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/
Read more...
Showing posts with label explosive strength. Show all posts
Showing posts with label explosive strength. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Bands, chains and broad biomechanical correspondence
[Summary: The addition of bands or chains to free weights permits adjustment of the resistance to the muscles' load-bearing capacity throughout an exercise movement. This broad biomechanical correspondence allows exercises to be performed explosively over their full range, effectively conditioning the body for actual sporting and athletic activities. The development of sophisticated mechanisms employing the same principle has important implications for sport-specific strength development.]
There are two main types of variable resistance exercise equipment:
Close biomechanical correspondence
Manufacturers of cam-driven machines claim to vary their resistance to closely match the torque curves of natural joint movements. In other words they assert a close biomechanical correspondence (CBC) between resistance and muscular capacity. However, given the variation between individuals in relative limb lengths, muscle attachment points, genetically endowed strength relativities between various muscles, etc., it is doubtful that such claims of accurate correspondence between load and load-bearing capacity are justifiable.
CBC machines are basically designed for single-joint movement of isolated muscle groups performed at a measured pace. Their very limited applicability to sports training is highlighted by Zatsiorsky's comment: "The important limitation of many strength machines is that they are designed to train muscles, not movement."
Broad biomechanical correspondence
The other type of variable resistance apparatus does not attempt to achieve any precise correspondence between resistance and muscular capacity.Rather the rationale for their use is that substantial benefits are achievable from load variance so long as the changing load-bearing capacity of the muscles involved is approximated. Bands and chains are examples of apparatus that rely only on such broad biomechanical correspondence (BBC).
In operation heavy rubber bands or steel chains are attached to either end of a loaded barbell and anchored to the floor or other fixed points. This enables a progressive increase in resistance for exercises such as squats and bench presses. A distinguishing feature of these exercises is that they are heavy load and involve multi-joint or whole limb movements.
The deceleration problem with free-weight exercises
Explosive strength is fundamental to many sporting or athletic activities but free weights are defective in building explosive strength. In the squat or bench press, for example, various studies have shown the bar decelerating for much of the final section of the range of motion. In the deceleration phase there is significantly decreased motor unit recruitment, velocity of movement and power production. In addition, when free weight movements are performed forcefully, antagonistic muscle action takes place to slow down and halt the limb to avoid soft tissue rupture or joint dislocation.
Conditioning the muscles for deceleration during the final stage of an exercise movement is counterproductive if the objective is to enhance ballistic-type sporting actions like throwing or jumping. This is also true where there is an inertia-dissipating or energy-absorbing mass to be moved, as in tackle engagements in football. Similar dynamics apply at the line of scrimmage in American football or in a rugby union scrum. In each of these cases the appropriate simulation is an acceleration through the whole range of limb movement.
Adding BBC characteristics to free weights enables exercises to be performed explosively or ballistically with the progressively increasing resistance providing a braking effect. Peak power occurs near the extreme points of angular motion.
A new generation of BBC machines
Recently MyoQuip have introduced a new system of lever and fulcrum technology that achieves the same basic effect as bands and chains but permits the development of sophisticated mechanisms with a high degree of specificity to particular sporting activities.
Because of their primitivity the use of bands and chains has largely been restricted to the power-lifting community. A major limitation of the equipment has been the difficulty in incrementally changing load. The fixed load component can be readily altered by adding or removing weight plates, but there is no way of making minor adjustments to the variable element provided by bands or chains.
With MyoQuip's machines, incremental load changes are effected simply by adding or removing weight plates, and the rate at which the load changes during a movement can be altered by choosing a different pin setting.
The MyoQuip technology also permits considerable flexibility in the orientation of effort. For example, the ScrumTruk machine is operated in the horizontal rather than the vertical plane, while the HipneeFlex, which is used to develop the leg flexor muscles, is configured for decreasing instead of increasing resistance.
