Fuller's Gym and Rugby Log
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I was out all last season with an ankle injury during which time my team managed to become champions of Middlesex One and got promoted to London 3. Decided to move in from 15 and go for the 12 position at the club so wanted to add some kgs to the frame.<br />
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Been gymming properly for about 2 months now, generally 3/4 times a week on weights with some team mates, two pre-season rugby sessions and own fitness/runs fitted in around that.<br />
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Have recently (last three weeeks ) started using Creatine and have seen immediate gains in terms of the output i can get from the ole muscles. I think after the first week of loading i could feel more energy in sprint training sessions and started to post PBs on bench, squats and some shoulder work.<br />
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Have managed to go from 85kg to just a smidgeon under 90kgs in that month and a half.<br />
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Aim is to hit around 92/93 kgs for the first games of teh season at the end of September. The trouble i have is that while i could concievably do this i also have to get the fitness levels up. Soooo i am avoiding any runs over 2 miles and trying to do these distances (on hilly north london terrain - Bishops Avenue for those who know it) in faster times.<br />
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Going good so far. -
You live on Bishop's Avenue? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />
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[quote name='Luigi']<br />
You live on Bishop's Avenue? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' /><br />
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[/quote]<br />
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Bottom end of Bishops Avenue comes out just below East Finchley tube station, i live less than a minute up the road from it and Bishops Avenue.<br />
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Rented accomodation mind. And there are 19 of us to a room. -
don't sacrifice fitness for fatness though - even bulked up muscle, in my experience anyway.<br />
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Went berserk one off season, rolled into the on season at 114kg, ready to kill. Was strong, and fit, BF was low, but I just couldn't get around the fie,ld as I did, was fit like a bodybuilder is fit sort of thing. Normal playing weight was 104-108, so those extra few kiols killed me. But I did the same as you - no long runs so I wouldn't lose mass, but paid for it. -
[quote name='BartMan']<br />
don't sacrifice fitness for fatness though - even bulked up muscle, in my experience anyway.<br />
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Went berserk one off season, rolled into the on season at 114kg, ready to kill. Was strong, and fit, BF was low, but I just couldn't get around the fie,ld as I did, was fit like a bodybuilder is fit sort of thing. Normal playing weight was 104-108, so those extra few kiols killed me. But I did the same as you - no long runs so I wouldn't lose mass, but paid for it.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Good points, we are three weeks into pre-season at the moment, and thus far i have managed to avoid any negative impact from the weight gain in terms of fitness.<br />
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At the beginning i was doing a short 1k hill run on machines in the gym after every session, so i managed to get a base fitness going to a degree but not so far that i was losing any benefits from teh weights ession in terms of weight. Now the longer runs twice a week i would say are around 2k, a steep hill all the way which should improve my fitness again.<br />
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While recognising that you need a base fitness, I am a big believer though in sport-action specific fitness. I am in the next few weeks going to start working the body in more of a circuit training manner, replicating the shuttles involved in games, the energy sapping getting off the floor and back into position as well as the fitness needed to make the supporting runs etc...<br />
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First pre-season game is next weekend against an Irish touring team, so i wil see how it goes and make any adjustments then.<br />
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Its a real pisser though having to find that balance between fitness and weight gain. The key i suspect is that it isn't a 3 month pre-season commitment but a year long commitment to weights and fitness work. -
Which Irish team?
