Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

Combining intervals, cardio and weights

Hi guys, I'm hoping for some advice on my weekly routine. I'm trying to see where I can fit some extra sessions in without over training myself, risking injury, or reducing the overall benefit.

My focus at the moment is on fitness and weight loss. I would however like to fit in some weights if I can, but my fitness work has to come first as I'm already pretty strong. I'm planning on focusing on strength training during the off-season.

I play rugby and I'm a prop forward, so I need more fitness work than just jogging. I've been doing sprints on a rowing machine and intervals on a running machine as well as slower cardio work.

My Routine so far looks like this.

Saturday - Rugby game
very intensive full body workout for 80 minutes, especially hard on shoulders and legs.

Sunday - recovery
Sauna
30 minutes swimming

Monday
Weights - mostly upper body as gym doesn't have leg press or facility for squats.
30 min steady pace on rowing machine

Tuesday -
Interval training. 2 sets of 5 1 minute sprints on rowing machine, flat out, with 1 minute break between sprints, 5 minute break between sets.
20 minutes Interval training on jogging machine, 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy.
20 minutes steady pace on rowing machine.

Wednesday - rest day

Thursday

2 sets of sprints on rowing machine as above.
45 minutes swimming

Friday - pre-game rest.


All of the above is done in the evening, but I think I could fit in a short morning session twice a week, if needed to.

What I'd like to do is fit in another weights session sometime, but in a way that didn't impact my sprints, I'd also like a few more basic cardio/weight loss work outs.

In general I try and avoid jogging or anything two high impact as I get enough of that during rugby, I'm also 266 pounds (but 6'4" so its not as bad as it sounds) and so I need to be careful until a drop a few stone.

So, any specific advice on my workout? Also, generally what do people think about combining different types of workout on subsequent days? Ie, if a do weights on one day, can I do intervals which use the same muscles on the next? Does cardio work after weights or sprints reduce the benefit you get?

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

I'm going to bump this, but just the once.

Has anyone got any opinions? Any more info you'd like before offering an opnion or anything like that, or is my post just a little dull?

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

Losing weight is going to depend largely on what you put into your cakehole.

The workout schedule seems fine for in-season. Wednesday seems like the obvious place to try to add another more weight training. You might go with lighter loads that day, tack the next day's rowing sprints onto the end, and then consider the swim "recovery."

To toss something out... I can think of adding more, but I think you should do things slowly/incrementally and give yourself 3 weeks or so to see how you react/how fatigue accumulates. Also, surely there are other options lower body wise and squat variations that you can do-- equipment isn't forcing you to focus on arms...?

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

Yeah, it's a little hard to say. I mean you could definitely add more weight training, but your training capacity depends on how much sleep you can get, how your nutrition is, your stress level at your job, etc.

There's definitely no reason you can' get some lower body resistance training in there. Maybe Monday lower body and Wes upper body, or just do full body both says.

BTW most pro athletes lift heavy the day right after a game. I know what it's like to feel destroyed after a game, it can be hard to work with all the bruises and cramps and so on.

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

I think that after a rugby game the post-game workout is a requirement to drink to the point of vomiting.

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

if you are trying to lose weight working out your lower body is crucial. your biggest muscle groups are in your legs. if you don't want to use weights i would suggest finding a weighted vest and running stairs or sprints at the rugby field. throw something like this in to your workout one day a week and you should lose weight quickly.

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

Thanks for the replies guys.

Couple of questions.

People lift weights right after a game? Does this no risk overtraining? A lot of my muscles, including legs, shoulders and back will do multiple maximum exertions during a game, especially in the scrum, so its basically the equivelant of a heavy weight session.

Can anyone make any suggestions for ways to do strength training on the lower body without any equipment? My legs are extremely strong, so I struggle to find any way to max them out without a machine.

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

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Can anyone make any suggestions for ways to do strength training on the lower body without any equipment? My legs are extremely strong, so I struggle to find any way to max them out without a machine.

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't have weights? Yeah you do. Do you just have dumbells?

You can do lunges with dumbbells, step ups, Bulgarian split squats, dumbell deadlifts, suitcase deadlifts with dumbells, etc. etc.

I also don't see any actual sprinting in your week which you certainly could do; do you not have a rugby practice? Hill sprints = crazy good leg workout.

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think that after a rugby game the post-game workout is a requirement to drink to the point of vomiting.

[/ QUOTE ]

HELLO!!!!

Re: Combining intervals, cardio and weights
 

Jammy,

Jesus you are 6 4' and play prop?!?!?! Your pack must be monstrous.

As for lifting all I can recommend is maybe some sort of olympic type lifting (power cleans), which would help your explosiveness and sprinting ability. Other than that crossfit workouts would be killer too. From personal experience rugby was a fitness disaster for me because I was too sore half the week to do anything.

Also, because you dont have a squat rack try out complexes: ie; power clean the bar, then do 3 front squats, then 2 push jerks. Or some combination thereof like power snatches then over head squats etc. etc. Lots of options.