The further development of machines delivering full-range muscle activation in either extension or flexion across multiple joints is likely to have important implications for strength training for sport.
bands
chains
biomechanical
multi-joint
explosive strength
Read more...
There are two main types of variable resistance exercise equipment:
Close biomechanical correspondence
Manufacturers of cam-driven machines claim to vary their resistance to closely match the torque curves of natural joint movements. In other words they assert a close biomechanical correspondence (CBC) between resistance and muscular capacity. However, given the variation between individuals in relative limb lengths, muscle attachment points, genetically endowed strength relativities between various muscles, etc., it is doubtful that such claims of accurate correspondence between load and load-bearing capacity are justifiable.
CBC machines are basically designed for single-joint movement of isolated muscle groups performed at a measured pace. Their very limited applicability to sports training is highlighted by Zatsiorsky's comment: "The important limitation of many strength machines is that they are designed to train muscles, not movement."
Broad biomechanical correspondence
The other type of variable resistance apparatus does not attempt to achieve any precise correspondence between resistance and muscular capacity.Rather the rationale for their use is that substantial benefits are achievable from load variance so long as the changing load-bearing capacity of the muscles involved is approximated. Bands and chains are examples of apparatus that rely only on such broad biomechanical correspondence (BBC).
In operation heavy rubber bands or steel chains are attached to either end of a loaded barbell and anchored to the floor or other fixed points. This enables a progressive increase in resistance for exercises such as squats and bench presses. A distinguishing feature of these exercises is that they are heavy load and involve multi-joint or whole limb movements.
The deceleration problem with free-weight exercises
Explosive strength is fundamental to many sporting or athletic activities but free weights are defective in building explosive strength. In the squat or bench press, for example, various studies have shown the bar decelerating for much of the final section of the range of motion. In the deceleration phase there is significantly decreased motor unit recruitment, velocity of movement and power production. In addition, when free weight movements are performed forcefully, antagonistic muscle action takes place to slow down and halt the limb to avoid soft tissue rupture or joint dislocation.
Conditioning the muscles for deceleration during the final stage of an exercise movement is counterproductive if the objective is to enhance ballistic-type sporting actions like throwing or jumping. This is also true where there is an inertia-dissipating or energy-absorbing mass to be moved, as in tackle engagements in football. Similar dynamics apply at the line of scrimmage in American football or in a rugby union scrum. In each of these cases the appropriate simulation is an acceleration through the whole range of limb movement.
Adding BBC characteristics to free weights enables exercises to be performed explosively or ballistically with the progressively increasing resistance providing a braking effect. Peak power occurs near the extreme points of angular motion.
A new generation of BBC machines
Recently MyoQuip have introduced a new system of lever and fulcrum technology that achieves the same basic effect as bands and chains but permits the development of sophisticated mechanisms with a high degree of specificity to particular sporting activities.
Because of their primitivity the use of bands and chains has largely been restricted to the power-lifting community. A major limitation of the equipment has been the difficulty in incrementally changing load. The fixed load component can be readily altered by adding or removing weight plates, but there is no way of making minor adjustments to the variable element provided by bands or chains.
With MyoQuip's machines, incremental load changes are effected simply by adding or removing weight plates, and the rate at which the load changes during a movement can be altered by choosing a different pin setting.
The MyoQuip technology also permits considerable flexibility in the orientation of effort. For example, the ScrumTruk machine is operated in the horizontal rather than the vertical plane, while the HipneeFlex, which is used to develop the leg flexor muscles, is configured for decreasing instead of increasing resistance.
The further development of machines delivering full-range muscle activation in either extension or flexion across multiple joints is likely to have important implications for strength training for sport.
bands
chains
biomechanical
multi-joint
explosive strength
Read more...
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The benefits of explosive strength training for rugby football
[Summary: Rugby football involves prolonged physical engagements between players where they are subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. An ability to very rapidly generate force is advantageous in these areas of physical engagement. In addition to basic strength training, players need to undertake activity-specific training for explosive strength.]
