Get as fit as a Six Nations rugby player

Our fitness expert, The Colonel, takes a look at the regime that keeps rugby players tip-top...
Are you ready to get as fit as the Six Nations rugby union players?Are you ready to get as fit as the Six Nations rugby union players?
Are you ready to get as fit as the Six Nations rugby union players?

This weekend marked the start of the NatWest Six Nations rugby event with England kicking off their campaign in Italy against the Azzurri.

The tournament will see all six teams play five fixtures in under two months and some of the world’s biggest and best rugby players will compete against each other. To mark the start of the tournament, we’ve brought you some tips on getting as fit and stacked as a professional rugby player.

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We all love working the upper body, and exercises that involve dumbbells and barbells will give you more power in your chest and arms.

It’ll improve your hand-off, leaving opponents struggling to tackle you and bolster your own tackling, too.

But don’t forget those legs!

Squats, such as split squats with dumbbells and other leg exercises like hamstring curls will leave you with powerful legs that can help build power in your legs.

This is perfect for those involved in a scrum, to drive you and your team forward and can also help when drive through a low tackle on an opponent.

Who said it’s all about weights?

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Eighty minutes of running is a long time and rugby players now have to be super fit to last a full match. Get on the running or rowing machine to build stamina. In addition, speed and movement-based training is crucial, so players can react quickly during the match to certain situations.

Stretch or be stretched off.

At the end of every session, make sure you spend some quality time stretching out your muscles. Building a temple of a body is all well and good but if it’s built on rickety foundations you won’t last very long on a pitch!