Now that the holidays are out of the way, you shouldn't have any excuses not to start a consistent workout regime. Players should know that they alone are responsible for their own fitness. This holds true even during training sessions, as the coach and his staff often find themselves focusing on skill sets and technique rather than on fitness. The coach and his staff can provide all the advice in the world, but it's your responsibility to get and stay in shape. The only way to accomplish this is for each player to understand the basic principles of fitness training. Players should also know that there are no quick fixes or shortcuts when it comes to fitness training. All the creatine or other off-the-shelf dietary supplements won't help you. Therefore, the overall objective of this article is to enable each player to become his own fitness coach in the off-season.

In all the research that I have studied, most fitness experts in the field of rugby tend to agree that a player should prepare himself for 4-6 weeks before the start of group practice sessions to ensure a gradual build-up in training. The key to having an injury-free preseason is to prepare ahead of time. Now I realize that everyone can't be a fitness beast like myself. However, by preparing for the rigorous demands of rugby during the off-season, you will be able to withstand the increasing physical stresses of the sport and increase your chances of escaping injury. In addition, a rugby player who is stronger, fitter and faster will increase the effectiveness of the team in the upcoming season.

Rugby, as we all know, requires endurance, strength, power and speed. Players can work on all of these components at once without one training effect interfering with the other. Below is an example of a weekly training program that you can easily follow or use as a guide to get and stay in shape before the start of the season. This training regime will focus exclusively on aerobic training and weight training.

1 Week Training Schedule

Type of training	M	T	W	Th	F	Sat	Sun
Aerobic Training		x		x		x
Weight Training	x		x		x
Recovery Days							x
Training Ojectives	Increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity Minimize soreness

The above is only one example of how you could plan your training. You decide what components of your program will fit into your daily schedule. You should vary your training days and times. Remember, variation is key to getting the best results and is great for motivation.

Gary's fitness article will be continued next month...