Gloucester & Worcester Rugby Clubs choose MyoQuip strength equipment

Gen3 Kinematics are delighted to announce they have agreed deals with both Worcester Warriors and Gloucester Rugby to supply them with their unique MyoTruk and MyoThrusta strength training systems.
Gen3's Chief Executive, Alasdair Naisbitt says: "With nearly half of the Aviva Premiership now using MyoQuip technology, as well as the England national team, we are sure to see the benefits associated with our equipment increasing every season. Exeter have been leading that charge, having been the first to take it on when they were promoted 2 years ago. Their progress in that time has been nothing short of phenomenal."

Gen3 Kinematics is thrilled that they will be associated with two of the strongest teams in English rugby. Business development manager, Andy Naisbitt says: "We are delighted to achieve deals with both Gloucester and Worcester. It is great to have the recognition from these clubs to the benefits they have received through the use of our equipment."

The MyoTruk and MyoThrusta utilise unique state-of-the-art technology that eliminates biomechanical disadvantage in the lower limb triple extension movement, leading to safer and more effective strength training.

For further information please email: info@gen3kinematics.com (Europe) or info@myoquip.com.au (Australia)
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MyoThrusta used with elastic bands

The video below shows a MyoThrusta being used in single-legged mode at the Sydney Uni gymnasium. Note the use of additional elastic bands connecting the weight bar to the machine frame. These are designed to increase tension as the exerciser moves to full leg extension.

The MyoThrusta is being operated by Tom Shaw, a member of Sydney University Rugby Club's Colts squad. Players in the EDS (Elite Development Squad) program such as Tom maintain a heavy weight training program year round, making extensive use of the MyoQuip MyoThrusta and MyoTruk for the development of lower body strength and muscle mass.

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Groin injury rehab using the MyoThrusta – a case study from rugby

Groin injuries are a common and frustrating problem for rugby players, frequently involving extended periods out of the game followed by further time in getting back to full match fitness. The MyoQuip MyoThrusta offers the prospect of accelerated recovery of functionality and strength while the body is repairing. The MyoThrusta is a unique type of leg press which combines a supine body position with accommodating resistance giving the exerciser effective loading and muscle fibre recruitment through the whole range of movement. Intensive use of this apparatus enabled Sam Jeffries to get back on the playing field in time to be selected in the Australian Under 20 Squad which is about to travel to South Africa for the World Championships

Sam Jeffries moved from Brisbane prior to the 2011 season to join the Sydney University Rugby Club. During that season he missed the majority of matches due to groin pain and then had to have shoulder surgery last October. This combination of injured areas would have made it extremely difficult to do off-season strength training using conventional exercises. Staff from Sydney University’s Physical Preparation Department and Sports Clinic combined to develop an integrated rehab strategy focussed on the MyoThrusta, Physiotherapist Elias Boukarim explained:

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MyoQuip-using Exeter Chiefs consolidate their Aviva Rugby Premiership position

The Exeter Chiefs have just completed a very successful second season in the Aviva Rugby Premiership, building on their 8th position in 2010-2011 to finish 5th and earn a place in the Heineken Cup competition next season.


When the Chiefs were promoted into the Aviva Premiership in season 2010-2011 they were widely tipped to be a one season wonder.They faced a difficult transition to the premier league with no time to buy in players to strengthen their squad and the need to adapt quickly to the greater physicality and speed of play in the top competition.

Fortunately in June 2010 Paddy Anson, Head of Strength and Conditioning with the Chiefs, visited the UK Strength and Conditioning Association Conference where Gen3 Kinematics were exhibiting the MyoQuip range of strength equipment which they had just began manufacturing. Anson was impressed by what he saw and ordered both the MyoTruk and MyoThrusta. The Exeter players took to their new grunt toys with such enthusiasm that Gen3 were compelled to make a couple of modifications to the machines to ensure that they would stand up to the pounding they were receiving from the men from the West Country. During that first season Paddy Anson said:

"We are really pleased with the performance gains that the players have achieved through using Gen3's MyoQuip equipment. Our testing scores have been consistently good by all of the players and the guys are now fitter and stronger than ever. We use their equipment heavily in our programmes and It has definitely helped us improve our performances as we continue to progress in the Premiership. I would recommend Gen3's MyoQuip equipment to anyone."

Reviewing that season Paddy acknowledged that the MyoQuip machines played a pivotal role in dramatically improving the strength and conditioning of the squad. Significantly they resulted in greater leg strength and driving power for both forwards and backs without any reduction in speed - crucial in top class rugby where backs can play like forwards and to cross the gain line you have to be more powerful and stronger. They also reduced the risk of injury in training. One clearly observable benefit was the fact that Exeter were equal top in the competition in terms of points scored in the last 20 minutes of matches.

The Chiefs have pursued a deliberate strategy of building strong links with local colleges and with Exeter University. The University's Director of Rugby, Keith Fleming, feels the success of the Exeter Chiefs has given a big boost to Exeter University Rugby. It used to run 3 rugby sides and now runs 9 and rugby has become the biggest club in the Athletic Union overtaking football.

Keith says, "The University can provide the Chiefs with a ready made pool of talent." To strengthen this pathway the Exeter University Sports Association has bought the same MyoQuip equipment as used by the Chiefs for its High Performance Gym, which has recently been expanded.

