Session planning BOXING FOR RUGBY CONDITIONING

www.rugbyandfitness.com les acerca una sesión de entrenamiento de Boxing for Rugby Conditioning de la Rugby Football Union.


Aim: To teach how to plan training sessions for mixed ability groups.
Learning outcome: Students will be able to: plan boxing conditioning sessions for mixed ability groups; make the work:rest ratios relevant to rugby; adapt plans to respond to real-life situations; add progressions appropriate to the capabilities of the athletes. 
Format: Practical.
Timing: 60 minutes.


A reasonable planning outline for most sessions would be as follows: 
• Warm up (10 mins)
• Skill emphasis (15 mins)
• Conditioning emphasis (30 mins)
• Cool down (5 mins)
• Flexibilty (10 mins)

General principles
• Keep it simple and explain what will be done, why and how it will help players with their rugby 
• 10 minutes maximum on any activity to avoid boredom
• Switch stance between orthodox and southpaw every few minutes
• When tiredness sets in, switch to conditioning away from skill
• Don’t try to integrate boxing with weights or rugby training where handling is involved.  
Wrap hands; run the boxing session; unwrap the hands. Don’t do anything that might persuade the players to avoid wrapping their hands


Skill work
• Footwork drills, punching and defending drills
• Low intensity pad work where the emphasis is on speed, agility and accuracy
• Low intensity punch bag work (as above)
• Fun sparring style activities (as above)
Conditioning work
• Intense pad work with longer rounds and greater number of punches
• Intense punch bag work (but beware of excessive heavy hitting)
• Combining punching with exercises that the athletes will find familiar or relevant such as “down-and-ups”, plyometrics, or body weight exercises 
• Mix up duration of rounds and rest periods to simulate rugby
Cool down and flexibility
Always finish with a thorough cool down and some flexibility work. More focus on arms and shoulders 
than is usual with rugby conditioning may be necessary.

Link: http://www.rfu.com/takingpart/coach/~/media/Files/2012/TakingPart/Coach/111003%20rh%20BoxingForRugby%20Course%20Notes%20web%20version%20final.ashx