Rugby football involves prolonged physical engagements between players where they are subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. An ability to very rapidly generate force is advantageous in these areas of physical engagement. In addition to basic strength training, players need to undertake activity-specific training for explosive strength.
Unlike other forms of football, rugby can be usefully viewed as a succession of prolonged physical engagements, either between individual players or between groups of players. Each of these engagements demands the exercise of substantial physical strength. While basic strength training should form the foundation for such engagements, there should also be a focus on developing explosive strength appropriate to the particular activity.
During the extended periods when players are physically contesting with their opposing counterparts they are continually subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. And, because that added resistance is live, there is often the problem of overcoming not only inertia but also counter force triggered by an initiating movement
In modern rugby considerable attention is given to fitness and aerobic conditioning as well as basic weight training, but there is very limited focus on the development of activity-specific explosive strength. This is despite the fact that an ability to very rapidly generate force can yield a competitive advantage in each of the areas of physical engagement in rugby:
Scrum and maul In the scrum or maul situation it is very difficult to shunt the opposing pack backward unless there is synchronised explosive activity. If a pack begins to move forward slowly or if just one or a couple of players attempt to initiate a shove, they are unlikely to be able to overcome the inertia of the opposing pack's body mass. In addition, the attempted drive forward will almost certainly trigger an almost immediate counter-shove. On the other hand if a pack suddenly and explosively begins to drive forward as a synchronised, coordinated unit, they are likely to be able to generate momentum and place their opponents on the back foot.
The key elements are that each of the forwards possess basic strength and a capacity to rapidly generate force. However, it is essential that their movements be synchronized. If any of these elements of strength, explosiveness and synchronicity are lacking the attempt is likely to prove futile or even counterproductive.
Tackle In a tackle situation there is great advantage in forcing the opponent, whether ball-carrier or tackler, back from the line of engagement. In order to do this effectively, the action has to be both powerful and virtually instantaneous.
In addition, ball-carriers with explosive leg drive are often able to brush past attempted tackles, while tacklers with similar attributes can forcefully secure the ball-carrier and take him to ground.
Ruck At the breakdown of play following a tackle the ability to push back or "clean out" opposing players from the ruck offers opportunities to win the contest for the ball or at least put the opposing team in a disadvantageous situation. The only effective way to win the breakdown contest is to apply very considerable force in an explosive manner.
Lineout The outcome of the lineout contest is largely dependent on how high the jumper can ascend, but also on how rapidly he can reach that point. This requires not only a very good vertical leap by the jumper, but also the ability of his support players to forcefully elevate him. Both jumping and lifting require specific forms of explosive strength.
When forward packs are evenly matched in strength and technique, and defensive techniques are well-coordinated, a game of rugby can often become a war of attrition, with teams attempting to wear one another down over the course of the game. It is very difficult to maintain concentration and alertness throughout an 80-minute game, and a capacity for explosive action allows the exploitation of fatigue and inattention. It provides surprise and unpredictability, while limiting the possibility of appropriate reaction.
Strength training for rugby should always be grounded on a solid foundation of basic strength; but coaches who are seeking to gain a sustainable competitive edge would do well to incorporate a comprehensive program of activity-specific training for explosive strength.
rugby
rugby training
strength training
explosive strength
basic strength
Read more...
Rugby football involves prolonged physical engagements between players where they are subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. An ability to very rapidly generate force is advantageous in these areas of physical engagement. In addition to basic strength training, players need to undertake activity-specific training for explosive strength.
Unlike other forms of football, rugby can be usefully viewed as a succession of prolonged physical engagements, either between individual players or between groups of players. Each of these engagements demands the exercise of substantial physical strength. While basic strength training should form the foundation for such engagements, there should also be a focus on developing explosive strength appropriate to the particular activity.