"By mirroring the equipment used by the Chiefs - especially the strength and conditioning equipment - we can do the same type of exercises and achieve the speed, strength and power results to meet the Chief's standards which should also reflect in our BUSA performances. It's a win, win association", says Keith.

At the recent Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards the Exeter Chiefs received two awards. Head Coach Rob Baxter was named QBE Director of Rugby for the season while winger Gonzalo Carnacho was declared Gatorade Game Changer of the season, an award based on official statistics for all players such as metres gained, number of carries, turnovers won, and tackles made.

One of the Chiefs' signings for next season is the 33-Test Wallaby Dean Mumm. Dean should have no difficulty working out with the MyoTruk and Myothrusta as he has been a member of the very successful Sydney University Football Club for the past 10 years. The Sydney University gymnasium is where the MyoQuip machines were first developed and tested.
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MyoQuip-using clubs to contest Heineken and Amlin Cup Finals

European rugby clubs which have installed MyoQuip machines, the MyoTruk and MyoThrusta, have had stunning success in reaching the Finals of prestigious Cup competitions this season.

The Heineken Cup Final will be an all Irish affair between Ulster and Leinster. Two other Clubs which are MyoQuip users, Exeter and Toulon, have qualified for next year's Heineken Cup.

French Clubs, Toulon and Biarritz, will meet in the Final of the Amlin European Challenge Cup. Exeter were quarter finalists in this competition meaning that 3 of the top 8 teams use MyoQuip machines as the basis of their lower body strength training.

All of these clubs were supplied by MyoQuip's European manufacturer/distributors, Gen3 Kinematics. The sales to Toulon and Biarritz were made by Paul Dearlove who distributes MyoQuip machines throughout France.
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British cyclists pursue Olympic Gold with the MyoThrusta

In early March Gen3 Kinematics announced that British Cycling would be using the MyoQuip MyoThrusta lying leg press in preparation for the London Olympics.

Track cycling is expected to be one of the sports in which Britain excels at the Games, continuing a fierce rivalry with Australia. At the World Track Cycling Championships held in Melbourne last month Britain and Australia each won 6 gold medals. All other countries competing shared the remaining 7 gold medals. Between them Britain and Australia secured 28 out of the 57 gold, silver and bronze medals awarded, or 49%, with the host nation inching out Britain because of winning 2 more silver medals. On home soil for the Olympics Britain will be hoping to secure the upper hand.

In track cycling times are recorded to the thousandth of a second and winning margins can be extremely small. Not surprisingly national teams continually search for apparatus, equipment and techniques capable of giving them the slightest edge in performance.

The MyoThrusta is the world's most advanced form of leg press with particular application for rehabilitation. It is ideal for use by elite level cyclists whose training involves extreme intensity work undertaken in an unnaturally cramped skeletal position. The MyoThrusta is the only strength builder for the leg extensors providing an appropriate level of muscle activation throughout the exercise movement from extreme flexion to full extension.

Its unique technology ensures high-range muscle fibre recruitment over the full range of limb movement without imposing any adverse loading on the spine, hips or knees, all of which are of course of vital concern to cyclists.




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MyoQuip medals at Henley

The 2011 Henley Royal Regatta concluded with outstanding performances by rowers who had extensively used MyoQuip machines in their training.

Nick Hudson of the Sydney University Boat Club reached the final of the prestigious Diamond Challenge Sculls, while London Rowing Club had two crews competing on the final day. Their top coxless four won the Wyfold Challenge Cup while their top coxed four were runners-up in the Britannia Challenge Cup. The picture at left shows the Wyfold winning crew exhibiting typical English constraint after crossing the finish line.

The link between all of these rowers is Phil Bourguignon, senior coach at London Rowing Club and previously Director of Rowing at the University of Sydney. Bourguignon has pioneered the use of MyoQuip apparatus in strength training for rowers.

Both the London Rowing Club and the Sydney University Boat Club have the MyoTruk and MyoThrusta machines in their gyms, and Phil Bourguignon is an enthusiastic proponent of their use:

"With rowing heavily involving the legs and core muscles, squatting alone provide many problematic issues such as an athlete not being able to support heavy weights through their core muscles. MyoQuip systems can do the extra weights without worrying about the core muscles, which provides more strength gain without the worries of injuries to the back.
 
"When athletes get too strong for their skeletal frame and core stability in squatting, they can use the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk to increase strength safely where they can add far more weight than they are able to squat without the risk of injuring their back.

"After a long session on the water, backs are fatigued. Therefore, squatting after rowing is very dangerous. With the use of the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk systems, athletes can still do their heavy weights after a long and hard session on the water.

"From my use with the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk systems, I employ them heavily in my training programmes with athletes rowing at elite levels. I have not had one back injury to my athletes in 2 years of heavy training."

The picture at right shows the spectacularly colour-coordinated Phil Bourguignon with Ed Noel, part of the Sydney University contingent at Henley. Phil has teamed a London Rowing Club blazer and cap with a Sydney University Boat Club tie.
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Aussie coach introduces MyoQuip systems to British rowing

London Rowing Club coach Phil Bourguignon

London Rowing Club coach Phil Bourguignon has persuaded the club to instal the equipment that helped make his previous club, Sydney University, the leading rowing club in Australia. London RC recently became the first European rowing club to use the revolutionary MyoTruk and MyoThrusta machines as the basis of their strength conditioning.

