Teenage Rugby Exercises

ghynds17

Hi,

I am a 14 year old lad, I play a lot of rugby (winger) and do sprinting with my school. I'm 5ft 7 and weigh 60kg.

I work out at home most days, I do pull up's, push ups, sit ups, dips and crunches.

I'd love to get into weights but I can't join the gym yet.

Is there any other exercises I can do other than body weight ones? Could I start using light weights now?

Thanks

thegreatiam

lift heavy weights.

i was lifting weights at 13, playing on the wing too. but not as often as you tho.
'i was also competitively kayaking and doing all sorts of other activities.

there is no problem in lifting weights at your age.

Liveforrugby

thegreatiam wrote: »

lift heavy weights.

i was lifting weights at 13, playing on the wing too. but not as often as you tho.
'i was also competitively kayaking and doing all sorts of other activities.

there is no problem in lifting weights at your age.

What? No..

Don't even go near weights mate, you'll regret it later at 17/18 when all the other lads are 6foot+

Eat well drink milk and grow, once you're done vertically at around 18 start bulking with weights. G'luck

DylanJM

Liveforrugby wrote: »

What? No..

Don't even go near weights mate, you'll regret it later at 17/18 when all the other lads are 6foot+

Eat well drink milk and grow, once you're done vertically at around 18 start bulking with weights. G'luck

Lifting weights will not stunt your growth.

Liveforrugby

DylanJM wrote: »

Lifting weights will not stunt your growth.

protein goes to muscle growth instead of height, body forced to mature quickly.. it's an on going argument but I do believe it does

besides even if it doesn't he's not losing anything, but if it does..

Hide behind the post

DylanJM wrote: »

Lifting weights will not stunt your growth.

+1 a myth that is dispelled at this stage

To state that protein goes to muscle growth 'instead' of height is factually incorrect ..... Height is determined by a number of variables.

Benefits of lifting (body weight or free) are far reaching even at 14 .... Assuming correct form and nutrition.

To answer the OP question depending on budget he could pick up York weights relatively cheaply and start from there under guidance from someone who knows what they are doing...don't just start throwing bar bells around!!!!

RidleyRider

OP, when I was your age my town had this thing going called 'junior gym'. It was basically an hour of cardio/core/machine work for an hour three days a week. It was a great start for me I think.

If you can't join the gym you could buy some vinyl weights from argos, some dumbell bars and a 5ft bar and do some curls, OH presses, tricep extensions etc.. Even though the weights won't be massively heavy you could learn the technique of the big lifts like squats and deadlifts so when the time comes you'll be able to jump right into the heavy stuff.

Also, if you could learn now about getting in clean calories throughout the day it will stand to you forever.

thegreatiam

Liveforrugby wrote: »

What? No..

Don't even go near weights mate, you'll regret it later at 17/18 when all the other lads are 6foot+

Eat well drink milk and grow, once you're done vertically at around 18 start bulking with weights. G'luck

Im over 6 foot, 200 lbs and lifted weights as a teenager. from 13 ish to around 17. played rugby for my school on occasion and kayaked competitively.I also did rockclimbing, hill walking orienteering and a multitude of other sports and outdoor activities and being stronger from lifting weights helped me with all of that.

In fact every boy in my school lifted weights at least once a week as it was a military school and there were many boys over 6 foot, there were also many under 6 foot.
Its as if lifting weights had no side effect at all and we all grew into a good healthy cross section of the male population.

OP lifting heavy objects wont damage your health or stunt your growth. It will make you fitter, faster and stronger.
Eating more food will make you bigger.

However: lifting a heavy object incorrectly will do damage, so get proper training and instruction. and if someone says lifting will stunt your growth then politely decline their offer of help and seek out someone who knows what they are doing.

thegreatiam

Liveforrugby wrote: »

protein goes to muscle growth instead of height, body forced to mature quickly.. it's an on going argument but I do believe it does

besides even if it doesn't he's not losing anything, but if it does..

not all protein you eat goes to muscle growth anyway, even if you are pumping iron for a bodybuilding competition. some is always left over for other things.

and if you put an amendment after a statement of fact such as "but if it does..." then you are clearly not confident in your science.

besides he is losing something, he's losing the benefits and health gains that lifting weight will get him, purely because some guy heard from some guy that lifting weights might stunt his growth.

the argument doesn't even make any logical sense. If lifting weights stunted your growth then we humans as a race would all be short.

