Building A Rugby Player (Issue 1)

Ruck Tales has always had an interest in the training and behind-the-scenes work that goes into building a good rugby player, so we will be bringing you a series of interviews to find out how different players approach their personal training. First up, Ruck Tales (RT) talks with Tampere and Finland back Jussi Viljanen (JV).

RT:

Tell us a bit about your general training philosophy.

 

JV:

I am a bodybuilder as well as a rugby player, so my training may not be the most optimal for rugby but it definitely helps and I believe that I have an advantage over many players because I've done this kind of training.

 

RT:

On the practical side, do you follow the usual rugby-related techniques at all: Olympic lifts, functional training etc?

 

JV:

I hardly do any Olympic lifting, simply because it's not effective for building muscle. It's great for explosiveness, your core and general strength but it's not the optimal option for a bodybuilder.
Maybe the main way that my training differs from the usual rugby gym training is that I don't train the movements or the exercises, I train the muscle. As in some guy might do bench press, but my approach is that I am training my chest by using the bench press, if that makes sense! My main goal is not to increase the amount of weight I can lift, but rather increase the size of the muscle that's doing the lifting, and that's bodybuilding. Of course I always try to use as much weight as I can to create as much stimulation for the muscle as possible, but the main goal is to improve the muscle.

 

RT:

So it's less Crossfit and fancy machines and more good old fashioned iron?

 

JV:

I love to use free weights and my training is based on the real old school exercises: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, military presses, pull-ups etc. Those are the key elements which are always in my gym training. I usually train in the gym 5 times a week, depending on whether we have a game on Saturday. Right now my gym schedule looks like this:

 

Mon: hamstrings/calves

Tue: chest/back

Wed: rest

Thu: quads/abs

Fri: delts/light chest

Sat: arms

Sun: rest

 

What I aim to do with that program is the prioritize my legs and my chest. That's why I have split my legs into two workouts, hams and quads, and do chest twice a week. The second chest workout is a bit lighter, but still challenging.

 

RT:

That's a pretty full schedule! How does it fit in with playing rugby?

 

JV:

In the off-season I always train five times a week in the gym but during the season it's a bit different. If there is no game, I train the usual five times, but in a game week, I train three times: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I train legs first, because they need the most time to recover before the game, and then split my upper body into two workouts for Tuesday and Wednesday. Usually chest/back and arms/shoulders. Then I take Thursday and Friday off from the gym.

 

I don't do so much cardio on my own, because I get a lot from rugby, but when I do, I really like to do uphill sprinting, interval running and sometimes circuit workouts, which usually contain different kinds of jumps, push-ups, sprints, burpees, kettlebell exercises etc.

 

Jussi in action for Tampere versus Turku earlier this year. (Photo by Pertti Huikuri)

 

RT:

Back to strength work: do you have any set goal for sets and reps for the best results?

 

JV:

I like to change it every once in a while. Sometimes I do reps between 4-8 and sometimes 15-20. It's good to change the rep range so the body doesn't get used to a certain routine. Usually in the heavy compound exercises I do 2-3 heavy sets - two can be more than enough if you take everything out of the set. It has to be to the death. Additionally I like to spice up my workouts with intensifiers like forced reps, drop sets, rest-pause and I do a lot of supersets and sometimes even giant sets.

 

RT:

How important is nutrition in your training?

 

JV:

Meal plans are an important part of improving as an athlete in any sport, but for a bodybuilder it's a necessity. I've had a nutritional that I follow for a few years now. I've always planned it myself and every now and then I make changes when I notice that something could be done better. You have to know how much you are consuming and adjust your calorie intake depending on your goal. I truly understand that some people might not want to eat the same foods day after day or count macros and calories - it requires a lot of hard work and time. But if you do it, you WILL see results.

 

RT:

So what's your actual diet like?

 

JV:

Pretty simple: enough protein, lots of carbs and some fat. I aim to eat 6-8 times a day, about every 2-4 hours. The split I'm aiming for is 50% carbs / 35% protein / 15% fat. When you are really active and train many times a week, carbs are your main source of fuel - athletes need carbs! I'm aiming to eat about 2,5g of protein per kg of bodyweight. I don't eat that much fat at all - you get some already from all the meat and also from the carbs. I also eat some essential fatty acids, like fish oils, flaxseeds and peanuts/almonds.