After four very successful years as Director of Rowing at Sydney University Boat Club, Phil Bourguignon was looking for a new challenge. He found it in the Thames-side London Rowing Club, thus moving between two of the world’s oldest rowing clubs. SUBC had been founded way back in 1860 but LRC is even more venerable dating from 1856.

It is typical of Bourguignon that he took no time off between finishing up in Sydney in December last year and moving into the boat house at Putney. Back in Australia, juggling club and national team commitments, he had coached year round refusing to take vacations. In 2006 he was quoted as saying: “They say I’ve got four weeks off, but no … Athletes, their bodies don’t know what time off is. They’ve got to be trained every day. Athletes don’t know when holidays are.”

His work schedule was unrelenting, involving 15-hour days during the week, waking at 4:30 am and getting home at 8 pm. And he had no reprieve at weekends. His only free time was on Sunday afternoons when he often accompanied his mates out for a quiet beer but he was so exhausted that he often fell asleep after the second beer.

“Fortunately, I love waking up every morning,” Bourguignon said. “I love it because I’ve got such a great diversity of athletes, that I’m seeing something new every day. I see a change in somebody that wasn’t there yesterday and I say, ‘Yes! Thank God, that’s it, stay with that.’

“And you really look forward to waking up to see that.”

A feature of the Bourguignon approach was to strive to stay upbeat and full of energy in front of his athletes so they would act likewise.

Phil Bourguignon monitoring MyoTruk technique at Sydney University

“If I’m enthusiastic, they’ll be enthusiastic,” he said. “If I’m tired and morbid, there’s no way they’ll working hard. I can change the way they act in the boat shed by the way I act.”

He was renowned for never going out, preferring to stay home and watch video of his athletes so he could prepare them as best he could for their next challenge. When the athletes worked out in the gym during the afternoon, Bourguignon stood by their side, offering advice on how they could improve.

“I enjoy working with people’s psychology; I enjoy working to understand how people interpret things, how to make them tick and make them go better, just in their mind,” Bourguignon said. “I like working with a variety of people.”

He learnt how to focus on detail during a year he spent at the Australian Institute of Sport as a scholarship coach before coming to the SUBC. At the AIS Bourguignon learned how to coach precisely, how to coach every stroke. As he put it, he learned about “finding the inch that’s gonna win the race.”

For an unashamed workaholic, London Rowing Club offers the ideal environment. Bourguignon’s apartment is right above the boathouse.

At Sydney University Bourguignon coached rowers to win World Championships and Olympic medals. At London his focus is much more on medalling at Henley. Instead of coaching university students, his new charges typically work long hours in the professions or in the City. Consequently their training has to be much more concentrated. This is where Bourguignon sees the two MyoQuip machines as invaluable, enabling heavy strength work to be done very intensively and safely:

"After a long session on the water, backs are fatigued. Therefore, squatting after rowing is very dangerous. With the use of the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk systems, athletes can still do their heavy weights after a long and hard session on the water." He noted that in Sydney he had “employed the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk heavily in my training programs with athletes rowing at elite levels. I have not had one back injury to my athletes in 2 years of heavy training"

Back injuries tend to be endemic among elite rowers but there is the need to constantly strive for increased strength. Phil Bourguignon believes that he has found a means to avoid one while achieving the other:

"With rowing heavily involving the legs and core muscles, squatting alone provides many problematic issues such as an athlete not being able to support heavy weights through their core muscles. MyoQuip systems can do the extra weights without worrying about the core muscles, which provides more strength gain without the worries of injuries to the back.

"When athletes get too strong for their skeletal frame and core stability in squatting, they can use the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk to increase strength safely where they can add far more weight than they are able to squat without the risk of injuring their back."

His name indicates Gallic ancestry but Phil Bourguignon’s broad Aussie accent gives the lie to that. It will be interesting to see what impact the boy from Brisbane has on Thames-side rowing.

(MyoQuip systems are now manufactured in England and distributed throughout Europe by Gen3 Kinematics who supplied the MyoThrusta and MyoTruk to London Rowing Club)

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First Made-in-England MyoThrusta ready for shipment

Gen3 Kinematics, European distributors of the MyoQuip range of strength increasing equipment, have commenced the roll-out of machines manufactured at their facility in Farnborough, Hampshire.

The photo at left shows the first English-built MyoThrusta ready for packaging and delivery. Within the next few weeks more MyoThrusta and MyoTruk machines will be delivered to rugby and rowing clubs in England.

Mr Graham Naisbitt (shown at centre below), managing director of the three-generation parent company Gen3 Systems Ltd says that this new venture is a continuation of his company's commitment to British manufacture:

"Over the years too many proud British manufacturing companies have been forced to close or become mere importers of products made in low wage countries.

"As a family we are determined not to go down that road. We are totally committed to local manufacture, believing that with truly innovative products quality control and responsive and professional service back up are paramount."


Graham's sons, Alasdair and Andrew (shown left and right in the photo) are respectively CEO and Business Development Manager of Gen3 Kinematics. Alasdair says:

"Initially our main focus will be on marketing to clubs and schools in England, but before long we intend to have MyoQuip systems being used throughout Europe.

"We will be continually introducing new equipment to the MyoQuip range. Going forward we want Gen3 Kinematics and MyoQuip to be the brands that come to mind whenever anyone thinks about new ideas in physical conditioning."
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Is Jerry Yanuyanutawa the most powerful prop in world rugby?