Then any person who did zero physical activity in their life would rocket up over 7 feet tall.

FFS, he is probably, like most school kids, carrying a bag of books back and forth all day that weighs 10 kgs. lifting 10kgs 10 times a day will do the same damage as lifting 100kgs once, if fact it will do worse damage because he wont be practicing proper form and carrying it on one preferred side and neglect his other side.

calfmuscle

For rugby its not just bulk you need, you need to have dynamic strength. Check this out for ideas of things you can be working on at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbSEAW4nac

Inspector Coptoor

At your stage of development you need to:
1. Play as much rugby as possible
2. Practice passing & sprinting
3. Keep doing the body weight exercises you are doing
4. Add in some lower back work like back extensions, some single leg work like Romanian dead lifts & lunges. Swiss ball squats, overhead squats & some other exercises like supermans.

Once you've become proficient at body weight exercises, you can make the move to adding extra resistance with weights.

Remember that body weight training is still weight training

nice_guy80

practice kicking? wingers kick

cc87

Play lots of rugby. Keep sprinting. Play another sport.

RidleyRider

cc87 wrote: »

Play lots of rugby. Keep sprinting. Play another sport.

If he wants to make it big, why would he take up another sport?

cc87

RidleyRider wrote: »

If he wants to make it big, why would he take up another sport?

Develop other aspects that rugby wont, but which will help him further down the line in rugby.

Early specialisation is generally not the best

RidleyRider

cc87 wrote: »

Develop other aspects that rugby wont, but which will help him further down the line in rugby.

Early specialisation is generally not the best

I'd disagree. As a cyclist, I've seen kids from the age of 10 racing and go on to be great, specializing in the sport from that age.

cc87

RidleyRider wrote: »

I'd disagree. As a cyclist, I've seen kids from the age of 10 racing and go on to be great, specializing in the sport from that age.

Fair enough

There is more and more evidence that late specialisation leads to improved performance. I can throw up a few articles and stuff if you want.

The Canadians are great for this kind of stuff.

nice_guy80

join an athletics club

specifically, one that has a history of top class sprinters.

RidleyRider

cc87 wrote: »

Fair enough

There is more and more evidence that late specialisation leads to improved performance. I can throw up a few articles and stuff if you want.

The Canadians are great for this kind of stuff.

Do, it'd be an interesting read alright. I'm open to correction.

Fitness wise, I'd agree with you about taking up another sport but in the OP's case with school, training for rugby and doing all the bodyweight exercises and if he does take up the suggestion of buying vinyl weights and using those, he might be at a serious risk of burning out.

Then again, in cycling last season I trained to progressive overload.

Liveforrugby

thegreatiam wrote: »

Im over 6 foot, 200 lbs and lifted weights as a teenager. from 13 ish to around 17. played rugby for my school on occasion and kayaked competitively.I also did rockclimbing, hill walking orienteering and a multitude of other sports and outdoor activities and being stronger from lifting weights helped me with all of that.

In fact every boy in my school lifted weights at least once a week as it was a military school and there were many boys over 6 foot, there were also many under 6 foot.
Its as if lifting weights had no side effect at all and we all grew into a good healthy cross section of the male population.

OP lifting heavy objects wont damage your health or stunt your growth. It will make you fitter, faster and stronger.
Eating more food will make you bigger.

However: lifting a heavy object incorrectly will do damage, so get proper training and instruction. and if someone says lifting will stunt your growth then politely decline their offer of help and seek out someone who knows what they are doing.

6 foot is impressive. But what if you hadn't lifted weights that early? Maybe you would have been 6 foot 2, 6 foot 3 who knows? I am 6 foot 6 and 103kg aged 17 atm, I started lifting this year. Playing rugby from 10 years old the game itself is enough of a physical workout. You don't need to lift OP, our fellow posters may make a sound arguement but the proof is in the pudding, I have the results. I watched the rest of the boys on the team develop early by lifting weights, I didn't go near it. Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

RidleyRider

Liveforrugby wrote: »

6 foot is impressive. But what if you hadn't lifted weights that early? Maybe you would have been 6 foot 2, 6 foot 3 who knows? I am 6 foot 6 and 103kg aged 17 atm, I started lifting this year. Playing rugby from 10 years old the game itself is enough of a physical workout. You don't need to lift OP, our fellow posters may make a sound arguement but the proof is in the pudding, I have the results. I watched the rest of the boys on the team develop early by lifting weights, I didn't go near it. Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

1.70m/5ft 5 and extremely competitive. That's bull****.