During the extended periods when players are physically contesting with their opposing counterparts they are continually subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. And, because that added resistance is live, there is often the problem of overcoming not only inertia but also counter force triggered by an initiating movement
In modern rugby considerable attention is given to fitness and aerobic conditioning as well as basic weight training, but there is very limited focus on the development of activity-specific explosive strength. This is despite the fact that an ability to very rapidly generate force can yield a competitive advantage in each of the areas of physical engagement in rugby:
Scrum and maul In the scrum or maul situation it is very difficult to shunt the opposing pack backward unless there is synchronised explosive activity. If a pack begins to move forward slowly or if just one or a couple of players attempt to initiate a shove, they are unlikely to be able to overcome the inertia of the opposing pack's body mass. In addition, the attempted drive forward will almost certainly trigger an almost immediate counter-shove. On the other hand if a pack suddenly and explosively begins to drive forward as a synchronised, coordinated unit, they are likely to be able to generate momentum and place their opponents on the back foot.
The key elements are that each of the forwards possess basic strength and a capacity to rapidly generate force. However, it is essential that their movements be synchronized. If any of these elements of strength, explosiveness and synchronicity are lacking the attempt is likely to prove futile or even counterproductive.
Tackle In a tackle situation there is great advantage in forcing the opponent, whether ball-carrier or tackler, back from the line of engagement. In order to do this effectively, the action has to be both powerful and virtually instantaneous.
In addition, ball-carriers with explosive leg drive are often able to brush past attempted tackles, while tacklers with similar attributes can forcefully secure the ball-carrier and take him to ground.
Ruck At the breakdown of play following a tackle the ability to push back or "clean out" opposing players from the ruck offers opportunities to win the contest for the ball or at least put the opposing team in a disadvantageous situation. The only effective way to win the breakdown contest is to apply very considerable force in an explosive manner.
Lineout The outcome of the lineout contest is largely dependent on how high the jumper can ascend, but also on how rapidly he can reach that point. This requires not only a very good vertical leap by the jumper, but also the ability of his support players to forcefully elevate him. Both jumping and lifting require specific forms of explosive strength.
When forward packs are evenly matched in strength and technique, and defensive techniques are well-coordinated, a game of rugby can often become a war of attrition, with teams attempting to wear one another down over the course of the game. It is very difficult to maintain concentration and alertness throughout an 80-minute game, and a capacity for explosive action allows the exploitation of fatigue and inattention. It provides surprise and unpredictability, while limiting the possibility of appropriate reaction.
Strength training for rugby should always be grounded on a solid foundation of basic strength; but coaches who are seeking to gain a sustainable competitive edge would do well to incorporate a comprehensive program of activity-specific training for explosive strength.
rugby
rugby training
strength training
explosive strength
basic strength
Read more...
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Nick Tatalias on explosive strength training for rugby
[Summary: Nick Tatalias suggests that forwards who are exhausted after scrums and mauls may need greater strength and better anaerobic rather than aerobic conditioning. He argues that changes to the Laws of Rugby have increased the proportion of explosive actions in a game and consequently the need for explosive strength training.]
I have just come across a very interesting post by Nick Tatalias in the IRB Forums from March last year. This was a contribution to a long thread addressing the issue of why South African teams had been so unsuccessful in Super 12 competitions.
Nick Tatalias suggested that when conditioning coaches observe some of their forwards standing with hands on knees trying to catch their breath, they conclude that the players need more aerobic type conditioning; but he maintains that this "further exacerbates the problem. When in truth the issue is that greater levels of strength are needed, better anaerobic conditioning and lastly sprint endurance."
Tatalias's view is that the players are tired because they have to recruit a relatively high percentage of their muscular strength in each encounter. He contrasts a forward who can squat 120kg with another whose squat is 200kg. The first player may have to use all his strength to push the opposition while the other might be using only 60% of his strength.