This video shows Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Fijian-born Sydney University front rower, box-squatting 260kg for 6 reps at the University gym in September 2008.

Prior to 2007, Jerry had been a back rower, but changed to the front row under the tutelage of Trevor Woodman, England World Cup winning front rower and Sydney University scrum coach. For most of that season Jerry played Third Grade but was elevated to the Firsts by Woodman for the Sydney Premiership Grand Final won by University 34-11.

In 2008 he was the only non- Super 14 contracted player to make the Australia A squad for the Pacific Nations Cup. Also, during the Club Premiership season he scored 12 tries including one in the Grand Final again won by University 45-20. A highlight of that game was the dominance of the University front row comprising Yanuyanutawa, Nathan Charles and Laurie Weeks.

The video was shot during the week after that Grand Final, clear evidence that max strength work can be continued throughout the playing season.

So where does Jerry Yanuyanutawa rate among the strong men of rugby?

When the most powerful props in the world are discussed two names that invariably crop up are England’s Andrew Sheridan and New Zealand’s Carl Hayman. Both are credited with a 275kg squat, presumably for one rep. More recently Ben and Owen Franks, Crusaders and All Blacks props, have been mentioned as contenders for the title of world’s strongest rugby player. The All Blacks web site quotes scrum guru Mike Cron saying, “I was told yesterday they were doing about a 240kg squat.” But all of this is anecdotal with no actual evidence.

However, on July 8, 2007, a video titled “NZAllblacks in the Weight-room” was posted on YouTube. The description read: “Pushing Tin: Join the All Blacks in a gym workout and watch big Carl Hayman squat a personal best 220kg.” Hayman is shown box-squatting 220kg for three reps spotted by strength coach Ashley Jones.

According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Coefficients used to determine 1RM, a squat set involving 3 reps at 220 equates to a single rep of 249kg.

By the same measure Jerry Yanuyanutawa’s 6 reps with 260 equates to a single rep of 323kg! This means that Yanayanatawa's squat set would rate 30% heavier than Hayman's effort, although of course relative box heights need to be taken into account.

Tim Leahy, Jerry's strength coach at Sydney University, had long recognised that his player had freakish physical capacities. "It was just a matter of getting him to apply himself and stay focussed."

Fortunately throughout 2008 he responded to the challenge with Tim Leahy spending many hours one-on-one with his young charge; "The key to getting the best out of Jerry was to constantly vary his training tasks and to continually challenge him.”

“Jerry is a very gifted guy athletically with great genetics and an abundance of fast twitch fibre. Along with the then SUFC forwards coach and former English World Cup winning front rower Trevor Woodman the major focus we had for Jerry was to build a base of strength and power that would be a benchmark for front rowers worldwide.”

Significantly Yanuyanutawa’s max strength program involved quite limited actual squatting, with greater focus being placed on the Romanian deadlift and MyoTruk and MyoThrusta apparatus.

Making full use of his Melanesian genetic endowment Jerry Yanuyanutawa was able to record some outstanding speed and power numbers to match up with his prodigious efforts under the squat bar. As Tim Leahy notes, “During the actual playing season he was able to post best times of 1.71s and 5.38s for the 10 and 40 metres, as well as a vertical jump of 76cm. With a peak power output of nearly 9000 Watts, there is a lot of power that can be used at scrum time and during the collision.”

Jerry became something of a cult figure in Sydney club rugby with his barnstorming runs producing most of his 12 tries in 2008. As he says, “I like to get the ball in my hands and run. If there’s an opportunity to score a 20-metre try then I’ll back myself. Fijians are known for throwing the ball around a bit and I like that too. But I’m also learning the technical side with scrummaging and lifting [in lineouts] and learning to play within that team structure, but when I get out there I like to unleash and show what I’ve got.

“I do thrive in loose play and love to get my hands on the ball and run with it.” However, front rowers are never permitted to get too far away from their basic craft. “Trevor Woodman said to me none of that counts if you can’t scrummage or lift.”

Jerry’s first two seasons with the CA Brumbies were disrupted by injuries, but he is focussed on cementing a run-on spot for next year’s Super 15 season.

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Jerry Yanuyanutawa, rugby front rower, box-squatting 260kg for 6 reps

This video shows Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Sydney University front rower, box-squatting 260kg for 6 reps at the University gym in September 2008.

Prior to 2007, Jerry had been a back rower, but changed to the front row under the tutelage of Trevor Woodman, the University's scrum coach. For most of that season he played Third Grade but was elevated to the Firsts by Woodman for the Sydney Premiership Grand Final won by University 34-11.

In 2008 Yanuyanutawa scored 12 First Grade tries including one in the Grand Final again won by University 45-20. A highlight of that game was the dominance of the Uni scrum.

This video was shot in the week after that Grand Final. Right throughout the season Jerry's strength coach, Tim Leahy, had kept Jerry on a max strength program, although the amount of squatting was limited. Instead the lower body strength work was focussed on the MyoQuip MyoTruk and MyoThrusta apparatus together with the deadlift.
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MyoQuip manufacturing hub shifts to Britain

Innovative Australian strength equipment company, MyoQuip Pty Ltd, is shifting its main centre of operations to the UK following the appointment of Farnborough-based Gen3 Kinematics as its exclusive manufacturing licensee for the European Union.