 

In practice, the food is very clean and good quality. Carbohydrates come from oats, brown rice, potatoes, fruits, rye bread, vegetables and berries. Proteins from chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, quark, lean meat and fish. I try to eat a lot of greens, mostly salad, broccoli and long green beans.

 

I am currently taking in about 3500kcal every day - more than usual because I'm slowly trying to add a bit of weight.

 

 



Playing for Finland versus Cyprus in 2012. (Photo by Rod McCraken)

 

RT:

We've recently started a feature where we are road testing training food recipes. The first instalment was on protein pancakes for breakfast, which they say is the most important meal of the day. What is your breakfast of choice?

 

JV:

My breakfast is simple and has been almost the same for years, with some small changes: 120g oats with 200g cottage cheese, flax seeds and berries. Some days might add a banana. I also have some coffee.

 

RT:

Do you change anything to get ready for a rugby game?

 

JV:

I don't have any special pre-match meal. I prepare for a game almost the same way as I prepare for my workout. I try to get everything out of my workout and same goes for rugby, so the same nutritional principles apply to both.

 

RT:

Is it all work and no play when it comes to food?

 

JV:

I rarely stray too far from my plan. I might eat ice cream or burgers on some weekends, but very rarely. My favourite cheat meal is definitely a burger - homemade burgers are awesome.

 

RT:

Do you use any training supplements?

 

JV:

In the morning I take BCAA (branched chain amino acids) about 30 minutes before breakfast, as well as fish oils and multivitamins. Pre-workout I'm using a product called FireUp by Medlab, which contains mainly micronized creatine, caffeine, beta-alanine and nitric oxide boosters. During my workout I drink BCAA again as well as some simple carbohydrates: maltodextrin or dextro. Post-workout I drink whey protein, maltodrexin and creatine. Before my last meal of the day I also take some zinc and magnesium.

 

Jussi will be in action for league leaders Tampere this weekend as they travel to Turku for the next round of the men's SM-sarja.

Kuopio RC v Vaasa Wolves game film

Kuopio RC have uploaded their game film from their match in Division 1 North versus Vaasa Wolves, played on 06.07.2013 in Kuopio.

Link to match video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mUitTP8sL0

Ruck Tales has also jotted down some notes on the game. The time refers to the video time on youtube.

time                       comment

0:02:05                  Have a look at KRC's loosehead during this scrum. The primary bend of his body is  at
                                his waist, which leaves his bodyweight almost directly above his feet. This means
                                when the engagement comes, he cannot drive forward into a strong and stable
                                position. As we see when the hit comes, this leaves him vulnerable to being bent in
                                half under the pressure. Points to take from this: 1. bend at the knees, not just at
                                the waist, and 2. work with the second row so that you can lean your bodyweight
                                forwards (while still keeping your feet flat, the weight should be on the front part
                                of the foot).

0:06:35                  This is great work by the KRC scrum-half to disrupt the attack, but it could have been
                                avoided. The scrum is wheeling toward the opposition scrum-half so surely this is a
                                time to use the back row as a natural barricade - getting the number 8 to bring the
                                ball to his right foot, as far as possible from the pressure.

0:07:35                  Here's the first try. Note than in attack there is very little on: there are only 3 players
                                waiting on the outside, one of which is a prop. Moreover the KRC defensive line
                                seems to have everyone covered. The problem happens when then ball pops out - at
                                this point, three KRC players are blitz towards the ball, without any regard to the
                                Vaasa players left unmarked on the outside. A clever loop creates a simple overlap.
                                Happy days for number 14.

0:11:00                  A good example of the sheep mentality: not one player in the whole nearside of the
                                pitch. Resisting this following of the ball is one of the traits that makes Warriors so
                                effective in the Championship, as it allows them to move the ball quickly back and
                                forth while stretching an opposition.

0:30:00                  One of the basics: if you concede a penalty or free kick, don't turn your back on the
                                opposition to go back 10m! If the ref's arm goes up against you, just start jogging
                                backwards as fast as possible - otherwise you're giving the opposition easy meters
                                and momentum.

0:37:45                  Great work for number 22 to ride the tackle and keep the presence of mind to
                                offload. Even better that 13 brings the ball back towards the support. All that was
                                missing was to give a pass to the legion of forwards waiting and the momentum
                                would have continued.

0:41:35                  The move ends with a good outcome for Vaasa - getting a line-out deep inside
                                the opposition 22, but with the way the back line has been attacking so far in the
                                game, and with so few KRC players defending out wide (including a prop), you have                       to feel that a chance was squandered a bit here.