He suggests that out-of-season there is a need for "multiple high intensity low volume work outs to improve muscular hypertrophy and strength gains," while in-season training should be "high intensity (90% of one rep max) low volume 45 minute heavy work-outs." He advocates the use of modified Olympic lifts for explosive workouts both in and out of season.
In another post to the Supertraining group today, Tatalias drew attention to the effect of changes in the laws of rugby over the past decade. He maintained that while the number of scrums in a game had decreased dramatically, lineouts had become increasingly important with an emphasis on "good vertical jump for the catcher and excellent explosive lifting strength for the lifters (props and flanks)."
He also asserts that "the number of very fast explosive actions such as cleaning out opponents around the ruck have increased as well the emphasis on much more explosive tackling (to prevent the runner crossing the gain line)"; which he compares to run blocking by fullbacks and linebacker type hit tackling in American football. Finally he suggests that rolling mauls now allow for more obstruction and thus can last for more than 60 seconds.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I find Nick Tatalias's arguments quite compelling and further evidence of a groundswell that is slowly but inexorably moving rugby toward an emphasis on serious strength development, particularly in the direction of explosiveness.
rugby
explosive strength
rugby strength
Read more...
I have just come across a very interesting post by Nick Tatalias in the IRB Forums from March last year. This was a contribution to a long thread addressing the issue of why South African teams had been so unsuccessful in Super 12 competitions.
Nick Tatalias suggested that when conditioning coaches observe some of their forwards standing with hands on knees trying to catch their breath, they conclude that the players need more aerobic type conditioning; but he maintains that this "further exacerbates the problem. When in truth the issue is that greater levels of strength are needed, better anaerobic conditioning and lastly sprint endurance."
Tatalias's view is that the players are tired because they have to recruit a relatively high percentage of their muscular strength in each encounter. He contrasts a forward who can squat 120kg with another whose squat is 200kg. The first player may have to use all his strength to push the opposition while the other might be using only 60% of his strength.
The player with strength reserve will be stronger at the end of the game and still have energy to exert on physically over powering the opposition as well as energy to marshal troops maintain discipline and minimise mental errors.
He suggests that out-of-season there is a need for "multiple high intensity low volume work outs to improve muscular hypertrophy and strength gains," while in-season training should be "high intensity (90% of one rep max) low volume 45 minute heavy work-outs." He advocates the use of modified Olympic lifts for explosive workouts both in and out of season.
And when I say explosive, I don't believe that moving light weights fast is explosive, it needs to be heavy weight explosively. ... Gym work-outs are there to make you strong and explosive, they are not there to duplicate how you feel after a rugby game.
In another post to the Supertraining group today, Tatalias drew attention to the effect of changes in the laws of rugby over the past decade. He maintained that while the number of scrums in a game had decreased dramatically, lineouts had become increasingly important with an emphasis on "good vertical jump for the catcher and excellent explosive lifting strength for the lifters (props and flanks)."
He also asserts that "the number of very fast explosive actions such as cleaning out opponents around the ruck have increased as well the emphasis on much more explosive tackling (to prevent the runner crossing the gain line)"; which he compares to run blocking by fullbacks and linebacker type hit tackling in American football. Finally he suggests that rolling mauls now allow for more obstruction and thus can last for more than 60 seconds.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I find Nick Tatalias's arguments quite compelling and further evidence of a groundswell that is slowly but inexorably moving rugby toward an emphasis on serious strength development, particularly in the direction of explosiveness.
rugby
explosive strength
rugby strength
Read more...
Monday, January 02, 2006
Rugby - the most strength-oriented code of football
[Summary: Rugby players are more involved in physical contact and for longer periods than players in other forms of football. With the exception of American football, they tend to be significantly heavier than other footballers.
Strength training in rugby has tended to focus on hypertrophy or maintaining strength levels rather than achieving full potential strength, but in the future there is likely to be a concentration on heavy, very mobile players who possess very high-range explosive strength.]
