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 />
[/quote]<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. -
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.
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[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 />
[/quote]<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. -
How are your general fitness levels now you have increased size and strength? Whenever I lift heavy for a period of time my aerobic base and flexibility suffer big time.
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gotta keep with the stretching RB. Agree about the aerobic thing, but that was usually because my muscles were so fagged it was damn near impossible to run or anything withnouth muscle fatigue hitting before any aerobic benefit could hit!!
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General Fitness is ok, but could be much much better, these past few weeks i have been so busy with work that i have only been to teh gym around once a week and rugby training once if i can. The games i have amde on the sat have been hard work when it gets a buit loose and i didn't feel great.<br />
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I will draw my conclusions in a few weeks when i get back into the swing of things.<br />
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What i have found is that my calves have been tightening up within 5 mins of jogging, i need to warm up just my calves for arouynd 20 mins to ensure that they don't cramp up. I put this down to the creatine, i read somewhere that athletes Iwan Thomas stopped taking it in powcder form when it gave him the same problems....<br />
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Fitness wise - it is less the additional weight and more the fact that i have near no time to any focussed running. If i have rugby training Tues and Thursday nights...and weights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday...with a game sat, i only have a free day on Sunday. I either cut down on the gym (which i am loath to do) or tag on some extra running after training..<br />
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Need another off season i reckon. -
My aerobic fitness has never been a strength <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> but the heavier I can lift, the longer it takes my lower body to warm up before any form of cardio or team training. Takes about 30 minutes before my body feels loose and ready to go. (by which time I feel exhausted from warming up so long!)
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Have played 2 games in our merit league (for Finchley 2's) this year, the first at 13, the second as 11. We lost both!!!!!<br />
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We have a top back line, with most of us in the mix in terms of selection for the 1st team but our pack tends to be slow to break downs and leaks possession in contact. We have a good line out but the cscrum is average we just find it difficult to hold on to possession.<br />
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Both games this year we have cut them to pieces in the backs but then been bullied in the pack, with bost games being lost by arond 6 points.<br />
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This weekend i played my old team - and managed to get on the scoreboard Ha! <br />
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Got the gym on Friday and Sunday so sandwhiched playing with gym work. But there aren't enough hours in the day nor days in the week at the moment. -
Oh and i have come off the Creatine for a bit.<br />
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I found i was getting really bad cramps in my calves and so will leave it be for a bit. I have read that you should use it in cycles anyway. SO i wil give it around 5 weeks before getting back on it, maybe in tablet form. -
Went on the gas for the first time this season the night before a game. It was my debut for the 1st team ina friendly and i almsot fainted while sretching my calves out. Felt like shit, had no energy and couldn't get in the game at all. Crap. Against a team of bums as well.<br />
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Awesome preperation. -
Did a chest session last night and first gain in a while since hitting a plateau a few weeks ago. Since i have come off the cretine it has certainly been a bit harder but last night i managed gains on bench, incline bench (on smith) and dumbell press.<br />
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Got the bench press up to 95kgs for 3 reps, so i am now pushing more than my body weight by 5kgs. Aim was to get to 100kg lift by Autumn, so i am just about on course i reckon.<br />
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Am fucked today though. -
you will be lucky to make any gains, or even stop yourself from slipping in the weights department once the season starts proper, sodon't get too disheartened when this starts to happen. Between injuries and lack of recovery, the weights just slip - it sucks...
