The Silver Fern

[quote name='davidav']<br />
Sprints and [b]bodyweight squats[/b] do it for me.<br />
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I used to be heavily into lifting--at one point I was squatting 410 pounds for sets of 8.<br />
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These days the spine has had enough of heavy weights.<br />
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But sprinting is amazingly good at building leg strength, and at least as hard as a heavy squatting session if done properly.<br />
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<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' /> ahhhhhhhhhh..... the pleasure of knowing I'm sometimes right. Come on lads, give it a crack, eh?

Pushups<br />
Chins<br />
Hindus<br />
Sprints<br />
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But remember to stretch. Heaps of rugby players become 'stiff' when they train too much, making them more injury prone because they don't stretch.

I've always had a strong lower back. My biomechanics are suited to deadies as I am tall, so the squat weight is lower.<br />
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Not a normal ratio, thats why I did the Hindu's to up my power, so now the ratio is pretty good.<br />
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I must congratulate Bartman, we don't often see eye to eye, but these are pretty good poundages there Barty! I'm impressed! <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> <br />
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Also, I injured my back for a while in the scrum, so I placed more emphasis on the Hindu's. They place less stress on your joints.

Hindu's, my lads. Plenty of them. Try it mate. I did squats and deadies for 6 years, and it improved my strength tremendously - ie. 10 reps with 200kg in the deadlift, and 140kg for 8 reps in the squat.<br />
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But I bet you dollars to dougnuts, if you can squat 100's of pounds, you can only do 30-40 Hindu's. <br />
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Hindu's are way better than squats and deads for developing overall flexibility, strength, endurance, and cardio. [b]Try it first[/b] bro. I've done both, and the results are amazing!

Free weight squats could be added, as well as some deadies, but they are not developers of functional strength ie. how many deadies do you do on the field? <br />
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Functional strength is most important, maybe only some deadies for the tight 5?<br />
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and this 'I can bench press such and such a weight' is codswallop. You don't do many benches on the fiels ie. not a functional strength movement.

My upper is ok, bro. Enough to damage the opposition! <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' /> <br />
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Below parallel = thighs lowered to at least parallel to the floor, or deeper.

[b]Hindu squats[/b] are the perfect choice to develop power and endurance in the thighs.<br />
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Just assume a standing position, feet shoulder width apart, feet pointing slightly outward.<br />
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Squat down below parallel, then come back up, but don't lock out. Keep the movement continuous.<br />
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Breath out on the way down, and in on the way up. Keep the back straight.<br />
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As you squat down, your arms should be straight, moved to your sides and behind you, then be brought straight out in front of you on the way back up.<br />
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Do them in sets of 50, 2-3 minutes rest between each set, for a total of 500 reps, every day. That's what I did. After 3 months my legs were tree trunks - an extra 8kg of muscle!<br />
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This exercise improves your aerobic and anaerobic capacity.<br />
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80 minutes of rugby becomes a breeze!