11 RUGBY 7s
CONDITIONING
SESSIONS
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CONDITIONING WARM-UP
Time: 15mins
Before you begin any of these sessions it is important that you spend at least 10:00 minutes warming up and
getting your body ready to work at the intensity required during these sessions. Training to improve your
acceleration and speed requires you to perform each effort during the session at a maximal intensity,
therefore your body needs to be prepared to operate at this level to ensure you do not suffer any injuries.
You should complete a warm-up along the same structure that is used prior to our usual trainings.
WARMUPS
Easy jog & skip 300m - Alternate efforts of 50m skipping and jogging up and back a rugby field
A-Skips over 20m - Complete 3 X 20m with an easy low skip back to the start each time. Concentrate on
keeping upper body up right (tall posture), relaxed full arm swing from the shoulders, punching your feet into
the ground, big split between legs each skip
Carioca over 20m - Running sideways concentrating on accelerating rear knee through with each stride and
getting separation between torso and lower body
High knee runs over 20m - Complete 3 X 20m with an easy skip back to the start line each time - Focus on
keeping upper body up right (tall posture), relaxed arm drive with the swing coming from the shoulders, pow-
erful foot contact with the ground, quick foot contact with the ground, toe up on foot contact with the ground
Butt kick runs over 20m - Complete 3 X 20m with an easy skip back to the start line each time - Focus
points as outlined above but this time kicking heels back up towards butt
Walking lunges - Complete 5 walking lunges each leg - Focus on keeping upper body upright, feeling a
stretch in the hip flexor and quadriceps in your back leg and the hamstring in your front leg each lunge, hold
the bottom lunge position for 2 seconds each time
Frankenstein marches - Complete 5 marches each leg - Focus on keeping upper body upright while kicking
1 leg out in front of you. Don’t kick too high each time, just high enough that you can feel a stretch in the
hamstring of the leg you are kicking out
Sub maximal accelerations
• 2 X 20m accelerations at approx. 80-90% of max speed with an easy skip back to the start line
• 2 X 30m accelerations at approx. 80-90% of max speed with an easy skip back to the start line
• 2 X 40m accelerations at approx. 80-90% of max speed with an easy skip back to the start line
Stretch - Have a final stretch of each of the major muscle groups of the lower body - Glutes, hamstrings,
quadriceps, hip flexors, inner thighs (groin), calves.
SESSION 1 - Acceleration
Distance: 450m
ROLLING START EFFORTS
• Pace out and place a marker at 10m/15m/20m
• Here each effort begins with an easy 5m jog to the start line
• When you hit the start line accelerate through to the 10m marker
• Make sure you run past the marker each time and come to a gradual stop rather
than trying to slow down as quickly as you can
• Have an easy walk back recovery between each effort
• Remember each effort must be performed at a maximal intensity so run as fast as
you can each time
• Focus on a fast powerful arm drive during the efforts as leg speed is dictated by
your arm speed
• Keep your torso strong each time and keep shoulders relaxed
• Make sure arm drive is not across your body, keep it linear
• Complete 5 efforts at each distance - 225m
• 3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
STANDING START EFFORTS
• This time you will begin each effort with a standing start
• Complete 5 efforts at each distance- 225m
At the completion of the session make sure you have a very good stretch of all the
major muscle groups of the lower body Spend at least 10-minutes going through
these stretches.
SESSION 2 - Maximum Velocity
Distance: 900m
ROLLING START EFFORTS
• Pace out and place markers at 40m/50m/60m
• Each effort begins with an easy 5m jog to the start line
• When you hit the start line accelerate through to the 40m marker
• Make sure you run past the marker each time and come to a gradual stop rather than
trying to slow down as quickly as you can
• Have an easy walk back recovery between each effort
• With these longer efforts you will need to concentrate on maintaining your sprint form
throughout the duration of each effort
• When you begin to fatigue you will tend to get lazy with your technique and this will
cause you to run slower
• Complete 3 efforts at each distance - 450m
• 3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
STANDING START EFFORTS
• This time you will begin each effort with a standing start
• Complete 3 efforts at each distance - 450m
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SESSION 3 - Acceleration + Directional Changes
Distance: 450m
FORWARDS/BACKWARDS
• Place markers at 5m/10m/20m
• Starting on the try line on your stomach, get up as quickly as you can and accelerate
through to the 5m line
• Stop as quickly as you can once you pass the 5m line
• Accelerate backwards to the try line as quickly as you can
• Once you reach the try line accelerate forwards as fast as you can to the 20m marker
• The idea of this drill is to cover the total distance as quickly as you can
• Easy walk back to the start
• Repeat 5 X 150m
• Start at different body positions for each effort- stomach, back, sitting, kneeling, standing
• 3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
• Repeat 5 X efforts - 150m
ACCELERATION + LEFT/RIGHT
• With a 5m rolling start accelerate hard through to 10m
• At the 10m marker cut hard to either the left or right and continue to accelerate as hard as
you can for 5m
• When you change direction concentrate on maintaining stride rate (don’t slow down)
• Plant your outside foot hard and drive off
• Keep arm drive fast and strong
• Distance of each effort is 15m
• Easy walk back recovery between each effort
• Repeat 5 X efforts - 75m
• 3:00 minutes recovery/drink
• Repeat 5 X efforts - 75m
SESSION 4 - Big and Small Triangles
Distance: 3520m
SET 1
For the first set of intervals you are completing:
• 1 field width
• 1 full field length
• 1 diagonal back to the start
• this adds up to 292m per interval
Set 1 is made up of 5 X 292m intervals. Run each interval hard while concentrating on
holding good form right through each effort.
