Return and repeat to the right.

There are a number of static stretches that can be performed for individual muscle groups, each of which has a number of variations. Those listed below I consider being easy, effective and safe methods of static stretching each of the major muscle groups used in rugby, although you will come across variations of these in many practical sessions.

Achilles Tendon: Begin by kneeling on both legs, with the bottom resting on the ankles. From this position, raise the right knee, so that the foot comes forward next to the left knee and is flat on the floor. Exhale, rest your body weight back onto your ankles whilst pushing your right knee forward, keeping the right foot flat at all times. You should feel a stretching sensation in the achilles tendon and lower calf muscle. Calves: Start standing facing a wall or other similar support using your arms for stability. Position your right leg back, keeping the knee straight, foot flat and perpendicular to the wall with the heel down. (2) This stretches thegastrocnemius (larger calf muscle). Repeat the same stretch bending the knee that targets the soleus (smaller, deeper calf muscle) The opposite forward leg is relaxed and slightly bent. After positioning the feet lean forward bending the elbows and keeping the hips in line with the shoulders. This should increase dorsiflexion (toe pulled towards knee) of the right ankle. Watch heel and hip position. Make sure weight is pushed forward and downward. Remember to switch legs and stretch each calf!!   Hamstring 1: This stretches the groin region, Hamstrings, Gluteals, and the lumbar spine. Sit on the floor, with legs out straight in front of you. Bend the left leg out to the side, and place the sole of the left foot against the inner surface of the right thigh. Keeping your head up (this helps to avoid curvature in the lumbar spine), reach down the right leg with both hands until a comfortable end position is reached. Hold this position for appropriate count (10s in warm up, 20s in cool down), then relax. Shake legs off. Repeat stretch, with end point pushed a little further down the leg. Repeat x 3 for each leg. Keep the head up and back straight throughout the movement. Avoid any bouncing or excessive reaching along the extended leg. Pull the toes of the extended leg towards the body if possible, to obtain further stretch to the calf muscles.   Hamstring & Hip flexor stretch: This sub-routine stretches (1) Hamstring and Gluteals, and (2) the Hip flexors including Iliopsoas, quadriceps, and abdominals.   Phase 1: Begin by kneeling on your left knee, with trunk upright. Extend the right leg out so that the bend at the knee is greater than 90o (but the knee is not straight). Point the toes of the right foot towards the floor, and turn the foot slightly inwards at the ankle. Keeping the head up and the trunk straight, bend forward from the waist (about the lower pelvis), bringing the head as close to the knee as is comfortably possible and Hold. Return to beginning position. Phase 2: Raise the left arm straight above the head (or right arm if the left leg is forward). Maintaining an upright position, extend the trunk, and keep the left knee anchored to the floor. Push the pelvis forward (with no pelvic tilt) to a comfortable end position and hold. Return to beginning position. Extend the right leg further in front, and repeat sequence 2-3 times for each leg. Make sure the knees and especially the feet do not roll inward - watch for any movement from the centre line. In some individuals placing a towel or mat under the left knee prevents any soreness to the patella. In phase 2, watch for any tilting movements of the pelvis. Ensure the extended knee is kept bent in a wide angle and the hip and trunk are extended in order to stretch Iliopsoas. Quadriceps: Stand on your left leg holding on to a wall or other support. Bend your right knee and grasp the ankle from behind with the left hand. Slightly bend the standing (left) leg, and pull the ankle of the bent leg towards the bottom, keeping the knees together and the pelvis in a neutral position. Repeat x 2 for each leg.   Then, stand on your left leg holding on to a wall or other support. Bend your right knee and grasp the ankle from behind with the right hand, and repeat the stretching action. Avoid allowing the knee to drift outward!   Try to avoid leaning forward or tilting the pelvis, which increases the lumbar curve. Keep your spine straight and as you pull the leg back contract your abdominal's and try to lengthen through the knee. Check for correct position, especially knee and hip placement. Keep the abdominal muscles tight throughout the movement.

Gluteals and abductors:
Sit on the floor with your legs extended and your hands slightly behind you supporting your torso. Cross your left foot over your right leg and slide the heel towards the buttocks as far as possible (keeping the foot flat).		Rotate the trunk to the left (look towards your left shoulder), and place the right elbow on the outside of the left knee. Exhale and look over the left shoulder whilst rotating the trunk, and gently push on the knee with your right elbow. Repeat on the other side.

Cooling down after each session
Following training and matches, you should also cool down. This helps to minimise the onset of muscle soreness (therefore helping you to recover more quickly), allow your body to return to its normal resting state at a more gradual rate and help to prevent future injury. Cool downs should involve a continually decreasing exercise intensity (i.e. easy jog to brisk walk) for approximately 5 minutes, and a period of stretching. Stretching is very important at this stage, and each stretch should be held for approximately 20 seconds. Active recovery sessions, such as in the swimming pool, should also be undertaken on rest days with elite players, to allow them to gain the maximum recovery possible in between sessions.