0:50:50                  Again, do Vaasa squander a chance in favour of an optimistic kicking game? KRC's
                                blitz defence has again left them exposed, and a simple miss pass could have put
                                them in all sorts of trouble.

0:51:55                  Vaasa make up for the missed opportunity off the back of the back of some handling
                                howlers by KRC, which allowed Vaasa to pile on the pressure before KRC's pack
                                could make their way back from the scrum. There was still work to do, and the pick
                                up off the bootlaces by Vaasa's 22 to release 13 for the try was a touch of class.

1:01:05                  Nice bit of work by KRC's scrum-half here: he's the attack runner in one play, but
                                wastes no time in getting back to his feet so he can be back at work controlling the
                                distribution from the following ruck.

1:03:02                  Great vision from the prop to make the intercept - but then comes butchered
                                opportunity number three of the match: his inside centre has immediately run into
                                his outside channel and is unmarked, but even after breaking the fullback's tackle
                                the pass didn't go. It would have been very hard to catch 22 if it had!

1:13:09                  Is that a prop kicking? Yes it is! More importantly, it results in a try that didn't need
                                to happen. Great work from Vaasa's 13 to put the pressure on and force an error.

1:17:05                  Finally we see Vaasa on a running attack. Simple miss-passes remove KRC's forwards
                                from the game and leave a miss-match in Vaasa's favour out wide. Well finished!

1:18:30                  Once again the panic kicking returns to throw away another chance. If he'd thrown
                                the pass instead of kicking the overlap was on!

1:21:15                  The left wing is the key to this try: his dummy run infield holds the KRC midfield in
                                place and leaves his fullback with the space out wide.

1:23:15                  At this point KRC's defence is just going through the motions. The defenders away
                                from the action are walking slowly back into place, backs to the opposition. When
                                the defence presses up, there's no flat line, but rather a single player charging up to
                                try and cut off the attack. Once he is beaten the try is a done deal.

 

Key points from the game

·         Basic handling was a factor. Play was broken up by a huge number of scrums, which worked
more in Vaasa's favour than in Kuopio's.

·         Similarly, line-outs were a frequent source of wasted possession for both teams, with many throws either missing the target or failing to go straight.

·         Vaasa were more clinical at the breakdown, securing their own possession and contesting for turnovers which disrupted plenty of Kuopio attacks.

·         Defensive alignment made the difference in the end. Both teams were guilty of following the ball around the park, leaving large open spaces out wide, but Vaasa were better at covering each attacker while Kuopio were often guilty of charging at the ball and leaving others unmarked.

Final score: Kuopio RC 3 - 35 Vaasa Wolves

Feed the Beast (Part 1)

Since the game turned pro, nutrition has played an increasingly important role in the sport of rugby, but you don't have to be a pro to recognise the importance of getting in the right fuel. Many people can be put off by the misapprehension that healthy food has to be bland and tasteless, so we at Ruck Tales are going to start bringing you some tips on how to convert your food into performance on the field. We will be bringing you a selection of recipes from across the net, from magazines and whatever other source will help you improve your game - and to make sure we're not serving you rubbish, we'll road test each and every one!

We'll start with what many call the most important meal of the day: breakfast! Now that there are plenty of berries in the woods, get some extra exercise so you can use them in a tasty breakfast.

Protein pancakes

Ingredients:

6 egg whites
2 egg yolks
125g oats
1 scoop of good quality whey protein powder (optional)
2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
A handful of blueberries (fresh is best, but frozen will do), plus more for topping
Coconut oil for the pan (unsalted butter will work fine)
Runny honey for topping

Method:

Blend together the egg whites, yolks, oats, protein powder, yogurt, cinnamon and baking powder using a blender or a hand blender. Leave the mixture to rest for 15 minutes so the baking powder can work its magic.
Heat a small amount of oil (or butter) in a medium-sized frying pan. Pour in 1/3 of the mixture and let it spread naturally. Allow the pancake to cook for roughly 30 seconds before you sprinkle on some blueberries - they will sink into the uncooked side and become a delicious part of the pancake!
Once the underside is cooked, flip it over and finish cooking.

These ingredients should make 3 large pancakes. Pile them up and top with some more blueberries and drizzle on some honey. If you have some other fresh berries, feel free to add them too! Welcome to a good day!

Verdict: tasty and filling!
Tip: if you like vanilla, add 2 drops of vanilla essence to the mixture.

 

 

 

If you have some particular favourite recipes, feel free to share them with us!