MyoQuip was initially established to exploit the invention of a fundamentally unique method of developing pushing power of rugby forwards. Its first product, the ScrumTruk, was adopted by the Wallabies, each of the Australian Super 14 franchises, other rugby clubs, universities and private schools and colleges.

The ScrumTruk employed MyoQuip’s Broad Biomechanical Correspondence (BBC) technology which operates as a compensation mechanism for biomechanical disadvantage. For example, in the bottom range of the barbell squat, the hip and knee joint muscles operate at a considerable biomechanical disadvantage but then move into progressively more advantageous orientation as the exerciser rises. By contrast the BBC technology provides effective loading and high-range muscle fibre recruitment throughout the whole range of the exercise movement.

Taking advantage of its links to Sydney University’s 300 sporting scholarship holders, MyoQuip has refined and expanded its range of equipment now employed for many different sports, making it ideal for users such as the New South Wales Institute of Sport. At Sydney University machines such as the MyoTruk and MyoThrusta are routinely used for strength enhancement and injury rehabilitation by world champions and Olympic medallists in rowing and women’s basketball.

Gen3 Kinematics is a newly formed division of Gen3 Systems Limited, a financially independent, family owned and operated business for over 40 years, now in its 3rd generation - hence Gen3.

Its origins, foundations and future activities are firmly based in engineering. Initially in heavy engineering; 2nd Generation interests developed in the electronics industry resulting in a globally successful operation as both original equipment manufacturers and as specialist distributors.

Now in 2010 the 3rd Generation is offering diversification into specialist health care systems that focus on Kinematic Engineering, specifically “Engineering Solutions for Healthy Living”.

MyoQuip Managing Director Bruce Ross said: “In many ways Australia offers an ideal environment for a company operating in a field such as ours. You have a population with an intense interest in competitive sport, and there is a general willingness to ‘have a go’ and try something new.
Unfortunately there are also disadvantages such as geographical remoteness and limited population.

It is a fundamental principle of business that you go where the market is. For some time we have searched for a suitable European business partner and were extremely fortunate to have been approached by Gen3 Kinematics whose business philosophy meshes so well with ours. The fact that MyoQuip and Gen3 are both family owned companies probably contributes to this.

Their considerable expertise in engineering and electronics will be of great benefit to our partnership.”

Gen3 Kinematics Managing Director Graham Naisbitt said: “We are honoured and delighted to be associated with the hugely successful MyoQuip business and relish the opportunity to develop the market here in Europe. With MyoQuip systems already in use with Northampton Saints, we look forward to exploring opportunities with schools, colleges and universities as well as the rugby clubs in both Union and League but also with many other sports and rehab facilities in rowing, football, in fact with any sport where high level conditioning is important.

This new partnership benefits from having the already well established Gen3 Systems organisation behind it that will permit faster business growth especially with the Olympics so nearly upon us.”

Contact:

Bruce Ross
MyoQuip Pty Ltd
Box 105
Holme Building
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9566 4029
Mobile: +61 (0)4 0328 1988
Email: bross@pacific.net.au
Web: http://www.myoquip.com.au/

Graham Naisbitt
Gen3 Kinematics
B2 Armstrong Mall
Southwood Business Park
Farnborough
Hampshire GU14 0NR
UK

Phone: +44 (0)12 5252 1500
Email: sales@gen3kinematics.com
Web: http://www.gen3kinematics.com/
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Daniel Vickerman rates MyoQuip strength machines as "absolutely fantastic"

Dan Vickerman is recognised as one of the top lineout forwards in world rugby. Born in South Africa, he has the unusual distinction of having represented both South Africa and Australia at the Under-21 level. In 2002 he made his debut for the Wallabies against France, going on to make 55 Test appearances. He played Super Rugby with the ACT Brumbies from 2001 to 2003 and the NSW Waratahs from 2004 to 2008.

Having been forced to study online throughout his first degree, a Bachelor of Financial Planning through Open Universities Australia (RMIT), he responded to the opportunity to study at Cambridge by suspending his international rugby career to enjoy the luxury of full time study. He is now reading for a degree in Land Economy at Cambridge's Hughes Hall.

At 204cm, Dan's limb geometry is unsuited for exercises such as the squat. Not surprisingly he acknowledges that "I have suffered from back injuries in the past due to the nature of some exercises in the gym." In fact, a very high proportion of professional rugby forwards avoid squatting because of back problems.

Fortunately, for the past four seasons both in the Waratah's gym and at Camp Wallaby at Coff's Harbour, Vickerman has had access to the MyoQuip ScrumTruk which he describes as "an asset to me during my rugby career." Recently, when forced by injury to take a break from national representation after the Super 14 Final, he went back to his club, Sydney University, to undertake rehabilitation with strength and conditioning guru Martin Harland. At the Uni gym he made extensive use of both the ScrumTruk and the HipneeThrust lying leg press before setting off for Cambridge.

"For me the two machines, the ScrumTruk and the HipneeThrust, have been absolutely great," Vickerman says. "The use of these machines gives the ability to build strength without putting strain on one's lower back. As a forward the strength gained transfers well onto the field due to their practicality and specificity to what we do during the game."

