Rugby · Mid-Season Prep

Four weeks during the break to rebuild maximal strength and armour the neck and shoulders before contact returns. This rugby mid-season break prep resets the load after months of collisions, to come back able to take and give contact from the first ball to the last.

Who is it for?

This programme is for intermediate rugby players returning to strength training in a fully equipped gym after a break marked by months of contact. Unlike the In-Season maintenance programme, built to hold load through the season, this mid-season prep rebuilds strength from a fresh base: Phase 1 resets heavy volume on stable variations before Phase 2 pushes the load toward a maximum. The neck, worked from the first session, gets constant attention across all four weeks, moving to external load by the end of the block.

The method

Two two-week phases, three sessions a week. Phase 1 · Reloading resets heavy volume on stable variations, controlled tempo and a wide safety margin, at RIR 2-3: the neck, hamstrings and traps get back to work from the first session, without chasing load. Phase 2 · Collision strength pushes toward 4 to 6 heavy reps on the push and pull patterns, with intent to move fast on every lift and explosiveness returning through the med ball rather than through impact; the neck moves to external load. Sessions cover knee dominant and push, hip dominant and vertical, then floor drive and loaded carries.

How long does the Rugby Mid-Season Prep last?

Four weeks split into two two-week phases, three sessions a week, built for the break before contact returns.

What equipment does this rugby break prep need?

A fully equipped gym, plus a med ball used in Phase 2 to bring explosiveness back through a door that is not impact.

Does this prep replace the Rugby In-Season maintenance programme?

No: it rebuilds strength from a fresh base after the break, while the In-Season programme then simply maintains it through the collision season. The two follow each other, they do not replace one another.

What the program includes

• 4 weeks · 3 sessions / week · Intermediate
• Equipment : fully equipped gym
• 6 complete session sheets: exercises, sets, reps, tempo, rest and RIR
• Tracking columns to fill straight into the printed PDF, week after week
• Detailed how-to, warm-up routine, adjustments page and glossary

The programming

• Phase 1 · Reloading (weeks 1 and 2) : After months of contact, heavy volume goes back on stable variations: controlled tempo, wide safety margin. The neck, the hamstrings and the traps get back to work from the first session, without chasing load.
• Phase 2 · Collision strength (weeks 3 and 4) : Maximal strength on the push and pull patterns: 4 to 6 heavy reps, intent to move fast on every lift, and explosiveness back through the med ball rather than through impact. The neck moves to external load.

Every week follows a defined cycle (baseline, intensification, accumulation): you always know what to do, at what intensity, and when to adjust. Nothing is left to chance.

Format : Downloadable PDF, yours for life, designed to be printed.