Hey {{First_Name|mate}},

When people hear “prepare better,” they usually think I mean something fancy.

I don’t.

Good preparation is usually boring.

But it works.

For a rugby player, it looks like this:

Train with intent
Not just going through the motions

Manage volume
Not smashing yourself for the sake of it

Keep strength work in
Not replacing everything with conditioning

Do speed work fresh
Not at the end when you’re already cooked

Eat enough
Not coffee, a meal deal, and a big dinner

Recover properly
Not pretending 5 hours sleep is fine

Have a plan for the week
Not making it up as you go

That’s it.

Nothing sexy.
Nothing clever.
Just the stuff that actually transfers.

This is where a lot of players get it wrong.

They chase fatigue and think that means progress.

But feeling tired isn’t the goal.

Performing better is.

Preparation is what lets you bring quality to training consistently.

And quality is what moves you forward.

Not random hard work.

That’s why the players who make the best progress usually aren’t doing mad stuff.

They’re just nailing the basics every week.

If you can sort your week out, you give yourself a much better chance of being stronger, faster, fresher, and more useful on a Saturday.

That’s the game.

Train like a player,
Craig Jones
Rugby Performance Coach