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[quote name='ParcDesPrinces']<br />
Which Irish team?<br />
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Kanturk RFC from North Cork. -
yep ive just started using creatine and noticed improvements almost immediately... <br />
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heres a great article on workout nutrition<br />
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[url="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek37.htm"]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek37.htm[/url] -
3-4 weeks into pre season training and still over a month to go until the season proper kicks off last night we had a our first full on training session.<br />
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Last 20 mins were a full contact session. <br />
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Amazing how long it takes to get back into contact mode, even hitting rucks and taking the ball up 100% takes a while to get into. <br />
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Neck and shoulders are aching like a mo fo now. -
First match ourt of the way...we smashed Kanturk by 60 odd points to zero and they stopped the game after 60 mins.<br />
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Gave us all around 30 mins each and was a useful run out to blow the cobwebs away.<br />
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Three weeks to the next pre-season game and time to get some real fitness work in methinks. -
Am up to 14 stone 1pound now. The weight is till slowly slowly coming on.<br />
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Rugby training is Tuesday and Thursday. I can fit in weights on Monday, Wednesday and Sat/Sunday. <br />
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This is leaving scant time to fit in some aerobic work, but i fit in maybe one hill run in addition to the running in training during the week. It is working ok at the moment because i am still putting weight on slowly and in the first pre-season run out felt fine.<br />
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Still the mrs is starting to whinge that she never sees me so i may have to knock Wednesday's weights on the head. Women! -
Next game is around a week away now and the pre-season training is getting more agressive. Gone from coaching on moves, skills and how to move a defence around and we are on to getting our D back into the shape it was last year. It is a breath of fresh air to get a really good and organised defence as secxond nature in a team.<br />
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We are having a tournament on the Friday night, loodlit and involving around 6 teams (15 a side) then a 7's touch comp on the Saturday day. So it will be a hard week.<br />
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Have not been able to get to the gym as much as i was (4 times a week) partly due to never seeing the bird (who i live with) and also having gone on a stag weekend etc...nor have i been able to take the creatine as religiously. Still back on track last night with a shoulder sesh and have been back on teh creatine.<br />
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The rugby training has been my main source of fitness but i am also about to make a renewed effort to get some juice in the legs by getting back onto the 2k hill runs. Two a week, did one on Monday evening and will do another Sat morning.<br />
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It is a real struggle at the moment fitting in Rugby sessions/Weights sessions/Own fitness sessions as well as a social life and work. Thus far it has been the social life that has fallen off!<br />
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But considering that my playing weight last year was around 13.5 stone and is now 14 stone 1 pound i am not too bothered. -
Increased bench press last night by 5kgs, consolidated the previous weight over two and a half week period until i could push out a set of 8 on it and then a follow up set of 6. Last night switched up and managed 5 on the first set and then progressively less after. Happy with it though as i am now not far off pushing 100% of body weight, aim by the start of the season is to be pushing 110%.<br />
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Weight is staying around the 14 stone, 14 stone 1 pound level but i need to step up the cardio work, outside of rugby training (twice a week) i am doing relatively little running. Need to get more balance in the exercise shedule but am reluctant to step it up to such a degree that i lose any weight gains as the bastards have taken me months to gain.<br />
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This Wednesday i am off climbing, used to do a lot of it when i was in uni and used to find it a great benefit in rugby at that time due to the strength it gives you in your core, lats and forearms/hands. Hopefully it will shock the muscles a bit and allow me some gains in the gym. -
[quote name='NTA']<br />
Yeah keep changing it up Fuller or your muscles get used to the routine. Also make sure you do your military press, chinups and dips to get the core strength going as well as develop "real-world" strength from those exercises.<br />
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I am contemplating a switch for a week or so to body weight exercises, so chin ups, dips, stomach, push ups etc....just to break it up. In fact i shall do it while on a week long hol in Rhodes.<br />
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Lst night's pre-season training was without doubt the worst i have been involved with, too many people, too dark too early, no one listening - utter shite. -
Pre-season training got back on track last night with a good session, loads of skills and a final 15 minute full comntact game at the end.<br />
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There was one player there who looked uncommonly like one Mr Voyeurs. -
Building up to a 15 a side competition, under floodlights on Friday. Will be 4 teams involved, two from Dublin i believe and should be an enjoyable night.<br />
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Am off on hols for a week from Sat though so i want to fit in another big weights session on Thursday and then a smaller on on Sat morning. While i am away i will have to concentrate on bodyweight exercises etc....<br />
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Weight is still creeping on, and i am making some good gains/copnsildation on the weights, starting to feel the benefit when taking contact in rugby at the moment, where before i would hit the deck, now i can make some ground.<br />
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Thinking of getting on the protein shakes as well as teh creatine to see if i can shunt a bit more weight on, but i am a little fearful that it will disrupt the fine line oi have been treading between putting on weight and getting fit for the season.<br />
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Voyeurs has joined me at the club now and will be getting his first run out in anger on Friday evening. Excellent!!! -
I have been away on holiday for a week in Greece where apart from some push ups of a morning i did very little, the first weights session i did when i came back though i added 5kgs to my Bench press Which is now my own body weight.<br />
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However, due to work at the moment i am seriously struggling to get to the gym as much as i want to, and am having to settle for pushing some weights at home, which is much more limited. <br />
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Played a game last sat, at a low level due to being absent for a number of weeks, it was teh first full game i have played since upping my weight from a playing weight of around 13 and a quarter stone to 14 stone 1 pound and it made a massive difference in terms of taking contact and making yards or being able to stop bigger players than myself. This is good as it shows you what you have been working for the past few months.<br />
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Once i get the next week out of the way i will be able to do a lot more gym work again and will also be looking to start on some protein shakes to push up to around 14stone 4 pounds by the middle of the season hopefully.<br />
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Anyway, first training session (rugby) in 3 weeks was last night and have another game this sat. Looking forward to it.