Height isn't that important. Being skillful in the game is key. Precise passing, strength, sprinting speeds and fitness/endurance to last 80mins of getting battered and bruised.

OP, lifting weights won't stunt your growth. You'll get results at any stage if you commit to it.

nice_guy80

I say, forget the weights and enjoy being a teenager.
Hone your skills. Enjoy your sport.
Play other sports.
Your body will develop when it is ready.

Most top rugby players in Ireland now don't make it till their mid twenties. Wales take a different approach - you're never too young. I don't agree with it.
Irish players now do a lot of development stuff between 18 and 23 to prepare them for elite rugby

DylanJM

Liveforrugby wrote: »

6 foot is impressive. But what if you hadn't lifted weights that early? Maybe you would have been 6 foot 2, 6 foot 3 who knows? I am 6 foot 6 and 103kg aged 17 atm, I started lifting this year. Playing rugby from 10 years old the game itself is enough of a physical workout. You don't need to lift OP, our fellow posters may make a sound arguement but the proof is in the pudding, I have the results. I watched the rest of the boys on the team develop early by lifting weights, I didn't go near it. Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

Height is determined by genetics not by lifting weights. How do you know that all those lads would have been taller if they hadn't started weight training?

There has also been many top rugby players that wouldn't have been considered tall. Skill, talent and a good rugby brain will trump size every time. Unless you're a second row :pac:

thegreatiam

Liveforrugby wrote: »

6 foot is impressive. But what if you hadn't lifted weights that early? Maybe you would have been 6 foot 2, 6 foot 3 who knows? I am 6 foot 6 and 103kg aged 17 atm, I started lifting this year. Playing rugby from 10 years old the game itself is enough of a physical workout. You don't need to lift OP, our fellow posters may make a sound arguement but the proof is in the pudding, I have the results. I watched the rest of the boys on the team develop early by lifting weights, I didn't go near it. Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

lol, dammit you've got me. what if i hadn't lifted anything at all ever in my life, not even a pencil, i could be over 7 feet tall!!

you're 6.6, imagine if you'd never worn a a hat or heavy coat, you could've been a giant! Sadly, it doesnt work like that. lifting something heavy will not stunt your growth.
This is an unsubstantiated myth brought about by ignorance and stupidity like most rumors of body health. It is simply another way for lazy people to justify to them selves not getting back into shape.

Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

I also think you might be thinking of basketball.

Gummy Panda

Liveforrugby wrote: »

6 foot is impressive. But what if you hadn't lifted weights that early? Maybe you would have been 6 foot 2, 6 foot 3 who knows? I am 6 foot 6 and 103kg aged 17 atm, I started lifting this year. Playing rugby from 10 years old the game itself is enough of a physical workout. You don't need to lift OP, our fellow posters may make a sound arguement but the proof is in the pudding, I have the results. I watched the rest of the boys on the team develop early by lifting weights, I didn't go near it. Your primary concern is height, at 5'7" you're not competitive. Eat well and hit the pre season hard at 17

Here was me thinking it was mainly decided by genetics..

Inspector Coptoor

This has turned into a steaming pile of ****e.

As an IRFU Certified Conditiong Coach i can tell you to just follow the advice I gave earlier & disregard the bro-science.

The Long Term Athlete Development Pathway isn't perfect but it's very very good.

There are non-weight exercises (not that I have anything against weights) that can also be beneficial to you.

Plyometrics (jumping over things)
Sprint training (get a friend to jog behind you pulling you back by your rugby jersey trying to slow you down. Try it from a 'sprinters block' position and a 'scrum' position too)
Calisthenics - Hanging exercises / pull ups / knee ups etc

If you are going to lift weights, or even practise weightlifting, don't do it wrong. Getting a PT for 2/3 sessions to ensure that you understand where the weight should be driven from, your correct back position and perfect form will save you thousands of euro and hours and hours of trying to 'fix' what you have done later in life. Even learning the technique and form for the Olmypic lifts, while only lifting a broomstick will be beneficial to you now (consider how you 'tense' as you are tackled or are about to make a tackle).