Upper body strength remains a valuable asset in the game, once it doesnt come at the cost of compromising a players speed or endurance. Both sports are similar in many ways, so it is not a surprise that the sport of rugby has players that are just as badass as those in the NFL. Weight, About Quickest back in 2020: Jake Averillo 34.4km/h Round 6 Quickest forward in 2020: Josh Jackson 31.4km/h Round 8 Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Adam Elliott are the leaders of the pack in the gym. pretty much all of these guys have now retired. Apps. Alesana is one of the infamous Tuilagi brothers from Samoa. The players will do some basic stretching but not much else. Bench press records: Gheorghe Gajion (Ospreys) - 230kg Aled de Malmanche (Stade Francis, retired) - 220kg Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks, retired) - 215kg We're in for a surprise! Maybe its because he reportedly benches over 500 lbs (230 kg). One of the points he made was a set containing 15+ reps builds/requires muscular endurance. It may surprise you that he was a winger, not a burly forward. Because squats involve such a large number of muscle groups, Consuming enough protein one gram per pound is a good target for most ruggers, Eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and some fruits. While this is somewhat higher than what a front-row rugby player is doing, these also tend to be much heavier players. From the moment he made his international debut at a world cup qualifier, the rugby world knew it had a new star-tight head prop. Get two gym-bros together, and invariably, one will ask the other, Hey how much can you bench? Even non-exercisers know the bench press is a famous exercise, even if they dont know which muscles are actually involved! They were used to bring down rampaging forwards without exerting large amounts of energy. Professional teams track workload and biometric factors for their players very rigorously. Top professional rugby players have bench pressed huge numbers which are respectable for full time powerlifters.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fluentrugby_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_12',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fluentrugby_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); The aforementioned 3 players arent the only rugby stars benching huge weights in the gym. Because of this, rugby strength testing tends to revolve around a small handful of compound barbell exercises, such as: However, the most common strength tests for ruggers are the back squat and bench press, which are the focus of this article. Thats an immense size, and if you look up some videos of him playing for the English team Leicester Tigers or Tonga during the world cup tournament, youll get an idea of how he can make other rugby players just bounce off him. If you dont believe me watch this video for verification. Josua Tuisova Height: 6'11" Weight: 249 lbs Josua is a Fijian rugby union player who is known for his strong running and physical play. Journalism strengthens democracy. One of the most effective strength programs is linear periodisation. Cal made its final home rugby match of the season a good one as the Golden Bears beat defending national champion Army 31-14 on a rainy, windy Saturday afternoon at Witter Rugby Field in Berkeley. Total Shape is a reader-supported site. The players underwent a comprehensive physical fitness testing (height, body mass and sum of seven skinfolds, sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press, pull-ups, one . We are a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you can lift something twice or more, youre actually measuring strength endurance, which is something quite different. This exercise should be performed 1 to 2 times a week. Disclaimer, Follow Weighted dips are one of the most effective exercises at building explosive, big and power dips. Your email address will not be published. This article is about strength, but what about height? It's a sports' clich, but the bench press continues to occupy a uniquely macho seat in the pantheon of weight training disciplines, and professional rugby players are by no means immune. A post shared by Sonny Bill Williams (@sonnybillwilliams). The current record belongs to little-known 27-year-old Moldavian prop Gheorghe Gajion - affectionately known as the 'Beast from the East' - who's reported to have lifted 230kg. 5.Charles Oakley. Hard to imagine why. And ever since his early days in professional rugby as a youngster, he has had a great scoring record throughout his career. With tree trunk legs like that, I am sure Josua is a really fun guy to bring down. Fumiaki Tanaka ( , born 3 January 1985 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese rugby union footballer. But, as you get stronger, increases will be harder to come by and will likely be smaller, too. While most of the numbers represent personal bests for many of these players, inevitably some will have either bested these records or, inversely, are no longer capable of lifting that amount. What you do out of the gym is just as important. He also benches over 450 lbs, according to rugbybypass.com. Jonah Lomu In Pictures A Celebration Of New Zealand Rugby. Lets get back to Australia and take a look at David Pocock, weighing in at over 250 lbs. Explore. Source: FOX SPORTS He can put up an impressive 460 lbs (210 kg) on the bench press. Opposing players should fear the beard or feel its wrath! It may surprise you that he was a winger, not a burly forward. window.scriptsToInit.push('BrightCoveEmbeddedScrollVideo.init("6151210647001");'); It goes without saying that rugby players are neither powerlifters, professional strongmen nor bodybuilders. Discover RugbyPass+ premium articles, the best rugby content from award-winning journalists, pundits, top coaches and the biggest stars of the game. Howard probably has one of the most sculpted physiques the NBA has ever seen. Lets look in detail at a weeks schedule for weights. We have compiled a list of 15 of the biggest beasts in rugby that easily rival those of the NFL. Ireland's Josh van der Flier in action against . Do You Think Weve Missed Someone On This List? The same Spanish study compared the average 1RM bench press strength of National Amateur rugby players by position and gender: According to this study, at least, the participants were far better squatters than they were benchers, and again, the backs outperformed the forwards. Here are 15 of the biggest beasts in rugby in no particular order. Generally speaking, S&C coaches have moved the sport towards core and explosive strength training in the last decade away from a bulk at all costs mindset. Words get out quickly! The coaches and physios constantly adjust training based on these metrics. He is getting up there in age though. Your email address will not be published. If one of these guys did that, what possible advantage would they have over women? LARRY ALLEN . He has also released a couple of hip-hop songs. It specifically targets the pectoralis major, deltoids, and triceps muscles, which are your main pushing muscles. How often players lift weights is determined by several things, including. This sport is littered with guys, just like the 15 here. Before starting any new diet and/or exercise program, always be sure to check with your qualified medical professional. (Explained With Examples), Irelands Call Lyrics and Background Explained, Six Nations Winners Titles And Grand Slams By Team, 8 Ways To Prevent Blisters From Rugby Boots, their effort and minutes spent playing in a competitive match. Ruggers are undoubtedly stronger than the average human, and strength is a critical factor for successful rugby. He has spent the last 8 years staying at the forefront of the health and fitness industry. Pinterest. One PRO14 head coach RugbyPass spoke to said that he was interested in creating powerful, fast athletes, regardless of their size. International journal of environmental research and public health,18(11), 5615. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115615, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8197353/. A post shared by sergioparisse (@sergioparisse). Rassie video was 'disrespectful' says Jones. While the squat doesnt get as much attention from the general public, it is a vital exercise for building leg power. Joe Cokanasiga Rugby Has Changed You Can T Do What Lomu. Aled de Malmanche, Andrew Sheridan, Alfie Tooala Vaeluaga, WillGriff John, Max Lahiff, Nicky Smith, Rory Sutherland, Jon Welsh, Tom Court, Jack Whetton have all benched over 200kg which is a strong deadlift let alone a bench press. Forwards are usually stronger than backs, but, in this study, that was not the case. Hes also one of the strongest on the South African squad as he can reportedly bench press 385 lbs. Some of them look like they could be gladiators from Roman history. And a lot of them will completely dwarf American football players. Copyright The Athletic Build LLC. How does this fit into an already bloated calendar. I would say he has certainly earned his nickname. The vast majority of figures come from comments made by teammates, coaches or the player themselves in the media. The following list comes with a health warning. Some sports have such intense competition and require very specific skills that unless you started training for thousands of hours since you were a child you if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fluentrugby_com-box-1','ezslot_13',101,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fluentrugby_com-box-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fluentrugby_com-box-1','ezslot_14',101,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fluentrugby_com-box-1-0_1');.box-1-multi-101{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Welcome to FluentRugby!We have been training in rugby for many years and want to share our experience with you. At right around 300 pounds, its difficult to believe they will be beaten any time soon. Chris Yarran can lay claim to being the Blues' strongest player on a pound-for-pound basis. Many rugby players lack explosive power and speed and end up failing their bench press reps because they cant get the bar off their chest. Regardless of where you are on your training journey, you must try to lift more weight if you want to keep getting stronger. One rep max bench presses are also a potentially dangerous exercise for contact sports athletes to attempt. "Obviously we are thinking of them at this time. Keep in mind this list, as with our list of the most jacked players in the NFLcould easily have been much longer. Check out our article on how far rugby players run. Our goal is to provide factual information and unbiased product recommendations for our readers based on relevant expertise, extensive research and feedback. He is a Brumbies openside flanker and is vice-captain of the Brumbies. Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times As youll see, these test rugby players are massive. Austin Healey likes to tell a story about when he and Tuilagi were teammates at Leicester Tigers. Can You Roll In Rugby? MORE STORIES; John Ross holds the NFL Combine's 40-yard dash record at 4.22 seconds, Stephen Paea set a still-unbeaten bench press mark in 2011 and the best vertical jump has stood for 18 YEARS . However, it's not enough to be well-conditioned, ruggers need to be skilled too. barbell press, weighted dips, incline press and clap push ups.BORDEAUX, FRANCE OCTOBER 01: Stephen Moore of the Wallabies spots team mate Wycliff Palu as he bench presses during an Australian Wallabies strength training session at the Colombier Gymnasium October 1, 2007 in Bordeaux, France. The list is also not an exhaustive list of the top bench press records in the sport; rather its the bench press PBs of some notable professional rugby players. Khaleke Hudson, LB, Michigan. Click here for our Privacy Policy. That is serious weight! His club is The Dragons, and he has won 94 caps for the Welsh national squad as well. Rugby is not a weight-lifting competition; its a contact sport that requires speed, endurance, and explosive strength of its athletes. One of the most notable drills is the bench press, where players display their raw power and . No doubt he puts in his time in the weight room, but his beard is almost as badass as his physique. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'2htYY6ZvTf18aDUxkz-Mcg',sig:'zIwDG4NVxCbu0VMLj2q4Nu4nI6CAIkHzoqiOtv8fl_A=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1385946782',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); JNemani is another mountain of a man on this list. Strength can be measured in several ways, but the most practical is doing 1RM testing on common gym exercises. There are several blokes who compete in the World's Strongest Man that were former rugby players in England. The bench press is a classic exercise for building upper body strength and power, and it's a favorite of many NRL players. Charles Barkley was ridiculously strong (while looking like a marshmallow) Moses . In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. There was a surprisingly large list of very big rugby players, but after months of research, we found the biggest ones: For some reason, Tonga seems to be the biggest contributing nation when it comes to player size, Just imagine one of those top three players coming towards you to take you down. For most rugby players, having a big number on the bench isnt worth the risk of a potentially season-ending injury. Sergio is an Italian rugby player who plays for the French club Toulon and is captain of the Italian team. Andrew Porter - Ireland. At 65 he is the tallest athlete on here. Rugby players dont just have impressive physiques they have the strength to match. - Nick Bowen COLLINGWOOD diagnosis, or treatment. Male backs: 100.5kg/251.25 lb. Australian international Murdoch Alistair benched 227 kg (raw) in a world competition in 2014. Monday & Thursday 60kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 62.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 65kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 67.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 70kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 72.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 75kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 77.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 80kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 82.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 85kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Monday & Thursday 87.5kg 3 sets, 8 reps, Test 1 rep max goal should be 115% of your old max. Much like the NFL, rugby is a sport that is chock full of beasts. Wales Rugby Team Today's rugby news as prominent Welsh player feels 'dumped on' and All Blacks coach forced into overnight announcement The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond Henery Tuilagi was known for his enormous strength, and is one of the strongest athletes in rugby history whose career was not dedicated to powerlifting as an end in itself. A lineman in the NFL would be expected to have a one-rep maximum on the bench of between 204 kg and 250 kg. It goes without saying that rugby players are neither powerlifters, professional strongmen nor bodybuilders. Retirement coming soon. Care, Lose A list compiled a few years ago of top professional players shows a range from 137kg to 230 kg. Get the Sport Report every Thursday to stay up to speed with everything you need to know in the world of sport. I don't give up. Required fields are marked *. Six Nations beasts: 1. A lineman needs a lot more strength than backs or receivers. Not surprisingly, he is nicknamed 'The Bus'. The squat is one of the three exercises that they compete in. Here are two different schedules at international level. This should give you the work capacity to increase your old bench press max by 10% to 15%. And for our fans from Ireland, weve added Sean OBrien to our list as well. His sheer size is intimidating as hell and the fact that he can bench press 385lbs and do incline dumbbell presses with 175lbs in each hand is flat out scary. 