(The Sydney University gymnasium has now replaced its ScrumTruk and HipneeThrust machines with the more advanced MyoTruk and MyoThrusta)



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World champion rower uses the MyoThrusta and MyoTruk for strength training

Dual world champion sculler Bronwen Watson has been making extensive use of the MyoThrusta and MyoTruk machines installed at Sydney University's athletes' gymnasium. Watson who won gold in the Lightweight Women's Quad Scull at the 2007 World Rowing Championships at Munich, Germany repeated the achievement at the 2008 Championships at Linz Ottensheim, Austria.



She had 'retired' from rowing after winning bronze at the 2003 World Championships, then took it up again socially in England in 2005 before coming back to Australia to take up a Head Coaching position as a Sydney girls' school, but "I found sitting in the speed boat a really frustrating way to be on the water so started doing a bit of paddling. Before I knew it I was spending more time in lycra and training 6 days a week!"

Now aged 31, she intends to continue rowing for a few more years:

Rowing is a sport where you are continually trying to find the perfect stroke and the perfect mental approach - which all takes time and a lot of determination. I guess that's part of the reason some of the great rowing athletes have endured for so many years - it's a sport of patience and perseverance. So, even though I have been around for a while and developed a good base, I still think I have a lot to improve on!

Rowing training is particularly gruelling, with long sessions on the water supplemented by hour-long ergometer rows, heavy gym training and bike rides that extend for hours. Lower lumbar injuries are an extremely common problem for elite rowers, making it difficult to continue doing the traditional lower limb multi-joint extensor exercises such as the squat and deadlift. Having access to equipment that creates maximum tension in glutes and quads without appreciable spinal loading is a huge benefit.

During the second half of 2008 Bronwen had commenced a new career, working as Executive Assistant to Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness Executive Director, Rob Smithies, but the move was short-lived when she was given the opportunity to take up a full-time scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.
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Fast-tracking the development of young rugby players in the four "esses" - size, strength, speed and skill

A two-year program of accelerating the physical and skill development of young players at Sydney University has returned big dividends.

Within days of losing the 2006 First Colts Grand Final due to being out-muscled at the breakdown, University coach Nick Ryan met with his team and together they made a pact to never again be pushed off the ball. The players allowed themselves a mere three weeks break before getting back into training for the 2007 season at a level of intensity not seen before in Sydney club rugby. The off-season training regimen consisted of 4 weights sessions and 3 field sessions per week, switching to 3 weights and 2 to 3 field sessions during the playing season plus regular individual video analysis and field sessions with the coach.

The central ingredient of the training has been the strength and conditioning components devised by Martin Harland and administered by him and his assistant, Tim Leahy. "I guess we have two training tenets" Harland explains, "that is to always train hard and to train hard in the right areas. Thus developing the culture of no short cuts and to attend to the things in a prioritized plan from what we lack the most or what will help us the most on the park." Harland's programs for rugby players place a high degree of emphasis on basic strength development, increased bodyweight and speed. At the same time, given the year-round training commitment, great care is taken to guard against player burnout.
"We are consistently monitoring signs of overtraining," says Leahy. "Our in-season training structure does differ from our pre-season regime. The two key factors that help us guard against overtraining and player burnout is to firstly ensure our players are educated and understand the importance of post-game recovery strategies. "Secondly a close working relationship with coaching staff to ensure on field and gym volumes are of an optimal load. All variables as well as player’s subjective observation of energy, fatigue levels and contra indicators to injury are taken into account when prescribing volumes."

With a strong strength and fitness foundation laid, Nick Ryan and his team coaches are free to focus on technical proficiency and team cohesion. "The aim of our training sessions," says Ryan, "is to up-skill and empower the players, so that when they take the field not only can they read the game and make the right decisions, but then execute and finish off the activity with the help of team mates who are on a similar skill level and wave length." The payoff in terms of enhanced performance from the integration of strength and rugby coaching has been dramatic.

In the 2007 season University First Colts lost just one game out of 25 in winning both Minor and Major Premierships. Seconds and Under-19 Colts also won both Minor and Major awards. The dramatic improvement in the physical development of players can be seen from the Table below. As compared with the 2006 First Colts team, the 2007 forward pack's average bodyweight increased 5kg to 104.3kg; the backs 5.8kg to 86.2kg; and the team as a whole 5.3kg to 95.8kg.

The second year of intensive training produced even more impressive results. In the 2008 season all three Colts grades won both Minor and Major Premierships, with First Colts remaining undefeated throughout their 24-game season. Despite the age limit for Colts having dropped from Under-21 to Under-20, players' bodyweights again increased by 0.2kg for the forwards; 2.8kg for the backs; and 1.5kg overall.

"physical domination ... has enabled us to build a very strong defensive wall and to implement a highly structured game plan which we can maintain for the full 80 minutes."

To put the 2008 figures in perspective the Table also shows the bodyweights of the best professional rugby players in Australia, the current Wallabies squad. They outweigh this club-level Under-20 team by just 6kg per man in the forwards and 4.4kg in the backs. And this team of university students is currently on an unbroken 34-game winning streak! It is almost time for the administrators of Australian rugby to recognise and to take seriously the great experiment that is going on in their own backyard.

Colts coach Nick Ryan has the extraordinary record of taking his team to the Grand Final in each of the 7 years he has coached; with his only loss the 4 point defeat in 2006. He says, " A very important outcome from the intensive training regime of the past 2 years has been our ability to achieve physical domination in matches. This has enabled us to build a very strong defensive wall and to implement a highly structured game plan which we can maintain for the full 80 minutes." As with the weight training, Ryan ensures that the field sessions are short and frequently varied, with the emphasis on having his team peak on Grand Final day in September. He certainly achieved this in 2008 with the winning scoreline 39-5.

