What Does A Rugby Player Arm Workout Routine Looks Like?

Are you looking for sleeve-bursting, awe-inspiring arms?  You’ve come to the right place. A thick pair of arms is key for rugby fans. Whether it’s looking good in your favourite team’s jersey during Rugby Sevens season, or building strength in the scrum for your weekly rugby game, a punishing arm workout is de riguer for any serious rugby enthusiast.

That’s exactly what we’ve got here. Best of all, we’ve put together an arm workout that does not require expensive weights or a gym membership. All you need is the willpower to see this through, and you’ll get those strong, toned arms you’ve been dreaming off in no time.

If you haven’t exercised for some time, remember to consult a doctor and get his sign-off before trying out this workout.

Let’s start

Let’s start with a warm up. Swing your arms like a windmill ten times clockwise and ten times counter-clockwise. This loosens your shoulders and gets blood flowing into your arms.

Shadowboxing

Put your favourite song on – make sure it’s one with sick beats, because your first exercise is going to be a killer boxing workout.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and your left foot a little forward (or your right foot, if you’re left-handed). With your fists up and guarding your face, you’re ready to start punching away like Mike Tyson. Here’s a tip – practice this in front of a mirror to make sure you’ve got the right stance!

Let’s go! Alternate between left and right punches for three minutes. Then take a one-minute break. That’s one round. Depending on your fitness levels, you can start with 4-5 rounds, or go all the way with a jaw-dropping 10-round session!

Make sure you mix it up by practicing different punches. Here are four key moves every shadow boxer needs to know.

• The jab: Using your non-dominant hand, launch your fist in a straight line as fast as you can before pulling your arm back to the starting position. This is a speed punch!
• The cross: Using your dominant hand, launch your fist towards your imaginary opponent’s chin!
• The hook: Using either hand, move your fist in a semi-circular arc towards your imaginary opponent’s temple, rotating your hips slightly as you do so to place your weight behind the punch.
• The uppercut: Crouch down slightly, then punch upwards, generating power from your knees!

Push ups

The push up is the backbone of any successful arm workout.

Get into starting position.

1. Lie down on your stomach with your palms flat on the floor, fingers pointing forwards.
2. If you want to get a complete workout of your shoulder, chest and arm muscles place your palms at shoulder-width. To really concentrate on your arm muscles, place your palms slightly narrower than shoulder-width.
3. Lift your knees off the floor so that your entire body weight is balanced on your palms and toes.

Time for your first push-up! Lower your body until your chest is nearly touching the floor, then explode back up into the starting position by straightening your arms. Remember to keep your back straight by tightening your core muscles, and you’ll get a great ab workout to boot.

Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions is a great place to start.

Triceps dips

Time to finish off the arm workout with the highest-intensity exercise on our list – dips.

Here’s how to do a dip.

1. Perch on the edge of a bench or chair, palms behind you, knuckles facing forward. Keep your legs straight and make sure your body weight is supported by your palms.
2. Slowly lower down your body in front of the chair until your upper arms are level with the floor and your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Hold the position for one second.
3. Straighten your arms, focusing on the burn in your triceps (that’s the muscle that runs down the back of your arm).

Repeat this for a total of 8 to 16 times.

And it’s done – congratulations! You’ve made it through an arm workout any rugby player would be proud of. It’s time to cool down, so that you don’t wake up with any nasty aches and pains the next day.

1. Keep your hips and shoulders square over your feet and face forward.
2. Cross your left arm horizontally over your chest, grasping it just over the elbow joint with your right arm.
3. Keeping your shoulders down and looking straight ahead, pull your left arm towards your body. Feel the stretch in your triceps and shoulders!

Keep it up!

A single workout isn’t going to turn you into a rugby beefcake. Nor two, or even three – but do this workout three times a week and you should be able to observe changes within a month. The key to getting results from your workouts is consistency. So keep at it, increase the number of repetitions as you get fitter, and you won’t be disappointed.