Rugby players spend considerably more playing time in physical contact and contest with opponents than players in other forms of football.
Much of this contact involves extended grappling and wrestling, but what is also characteristic of rugby is the amount of time spent attempting to drive forward under loads considerably heavier than bodyweight. Obviously this is so in the scrum and maul, but also at the tackle. Both ball-carrier and tackler may strive to drive one another backward for an extended time after engagement. American football and rugby league are also primarily collision sports, but their tackles tend to terminate much more quickly.
Recognition of the importance of physical strength has led to a tendency for rugby selectors to favour increasingly heavier players even for backline positions. A modern professional rugby team is likely to average over 100kg bodyweight, compared with less than 95kg and less than 90kg for rugby league and Australian football respectively. Increased bodyweight appears to confer no advantage in soccer.
No valid size comparison can be made with players in American football. Its use of specialist teams means that individual players are only on the field for limited periods and therefore really massive players can be employed for the more static areas of engagement.
For professional rugby, players are often chosen on the basis of their size and apparent strength but are then not really expected to work to become significantly stronger. Much strength training in rugby appears to have the aim of generating hypertrophy - increasing muscle size and thus body mass - or of maintaining strength levels rather than seriously exploring the potential for markedly increased power.
Soccer, Australian football and rugby league are continuous-flow type games, whereas rugby and, to a much greater extent, American football are characterised by frequent stoppages and thus require lower levels of aerobic fitness. But I see little evidence that rugby coaches have fully realised the potential this provides to gain a competitive edge by requiring their players, backs and forwards, to seriously train for strength.
I would suggest that, given the development of very well-drilled coordinated defensive lines, the next stage in the evolution of rugby is likely to involve a concentration on the identification of and development of heavy, very mobile players who possess very high-range explosive strength.
rugby
rugby strength
explosive strength
Read more...
Strength training in rugby has tended to focus on hypertrophy or maintaining strength levels rather than achieving full potential strength, but in the future there is likely to be a concentration on heavy, very mobile players who possess very high-range explosive strength.]
Rugby players spend considerably more playing time in physical contact and contest with opponents than players in other forms of football.
Much of this contact involves extended grappling and wrestling, but what is also characteristic of rugby is the amount of time spent attempting to drive forward under loads considerably heavier than bodyweight. Obviously this is so in the scrum and maul, but also at the tackle. Both ball-carrier and tackler may strive to drive one another backward for an extended time after engagement. American football and rugby league are also primarily collision sports, but their tackles tend to terminate much more quickly.
Recognition of the importance of physical strength has led to a tendency for rugby selectors to favour increasingly heavier players even for backline positions. A modern professional rugby team is likely to average over 100kg bodyweight, compared with less than 95kg and less than 90kg for rugby league and Australian football respectively. Increased bodyweight appears to confer no advantage in soccer.
No valid size comparison can be made with players in American football. Its use of specialist teams means that individual players are only on the field for limited periods and therefore really massive players can be employed for the more static areas of engagement.
For professional rugby, players are often chosen on the basis of their size and apparent strength but are then not really expected to work to become significantly stronger. Much strength training in rugby appears to have the aim of generating hypertrophy - increasing muscle size and thus body mass - or of maintaining strength levels rather than seriously exploring the potential for markedly increased power.
Soccer, Australian football and rugby league are continuous-flow type games, whereas rugby and, to a much greater extent, American football are characterised by frequent stoppages and thus require lower levels of aerobic fitness. But I see little evidence that rugby coaches have fully realised the potential this provides to gain a competitive edge by requiring their players, backs and forwards, to seriously train for strength.
I would suggest that, given the development of very well-drilled coordinated defensive lines, the next stage in the evolution of rugby is likely to involve a concentration on the identification of and development of heavy, very mobile players who possess very high-range explosive strength.
rugby
rugby strength
explosive strength
Read more...
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