In the regular season in 2008 Ryan's team averaged a 40-point winning margin and conceded only 8 points per game. Seconds and Thirds Colts also conceded just 8 and 5 points respectively per game.

A distinctive feature of the Sydney University rugby program has been its reliance on the MyoQuip range of strength building equipment. For the past four years the University gymnasium has been the primary development site for these machines. Not surprisingly MyoQuip's ScrumTruk and Hipnee Thrust* have been extensively used for lower body strength development. Martin Harland says, "These two lower limb extensor machines have been integral to training a wide cross-section of athletes in different sports at the University. In rugby they enable us to reduce the deleterious effects of heavy lower leg extensor exercises and on-field running loads. Traditional heavy squats & deadlifts are great for strength and size but are only moderately compatible with higher running loads for field or court sports. and incompatible with a sizeable subset of your player population for various reasons. To be able to de-load players spines while building hip & knee extensor strength through range of motion means more athletes able to train intensely in the gym and front up for intense speed & fitness work in the same week.” "

The combination of an intensive, well-structured and coordinated training regimen and the use of strength apparatus with high specificity for rugby can be seen to have produced accelerated physical development which has enabled players to perform at a consistently high standard.

*In recent months the University gymnasium has replaced its ScrumTruk and HipneeThrust machines with the more advanced and compact MyoTruk and MyoThrusta models.

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Champion Australian rugby club powered by MyoQuip strength equipment

Australia's premier rugby club, Sydney University, has completed another outstanding season in 2008. A significant factor in its success in recent years has been its use of the MyoQuip ScrumTruk and HipneeThrust to build the size and strength of its players.

Some of the Club's achievements:

• Has won the Sydney First Grade Premiership for the past four years
  
• Has defeated the Brisbane Club Premiers in both 2007 and 2008 to claim the title of Australian Club Champions
• Has won the last five Sydney Club Championships as well as the last four Colts Club Championships
• Has won Premierships in all three Colts Grades in both 2007 and 2008
• Was undefeated in 24 matches in First Grade Colts in 2008
  
  

In June 2006 I wrote an article titled "Building bigger and stronger rugby players - the Sydney University experiment" drawing attention to the increasing emphasis on size and strength in modern rugby:

"Modern defensive alignments and strategies have transformed rugby matches into contests of attrition where bigger and stronger teams tend to wear down their smaller and physically weaker opponents over the course of a game. Perhaps the most notable change has been the increased importance of physical dominance in the backline.

"Responding to this, Sydney University's rugby club has been able to demonstrate that with the right combination of coach and infrastructure, it is possible to fast track the physical development of players outside a professional playing environment. In fact within a couple of seasons these players are able to achieve a body mass comparable to that of seasoned professionals together with a solid foundation of basic strength."

Current-year data confirms that this is still the case. Based on the player data listed on their websites the average body weights of the current squads for the Wallabies, Waratahs and Brumbies are 103.0, 103.3 and 102.0kg respectively. The average body weight for Sydney University's starting fifteen in this month's First Grade Grand Final was 101.5kg. It is true that this team included three Wallabies in Phil Waugh, Al Campbell and Dean Mumm, but even with these players excluded the team's average body weight was still 100.1kg. It can be seen that the young, part-time, unpaid Sydney University players weigh only a couple of kilograms less than seasoned professionals.

For the past five years the University Club has been operating an Elite Development Squad (EDS) program for its top Grade and Colts players. Utilising one of the best equipped gymnasiums in Australian rugby, players train for eleven months of the year and undertake four weights sessions per week off-season and two to three while playing.

The program's strength and conditioning components have been devised by Martin Harland and administered by him and his assistant, Tim Leahy. Harland's programs for rugby players place a high degree of emphasis on basic strength development and rugby-specific fitness. A distinguishing feature of his approach is a concentration on heavy lower body work. In the past couple of years he has decreased the amount of squatting and deadlifting and and made more intensive use of the MyoQuip ScrumTruk and HipneeThrust, apparatus that targets the large mass leg extensor muscles, specifically the gluteal and quadriceps groups.

Exposing backline players to basic strength training

Another distinctive feature of Martin Harland's rugby training regimen is his requirement that backs undertake the same rigorous basic strength routines as forwards. Many strength and conditioning coaches reserve the heavy "grunt" work for forwards, or even restrict it to the tight five.

Exposing backs to very serious weight training has produced quite significant results at Sydney University, as evidenced by the following table comparing body weights of forwards and backs for the Wallabies, two of the four Australian Super 14 franchises and Sydney University:

Comparative Bodyweight of Forwards and Backs
Squad/Team (2008)	Av Weight (kg) - Forwards	Av Weight (k) - Backs	Difference (kg)
Wallabies - Squad	110.5	93.4	17.1
NSW Waratahs - Squad	110.9	93.2	17.7
ACT Brumbies - Squad	110.0	93.8	17.2
Sydney University – Grand Final Team	107.3	94.9	12.4

Not surprisingly, the University's young forwards are outweighed by each of the professional squads. However, in the backs the situation is reversed with the University players outweighing the national and provincial squads.If we look at the column showing the difference in bodyweight between backs and forwards it can be seen that for Sydney University it averages 12.4kg, against 17.1 to 17.7kg for the professional squads, a very substantial difference.