Begin each new interval on:
Tight 5 - 2 min 30 sec
Backrow/Backs- 2 min
3 minute recovery/drink
SET 2
For the next 10 intervals you are
completing:
Halfway
• 1 field width
• 1/2 a length
• 1 diagonal back to the start
• this adds up to 206m
Complete l0 X 206m intervals.
Begin each new interval on:
Tight 5 - 1 min 45sec
Backrow/Backs- 1 min 15 sec
SESSION 5 - Straight Lines
Distance: 3000m
SET 1
10 X 100m
Beginning each interval on 60s
Aim to complete each interval in:
Tight 5 - 20-25 seconds
Backrow/Backs - 16-18 seconds
2:00 minutes for recovery/drink
Repeat 10 X 100m
2:00 minutes for recovery/drink
SET 2
10 X 50m
Beginning each interval on 30s
Aim to complete each interval in:
Tight 5 - Under 10s
Backrow/Backs - Under 8s
90 second recovery/drink
Repeat 10 X 50m
SESSION 6 - Up and Back
Distance: 2152m
SET 1 - 10m Drill
Start on the 10m line
Sprint to the halfway line & back to the 10m
Sprint to the far 10m
Drop to the ground touching your chest to the line
Sprint back to the start
The distance you are sprinting each time is 60m
Complete each sprint in the fastest speed possible each time
Repeat 5 repetitions starting each new interval on 45 seconds
90 second recovery/drink
Repeat 3 sets of 5 repetitions with 1:30 minutes recovery between each set of 5
2:00 minutes for recovery/drink
SET 2 - 22m Sprint Repeats
6 X 22m starting each interval on 20 seconds
90 seconds recovery
4 X 22m starting each interval on 20 seconds
90 seconds recovery
6 X 22m starting each interval on 20 seconds
2 minute recovery/drink
REPEAT SET 1
SESSION 7 - Diamond Run
Distance: 3660m
Starting under the goal posts at 1end
The course is a diagonal run from centre field under the posts out to a cone at the
intersection of the Y way line and the side line, diagonal into the centre under the
goals posts at the other end, diagonal out to a cone at the intersection of the Y way
line and the side line then back to your start position under the goal posts.
Each round is 244m
Complete 5 diamonds
Begin each new interval on:
Tight 5 - 2:15 minutes
Backrow/Backs- 1:45 minutes
Complete each interval as fast as
you can each time, aiming to
minimise the decrement
over the 5 repetitions
3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
Repeat 5 diamonds
3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
Repeat 5 diamonds
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SESSION 8 - Full Field Zig Zag
Distance: 2960m
Place markers of some type at each change of direction as in the above diagram (try
line/22m line/1/2 way line/22m line/try line)
Begin in 1 corner of the field
Follow the lined arrows as in the diagram above, covering the distance as quickly as
you can Aim to accelerate hard out of each corner
Each full field zig-zag is 296m
Complete 5 X 296m with 1:30 minutes recovery between each effort
3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
Repeat 5 X 296m with 1:30 minutes recovery between each effort
SESSION 9 - Width Shuttle
Distance: 2550m
15m Line
Sideline
• Begin on the side line
• Sprint to the 15m line and drop to the ground
• Perform a push-up, get up as quickly as you can and sprint to the near sideline
• Perform a push-up, get up as quickly as you can and sprint to the far sideline
• Accelerate as fast as you can out of the turn and sprint back to the start
Each repetition is 170m
Complete 5 X 170m beginning each new effort on 1:30 minutes
Take 1:30 minutes for recovery
Repeat 3 sets of 5 X 170m efforts
SESSION 10 - Decline Pyramid
Distance: 4000m
• 400m effort (4 x 100m)
• Begin next effort on 4:00 minutes
• 400m effort
• Begin next effort on 4:00 minutes
• 300m effort (6 X 50m)
• Begin next effort on 3:00 minutes
• 300m effort
• Begin next effort on 3:00 minutes
• 200m effort (2 lengths of the field)
• Begin next effort on 2:00 minutes
• 200m effort
• Begin next effort on 2:00 minutes
• 100m effort (50m up & back)
• Begin next effort on 1:00 minute
• 100m effort
Repeat x 2 with 3:00 minutes for recovery/drink
Aim is to run each effort as hard as you can - recoveries are set at a time that should
allow you to maintain leg speed throughout each effort
SESSION 11 - Michael Johnson
Distance: 3000m
SET 1
5 X 200m efforts
Alternate between 50m up & back repeats and 100m up & back repeats
Begin each new effort on 2:00 minutes
1:30 minutes recovery/drink
SET 2
5 X 200m efforts
Begin each new effort on 1:30 minutes
1:30 minutes recovery/drink
SET 3
5 X 200m efforts
Begin each new effort on 2:00 minutes
1:30 minutes recovery/drink