BASIC CONCEPTS OF PHYSICAL

CONDITIONING - RUGBY
By : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Ikhwan Mohamad
Faculty of Sports Science & Coaching
Sultan Idris Education University

23 JULY 2021

© Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com

 CODE OF PRACTICE

“Provide physical exercise and training prescription for the purpose of reducing risk of injury and increase
performance, via systematic and evidence based practice. It is within the responsibilities of the strength and
conditioning professionals to determine training objectives, perform need analysis, develop training plan,
develop training program, do performance monitoring, determine effectiveness and perform modification for
further enhancement”
(Nur Ikhwan Mohamad, Ali Md. Nadzalan & Muhamad Hafiz Zainol, 2019)(7)

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 “Match Analysis and Temporal Patterns of Fatigue in Rugby Sevens: The mean total distance covered throughout
matches was 1,221 ± 118 m (first half = 643 ± 70 m and second half = 578 ± 77 m; with a decrease of 11.2%, p > 0.05,
Effect Size [ES] = 0.29). The players achieved 88.3 ± 4.2 and 87.7 ± 3.4% of the HRmax during the first and second
halves, respectively. The BLa for the first and second halves was 3.9 ± 0.9 and 11.2 ± 1.4 mmol·L−1, respectively. The
decreases in performance occurred consistently in the final 3 minutes of the matches (−40.5% in the distance covered

RUGBY
per minute)” (3)

“Backs and forwards had an average HR of approximately 80% of their maximum (162 ± 11 and 165 ± 12 b·min−1, respectively). Backs achieved greater maximum
running speed (8.6 ± 0.7 m·s−1),
completed a greater number of sprints (18 ± 6), had less time between sprints (3.2 ± 1.1 minutes), achieved a greater total duration of sprinting (44.7 ± 9.1 seconds),
and covered more distance sprinting (321 ± 74 m) than forwards did (6.8 ± 0.7 m·s−1, 11 ± 5, 5.2 ± 2.2 minutes, 25.8 ± 9.2 seconds, and 153 ± 38 m, respectively) “ (2)

Intense effort: anaerobic energy source (1)

Repeated efforts & recovery: aerobic energy system (1)

Training: repeated brief high-intensity efforts with short rest intervals (1)

HIGH INTENSITY SPEED ENDURANCE = INTERVAL BASED

3 © Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com

 Stimulus-Responses-Adaptation
PERFORMANCE
*Basics:
1. Component of
Fitness
2. Energy System
Adaptation 3. Principles of
training
Stimulus 4. Exercise
TIME techniques
Recovery

Interpretation based on Selye, H. (1946). The general adaptation syndrome and the diseases of
adaptation. The journal of clinical endocrinology, 6(2), 117-230 (9).

4 © Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com

 !!! Traditional body weight circuit training?

VARIATIONS (with/without ball & rugby

movement pattern)

WORK Sprint
REST Passive

WORK Sprint + Wearable Resistance,

REST Passive

WORK Strength Training

REST Active jog
*220-age X 0.85
10HIIT: 20:10 x 8 = 240 secs @ 85–95% HRmax

10MIIT: 20:10 x 8 = 240 secs @ 55–75% HRmax

5 © Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com

 Movement Competency Screening (MCS)
Speed endurance test: Bronco
Heart rate: Resting heart rate, pre-post session HR

Assisted – Body Weight – External Load – Fast/Explosive

Warm-up
External load session’s example Dynamic Mobility
Drills/Specific Warm-up
Power based exercise Snatch / Clean & Jerk
TRAINING
Push Bench Press Cooling Down
Passive Stretch
Pull Pull-up
Self-massage/Foam Rolling

Push Thruster

Pull Deadlift

Core Barbell Roll

 TEST:TRAIN:TEST

1. Stimulate, get response, get recover and re-apply stimulus.

2. Interval based test and training.
3. Combined speed, strength, endurance and SKILLS as much as possible.

7 © Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com

 Multilateral Development? Early
specialization? Mana lebih penting?

Coach Pak Man ataupun Noor Azman

Zainol adalah nama tidak asing lagi dalam
sukan ragbi

WATCH >>

Do check out:

https://passport.world.rugby/conditioning-for-rugby/

https://simplifaster.com/articles/exogen-wearable-resistance-load-placement/

https://www.nurikhwan.com/post/wearable-resistance-wr-the-new-way-forward-for-strength-training

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REFERENCES
1. Duthie, G., Pyne, D., & Hooper, S. (2003). Applied physiology and game analysis of rugby union. Sports medicine, 33(13), 973-991.
2. McLellan, C. P., Lovell, D. I., & Gass, G. C. (2011). Performance analysis of elite rugby league match play using global positioning
systems. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(6), 1703-1710.
3. Granatelli, G., Gabbett, T. J., Briotti, G., Padulo, J., Buglione, A., D’Ottavio, S., & Ruscello, B. M. (2014). Match analysis and temporal patterns
of fatigue in rugby sevens. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(3), 728-734.
4. Malek, N.J., Mohamad, N.I., Sankaravel, M., & Hassan, S.M. (2019). Repeated sprint ability (RSA) performance is not related to body height
and body weight measurements among perak sukma 2018 male rugby players. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences,
10.
5. Mohamad, Nur Ikhwan & Sankaravel, Mohansundar & Abd Malek, Nor. (2019). Better deadlift performance comes with higher hamstring
tighness: An assessment on Perak Sukma 2018 Female Rugby Players. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences. 10.
10.26452/ijrps.v10iSPL1.1710.
6. Sankaravel, Mohansundar & Mohamad, Nur Ikhwan & Azmi, Aida. (2019). Higher bench press performance resulted in higher shoulder
stiffness among perak sukma 2018 female rugby players. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences. 10.
10.26452/ijrps.v10iSPL1.1718.
7. Nur Ikhwan Mohamad, Ali Md. Nadzalan & Muhamad Hafiz Zainol. (2019).Suaian fizikal taktikal bomba & penyelamat (Editor). Tanjong Malim,
Perak. Penerbit UPSI.
8. Feser, E. H., Bayne, H., Loubser, I., Bezodis, N. E., & Cronin, J. B. (2020). Wearable resistance sprint running is superior to training with no
load for retaining performance in pre-season training for rugby athletes. European Journal of Sport Science, 1-9.
9. Selye, H. (1950). Stress and the general adaptation syndrome. British Medical Journal, 1(4667), 1383.
10.Coswig, V. S., Barbalho, M., Raiol, R., Del Vecchio, F. B., Ramirez-Campillo, R., & Gentil, P. (2020). Effects of high vs moderate-intensity
intermittent training on functionality, resting heart rate and blood pressure of elderly women. Journal of translational medicine, 18(1), 1-11.

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 Strength & Conditioning Education at

Faculty of Sports Science & Coaching

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

www.upsi.edu.my

10 © Nur Ikhwan Mohamad | www.sigconditioning.com