Following on from the article on the speed & conditioning programming our 7s athletes undertake, this article will cover the gym based strength & power programming the athletes complete.

This component of training is hugely important for our athletes- being stronger & more powerful is subjectively linked with-

•          making more impact in contact situations in a game- whether that be tackling, wrestling for the ball or carrying the ball & breaking tackles
•          more resilient to injury- that is either contact injuries to joints such as the shoulder, knee or neck as well as soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains

Improving strength & power has been shown in numerous studies to be correlated with-

•          improved acceleration- especially in distances up to 20m
•          improved agility
•          improved jumping ability
•          increased time to fatigue in aerobic performance tasks

As with the last article covering speed & conditioning- with our athletes we will always assess them to gain an understanding of their individual profile. This allows us to more specifically prescribe programs which are focussed on improving their weaknesses rather than just focussing on building what they may already be good at. With the multi-faceted nature of 7s we need to where possible avoid wasting time on ‘flogging a dead horse’. The priority is implementing a simple yet high quality program that is going to give us ‘bang for our buck’ & maximise our time we have with the athletes in the gym.

Movement assessment-

All athletes will be observed performing the exercises that make up the ARU movement screen. These exercises have been chosen as a way for us to get an idea of each individuals’ movement pattern proficiency & highlight patterns or areas of the kinetic chain which may be restricted & affect the overall movement ability of the individual. The exercises are-

•          Overhead squat- movement pattern & flexibility in the key ankle/knee/hip chain & scapula-thoracic region
•          Single leg squat to bum just below parallel- observe single leg stability, compare sides, observe any valgus tracking
•          Walking lunge with a trunk rotation- as above & also looking at trunk rotation ability, comparing differences between sides
•          Single leg calf raise- comparing rep number of full range raises between sides. Look for any range restriction between legs
•          Push-up- observe basic pressing movement pattern, any winging of scapulars, awareness of pelvic positioning (anterior tilt, stomach droop), craning with the neck
•          Lying pull-up- feet on ground- observe basic pulling movement pattern, ability to get chest to bar, compare press number with pull number, ability to hold strong alignment from ankles to head
•          Front & side bridge- ability to hold alignment in the planes from ankle to head. For the side bridges compare endurance between sides.

Combined with the physio screen which is also administered we can immediately prescribe individual exercise & flexibility work-ons for each athlete.

Programming-

Our strength & power programming generally follows a 4-6 week phase, depending on the level of athlete & the stage of the year we are at. The basic program structure is based around a modified Wendler 5/3/1 protocol (jimwendler.com) with the main lifts being squat (front or back), deadlift, bench press, bench pull, military press & chins. I say modified because Wendler’s well publicised program follows a strict 4 week phase with a 3 week build in intensity (in this case load) & a deload week in week 4. We have modified to suit our requirements- sometimes the phase will run over a 6 week block, sometimes we won’t have a deload week & for our athletes with a younger training age or who need more volume for increases in lean muscle mass etc we have altered the percentages used by Wendler to come up with a 7/5/3 protocol. This protocol enables us to track strength performances by each individual on a week to week basis. It’s important that we always know where our athletes are especially when we have girls floating in & out of the set program due to tournaments, travel, injuries etc. It allows us to readjust individual targets quickly & specifically.

Around the main lifts we have the other components of the program.

Prior to lifting each athlete will complete their individual warm-up priorities which are based off findings & observations from their physio & movement screens. These include activations, triggers, releases & specific weak point exercises. Hamstring strength & integrity is a big focus for us as there is a higher volume of high speed running meters in training and games which the athlete’s need to be able to tolerate. Everyone will perform key hamstring exercises such as Nordic hamstring eccentrics, weighted single leg back extension isometrics, weighted single leg back extensions, RDLs, bobbing birds (band assisted curls with varied knee/hip angles).

Once they are good to go the first component of the program is a power production exercise of some type. The main thing I keep in mind when designing a strength & power program is the strength-speed spectrum & ensuring I know where my athletes sit on this spectrum & where their training priorities need to be. As a brief description- the spectrum ranges from absolute strength at 1 end to absolute speed at the other. To improve an athlete’s overall strength & power profile you need to include exercises which are going to ‘cover all your bases’ along the spectrum, & prioritise weaknesses rather than continuing to focus on improving their strengths. As an example- through assessment you find an athlete has a relative squat strength of 2 X BW, a 20m sprint time of 3.1s & a vertical jump of 50cm. They are more likely to benefit from exercises that work on improving the speed end of the spectrum such as more reactive plyometric exercises, lighter external load jumps & sprinting. The strength focus should be on maintenance rather than continuing to strive for more. Contrast this with an athlete with a relative squat strength of 1.5 X BW, a 20m sprint time of 2.8s & a vertical jump of 70cm. They are more likely to benefit from exercises that work on improving the strength end of the spectrum such as heavy strength training, higher amplitude plyometric exercises & more heavily weighted external load jumping. I’ve used lower body examples here but the same principles apply for the upper body. When looking to improve an athlete’s overall athletic profile you need to know where they sit on the spectrum & prioritise weaknesses while maintaining strengths.

The lower body power production exercises we currently use include-

•          Jump squats- load dependent on testing assessment. We use a Gym-Aware unit which gives us peak & mean power readings & allows us to build individual profiles across a load spectrum. We prioritise loads where there may be dips in their profile
•          Seated box jumps from different heights- looking at taking the stretch shortening cycle out of the movement to improve the rate of force development in the concentric component of the movement. We have the athletes sitting on different height boxes to ensure we improve the rate of force development through different hip & knee angles
•          Double & single leg lateral line jumps- to improve the lateral power production ability in both double & single leg situations. We also use a single leg lateral jump & stick especially in beginner athletes to develop good single leg landing mechanics (knee strong over ankle, avoiding excess valgus) & force absorption
•          Repeat broad jumps- linear power production with an emphasis on minimising amortization phase
•          Cleans, jerks, snatches & their derivatives

Other options that we use at different times include band resisted squats & KB swings.

I always use a set of back off sets after the top strength sets as a way of focussing on weak point training, increasing time in the 85%+ strength zone or increasing the time under tension for some added hypertrophy effects. Some examples of how we use these back off sets include-

•          After top set of squat- 3 sets of 5s eccentric:3s pause at the bottom at 70% 1RM OR for added strength focus 3 sets of 3 reps at 85%
•          After top set of deadlift- 3 sets of 6 RDL at 65%
•          After top set of military press- 2 sets of 12 at 50-60%
•          Tempo single leg options
•          DBs & single arm/leg options

The trunk exercises we prioritise vary from phase to phase. Generally we ensure there are always exercises included to improve the athletes’ strength to resist side flexion, rotation, spinal flexion & spinal extension. Some of my preferences for trunk exercises include-

•          DB suitcase carry- improves strength to resist side flexion, grip strength component
•          Heavy pallof press- strength to resist rotation
•          Bench planks- lying on your back on a bench hold on to the sides with hands at your ear line. Roll yourself up to position feet pointing towards sky. Slowly & with control extend yourself out as straight as possible & lower towards the bench. Initially you will need to keep some hip flexion to shorten the lever length & enable you to lower with control. Gradually try to extend yourself out as you get stronger. If you can fully extend your body then lower to the bench & return to the start position you’re a gun!
•          Weighted back extension holds- weight held behind your neck or on your chest
•          Touch & go deadlifts- lower with control, touch the ground lightly then return to standing

So this gives you an idea of our thinking & prescription when it comes to strength & power programming for the 7s athletes. I hope you’ve found something that interests you or makes you think about how you currently train or program for your athletes. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments on email at or on twitter .