Hey {{First_Name|mate}},

Strength matters.

But if all you do this off-season is lift heavy and move slow, don’t be surprised when you still feel slow on the pitch.

Rugby isn’t just about force.

It’s about producing force quickly.

That’s where speed and power come in.

Most players leave this out.

They’ll spend weeks pushing their squat, bench and deadlift up…

But do no sprinting.
No jumps.
No throws.
No explosive work.
No acceleration work.

Then they wonder why they don’t feel any sharper when rugby starts again.

You need to train speed and power while you’re fresh.

Not at the end of a session when your legs are cooked.

Put it early.

Short sprints.
Jumps.
Bounds.
Med ball throws.
Explosive lifts if you can do them well.

Low reps.

High intent.

Plenty of rest.

This isn’t conditioning.

You’re not trying to feel ruined.

You’re trying to move fast.

That’s where a lot of players get it wrong.

They turn every running session into a fitness test.

But speed work should feel sharp.

If the quality drops, the session is done.

Off-season is the perfect time to rebuild this properly.

Start simple.

Accelerations over 10–20 metres.
Basic jumps.
Basic throws.
Full recovery between reps.

Then build from there.

You don’t need to overcomplicate it.

You just need to stop ignoring it.

Because if you want to be faster, more explosive, and harder to deal with on the pitch…

You need to train like it.

Not just lift like it.

Train like a player,
Craig Jones
Rugby Performance Coach

P.S. Next week I’ll cover the bit that holds a lot of players back — conditioning and nutrition.