22/05/2023
Hi All,
As the end of the season comes to a close for many sports, it’s important to plan a short rest period with just light exercise. However, be aware that any prolonged inactivity will result in Muscle Atrophy.
The old saying “use it or lose it” certainly applies to muscles. Lack of exercise can lead to muscle atrophy, or the wasting away of muscles. Loss of muscle mass can be characterized by fatigue, extreme muscle weakness, or the actual "shrinking" of the physical body and can lead to weight gain as well as lack of strength and endurance.
Regular exercise is essential to ensure that you are physically fit enough to withstand the strain of any sport. Developing strong core muscles in the back, will help prevent injuries.
So, how do we work to re-build lost strength / muscle etc.?
It is all about starting small and rebuilding your strength/ stamina slowly and steadily. If you think you are just going to be able to pick up where you left off, ‘Think Again!!, Injuries will come quickly and you may cause injuries that will take even more time to repair and subsequently it will keep you out of the game for even longer.
Don’t rush into training. Your body won’t be ready for it, so you will struggle and may even risk injuries. You need to take it slowly.
I recommend starting with three full-body strength workouts per week, taking at least one day to recover in between. Each workout should include exercises that focus on the main movement patterns: squat, hinge, lunge, vertical push (e.g., shoulder press), horizontal push (e.g., push up), vertical pull (e.g., pullup), horizontal pull (e.g., bent-over row), some stretching, jumping jacks and plank. Nothing too difficult!
So long as you’re feeling strong and recovered from your training, you can progress every two weeks by increasing sets, reps or weight or decreasing your rest between sets.
This progression principle also applies to cardio workouts. If your treadmill or elliptical session begins to feel easy, bump up the intensity by 10%. You could increase speed or resistance, decrease rest or even add another weekly cardio session.
Don’t forget to warm up: It gently prepares your body for exercises and slowly increases your heart rate. This is a very important step which helps to prevent injuries.
Start with short sessions and easy exercises: Wake up those muscles by doing something that is easy enough, but it can be made harder if you want. If you are in the gym, do some weights which are not too heavy and do more sets if you feel like it. If you are back into cycling, start on flat roads and change gears to make it harder, if you feel like it. Start easy and make it harder when ready.
Don’t make your sessions too long so that you allow your body to get used to being active again. When things are easier you are also less likely to give up.
Start with the frequency you feel comfortable with: When getting back into exercise it doesn’t mean you have to start exercising every single day. To start with, you may be better to train every other day, and allow your body a rest day in between. Starting slow will make it easier and more achievable. On your rest days, you can do other things like take a walk or do some yoga.
I’ve put together the routine below to help you improve your mobility, movement quality, and range of motion. These movements focus on key problem areas for rugby players such as the hamstrings, hips, shoulders, and trunk. Use this routine to warm up before you train.
Contact me at PHP Gym if you're unsure of any of the movements.
The Routine:
To begin with, Jog or jump on a watt bike/rower/treadmill for around 500m at a comfortable pace or around 50-60% of a maximal effort.
· 2 sets 10 Bodyweight Squats
· 3 Short Sprints sets 10m 20m 30m
· 10 Lunge Pulses each leg
· 5 Hand Walkouts with Oblique stretch/crunch (Knee to Elbow)
· 2 sets 10m Bear Crawls
· 2 sets 10 Squat thrusts
· 2 sets 20 reps Mountain Climbers
· 2 Sets 10 Press up rotations
· 2 sets 5 Burpees
· 2 Sets 10 Walking Lunges
As mentioned before if you need any further information contact me at PHP Gym or alternatively contact me by email: [email protected]
Stu