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[quote name='BartMan']<br />
you will be lucky to make any gains, or even stop yourself from slipping in the weights department once the season starts proper, sodon't get too disheartened when this starts to happen. Between injuries and lack of recovery, the weights just slip - it sucks...<br />
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Yeah tell me about it, we are 5 games in now and my Sunday sessions are gone to pot, Legs sessions are almost non-existant as they are either a day before a training sesh or the day after a match.<br />
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Thinking of trying some protein shakes etc... to help. Anyone got any experience/opinions on these? -
protein shakes - <br />
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save<br />
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your<br />
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money<br />
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:coolsmiley:<br />
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all those sorts of things have been pretty sus in my experience - eat proper balanced diet and you should be sweet. -
[quote name='BartMan']<br />
protein shakes - <br />
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save<br />
<br />
your<br />
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money<br />
<br />
:coolsmiley:<br />
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all those sorts of things have been pretty sus in my experience - eat proper balanced diet and you should be sweet.<br />
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That is the type of advice that is easy to take Bart. -
62 nil win for us yesterday, got a brace and had my third disallowed by the ref for no reason at all other than the oppo told him i had knocked on ( i had kicked a ball ahead). Bull shiT! but it saved me buying a jug for the boys.<br />
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Back to the gym today to see if i can move anything. -
Been focusing on shoulders this week, mostly with shoulder press, dips, pull downs and shrugs as well as a couple of other things.<br />
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pushing around 60kgs on the press but i am getting a recurring niggle in my left shoulder, got it a few weeks back, during a chest session with the pain forming a line from the should over the bicep and then behind the elbow, ached like fuck that night.<br />
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Again, i am struggling to keep a proper regular routine going, what with recovery from games and work commitments, at the moment only managing 3 visits to the gym a week. -
Does Finchley have any friendlies planned against the might that is Haringey this year?<br />
The one before the England test last year was a cracker (we don't have sky at our clubrooms so we like to play these ones away). -
[quote name='teacup']<br />
Does Finchley have any friendlies planned against the might that is Haringey this year?<br />
The one before the England test last year was a cracker (we don't have sky at our clubrooms so we like to play these ones away).<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Not sure mate, if they are friendlies they are ususally ad hoc games. Will check the site in a bit. -
Fuller - what have your gains been? Mainly weight and any other measures if you have any?<br />
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I'm about to embark on something similar, and sounds like I'm a similar size so you can be my inspiration....<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> -
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
Need another off season i reckon.<br />
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I seem to remember that was all you did, have seasons off? :nta -
[quote name='team rebel']<br />
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
Need another off season i reckon.<br />
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I seem to remember that was all you did, have seasons off? :nta<br />
[/quote]<br />
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That's true, only because my blind side didn't do any donkey work and left it to the backs!!! -
[quote name='Bones']<br />
Fuller - what have your gains been? Mainly weight and any other measures if you have any?<br />
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I'm about to embark on something similar, and sounds like I'm a similar size so you can be my inspiration....<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /><br />
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I got back into the gym and regular weights about April this year.I didn't weight myself at that point on starting to go to the gym again but a few montsh before my stats were 6ft 1inch and weighed in at around 83/4 kg at most it was 85kgs.<br />
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Managed to reach 90kgs about September time and have since then pretty much stayed at this level, i am concerned only with maintaining it now as the rugby season has kicked off and training twice a week it is easy for it to fall off. Try to get to teh gym three times a week to work on weights through the season, but because of the fact that i am doing a lot of running in training twice a week and a game on Sat, leg sessions in the gym are hard to do (and this impacts on weight gain)<br />
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Since say end of July i have been using Creatine and found it a massive help. The extra energy means you can do say 4 sets of bench instead of three etc,,, and obviously this has a knock on effect when it comes to gains.<br />
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The only thing i wouild say is that due to a focus on weights during the summer i didn't put enough emphasis on fitness and suffered in fast paced games, only now is that starting to rectify itself. -
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
[quote name='team rebel']<br />
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
Need another off season i reckon.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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I seem to remember that was all you did, have seasons off? :nta<br />
[/quote]<br />
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That's true, only because my blind side didn't do any donkey work and left it to the backs!!!<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Hhhmm, if I remember correctly, we only played in one game together...and I was at the bottom of a ruck when you yourself knocked out.... -
[quote name='team rebel']<br />
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
[quote name='"team rebel":3iuiipy5']<br />
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
Need another off season i reckon.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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I seem to remember that was all you did, have seasons off? :nta<br />
[/quote]<br />
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That's true, only because my blind side didn't do any donkey work and left it to the backs!!!<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Hhhmm, if I remember correctly, we only played in one game together...and I was at the bottom of a ruck when you yourself knocked out....<br />
[/quote:3iuiipy5]<br />
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Maybe my memory is hazy because of the KO's!<br />
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My team played Fullerians this weekend. Won up in Watford 26 - 20. However i wasn't playing! i was in the two's.<br />
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Fullerians went down last year from London 3 and are yet to win this year. Going to be a hard couple of seasons for them i think, with a pack that is a mixture of old boys past their prime and younguns with potential. But no really good forwards yet.<br />
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You playing again?