The Sydney University experiment seems to be providing clear evidence that the bodyweight of rugby backs can be dramatically increased through serious weight training, and the results achieved by the Club in competition suggest that there has been no adverse impact on their playing performance.

The main justification for building heavier backs with superior leg drive lies in the already mentioned importance of physical dominance in the backline. With the modern emphasis on structure and coordination in defensive alignments, bigger and stronger backs are better able to continually repel opposition attacks and also over the course of a game are likely to create physical and mental fatigue in their counterparts.

Martin Harland has also regularly used both the ScrumTruk and the HipneeThrust in conditioning the University's rowers and female basketballers. The Rowing Club is currently ranked No. 1 in Australia, while the Sydney University Flames have appeared in the two most recent Grand Finals of the Australian Women's National Basketball League. The MyoQuip apparatus would appear to have strong applicability to not only these sports but also to other football codes such as American football, Australian football and rugby league.

(In recent months the Sydney University Gymnasium has replaced its ScrumTruk and HipneeThrust machines with the more advanced and compact MyoTruk and MyoThrusta models.)

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MyoQuip releases the MyoThrusta leg extensor strength builder

MyoQuip has released the first of its Myo range of strength equipment. The Myo technology embodies direct-linkage force transmission through heavy-duty industrial bearings rather than the cables and pulleys used in our previous models.

The MyoThrusta replaces the HipneeThrust but takes up 40% less floor space and eliminates problems of cable slack and increasing friction with extended operation.

Unique features and performance characteristics of the MyoThrusta:

· Fully recumbent exercise position.

· Comfortable and natural body position throughout the full range of movement ensuring no adverse loading on spine, hips or knees.

· Exercise movement range from extreme flexion of hip and knee joints to full extension.

· Uses MyoQuip’s patented technology providing effective activation of hip and knee extensors over the full range of movement

· Synchronised joint angles distribute load evenly between hip and knee extensors.

· Pin adjustment of the rate of change of load providing multi-functionality of the apparatus.

· Intuitive operation - no requirement for instruction in correct technique.

· No danger of exerciser being trapped under excessive load.

· No stress on ankle joint - no imposed dorsiflexion of the ankle.

· Ideal for rehabilitation of hip or knee joints.




High functionality for developing and strengthening leg extensors

The leg extensors - primarily the gluteus maximus and quadriceps - constitute the body's largest and most powerful muscle group. They are also vitally important for a wide range of athletic and sporting activities.Traditional methods of developing and strengthening leg extensors include the barbell squat and the leg press and leg extension machines. However each of these has significant limitations. They do not adequately exercise the muscles from full flexion to full extension, and there are also issues associated with adverse loading and excessive shear forces on the lumbar region and knee joints.The MyoThrusta has been designed to overcome these problems.

As can be seen in the figure above the athlete operates from a supine position so that the action of the extensors can be effectively isolated. The recumbent position also means that the spine can comfortably cope with the compressive forces generated.The arc through which the foot plate of the machine moves is designed to closely parallel the path that the feet would normally traverse if moved from flexion to extension without resistance. It also creates a natural tendency for the two joint angles to vary synchronously so that they are effectively sharing the load throughout the exercise movement.

Exercises the total range of limb movement

It can be seen that at the start position both hip and knee joints can be tightly flexed. As the feet move forward the trunk and shanks remain virtually parallel until the legs are fully extended. Thus the potential range of movement is from included angles of around 30° to 180°. (In fact, by starting with the feet placed low on the footplate it is possible to hyper-extend the hips beyond 180°.) Throughout this extreme range of movement high range muscle fibre recruitment is achieved by means of our patented technology.

With an exercise like the squat or a machine such as the conventional leg press, exercisers attempting heavy loads tend to restrict themselves to modest degrees of hip and knee flexion. This is because as joint flexion increases, the exerciser's capacity to cope with resistance decreases. By contrast, with the MyoThrusta the effective load is automatically reduced when the joints are flexed and increased as they extend.

Multi-functionality

The rate at which the effective resistance changes is varied by selecting different pin positions on the adjustment bar.

With mid-range pin settings the effective load from the start of the movement to full lockout is intended to match the body's capacity to handle resistance, so that the exerciser has to expend basically the same degree of effort throughout the movement.

With low-range pin settings the increase in effective load from start to finish of the exercise movement is greatly increased. These notch settings are ideal for practising explosive or ballistic movements. When utilising heavy loads there is a "ballistic braking" effect toward the end of the movement, eliminating the need to decelerate.

High-range pin settings are ideal when the focus is on overcoming inertia, i.e., moving a heavy load from a position of rest. For example, if the objective is to improve performance in the barbell squat, the additional initial loading conditions the leg extensors to operate more effectively in the deep squat position.

Laying a foundation of basic strength

Until the introduction of the HipneeThrust athletes had no means of developing optimal muscle strength through the full range of a complex bi-articular movement. The MyoThrusta provides an even more effective way to adequately strengthen the major extensor muscles of the lower limbs before focussing on sport- and activity-specific tasks. This results in obvious and significant performance and injury-reducing benefits.

Contact MyoQuip for further information or for a quotation on the MyoThrusta.
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