2.Shaq. Hall was training with his son Maximus in the gym when the youngster achieved the incredible feat of lifting 60kg in total during his session. The Samoan is the second of the Tuilagi brothers on this list. Date of birth: 1 July 1979. A post shared by Beast (@tendaimtawarira). You may be surprised at the distances they cover during a match. How much do you bench bro? Its a sports clich, but the bench press continues to occupy a uniquely macho seat in the pantheon of weight training disciplines, and professional rugby players are by no means immune. Policy, Terms & Perform 3 sets of 8. The 2023 Fourmula One season starts this weekend. Pappoe's bench-press performance is tied for ninth among Auburn players at the NFL Scouting Combine this century. He plays as a scrum-half for Japan on international level and for the NEC Green Rockets and the Sunwolves at domestic level. Recently, Chandler Parson also highlighted Pekovi as the strongest player he ever faced. Rounding out the top 3 is Tongan international, Leo Halavatau who has lifted 217.5kg (478.5 pounds).16.11.19 Ospreys v Munster, Heineken Champions Cup Gheorghe Gajion of Ospreys take on Kevin OByrne of Munster. For us with our Quins lens on, he is unique I think. While he doesnt really keep track of his max lifts anymore, he is reportedly able to squat 772lb (350kg). Body For most rugby players, having a big number on the bench isn't worth the risk of a potentially season-ending injury. So, we decided to look at Rugby Union players from around the world and see what kind of sizes they have achieved in recent rugby history. We also found a good highlight video that shows what a beast he is as well. However, testing individual muscles would be time-consuming and impractical. Ruggers should focus on compound exercises as theyre generally the most effective and time-efficient. Tom Robinson is itching to get back to competitive rugby and may start against the Brumbies this weekend. Lets look at NFL players and professional powerlifters. As a minimum, a player at the professional level is expected to bench between 1.3 to 1.5 percent of their body weight. Hack's record stood for seventeen years until Joe Nordquest broke it by a kilogram in 1916. The powerlifting record for the bench is 508 kg, as of 2021. The upper body session will center around bench press, pull-ups, and possibly military press. Typical numbers for a front rowers bench press are between 180 kg and 220 kg. 2023 (3.0.23061.8) 24.com. Isaac is a personal fitness trainer and nutritionist living in sunny Indianapolis, IN. . Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24. Heavy is a relative term, but for rugby strength workouts, it means working with weights of 85% or more of your 1RM and using the 1-5 rep range. While Opetis weight has fluctuated a lot, it peaked a few years ago at over 300 pounds. REACTION: World Rugby has issued a lukewarm response to the proposed new World 12s competition. Jamie is the biggest rugby player from Wales, and at 64, hes also among the taller ones. If you are new to strength training, youll probably find that you can increase your weights almost weekly. SPOTLIGHT: England head coach Eddie Jones believes Rassie Erasmus sent the wrong message to youngsters with his 62-minute video rant in July. He is an Irish rugby union player for Leinster and Ireland. 8). Total Shape does not provide medical advice, However, a current rugby player wouldn't get very far in an elite powerlifting competition. If you want to be able to push opposing players off the ball and defend against tackles, being a stronger bencher will help. Aaron Donald. He was benching 500+ by the time he left college in 1994. For example, Wallaby backrow David Pocock benched 185kg at his peak, but admitted in a 2019 post on Instagram that Id be pushing it doing 155/160kg at the moment. Aled de Malmanche . To ensure you never have any issues moving the bar from your chest you need to incorporate clap push ups into your training. He did, however, manage this feat long after his retirement from rugby, and at the age of 46. Weight: 285 lbs. Perform these once per week and 5 sets 4. on facebook, Follow the amount of work they are doing in skills sessions. The Springboks, for example, expect Test players to bench press between 1.3 to 1.5 times their bodyweight, position-dependent. Benefits of the Bench Press Increased Upper-Body Strength Predictor of Upper-Body Strength Bigger Pec Major Stronger. If you put Tendai into any kind of physical sport, he wouldnt stop surprising you with athletic talent and sheer force. Eben Etzebeth Height: 6ft 8" Weight: 280lbs/127kg This is a recipe for failure. Rugby simply will never appease everybody', Harlequins' take on 'unique' Dombrandt now thriving with England, How the world reacted to Ardie Savea's 'nasty' gesture. Rounding out the top 3 is Tongan international, Leo Halavatau who has lifted 217.5kg (478.5 pounds). If you are a rugby player looking to increase their bench press then you better have strong and powerful shoulders. Squat and bench press force-velocity profiling in male and female adolescent rugby players. It doesnt always translate into a good rugby player on the field of play. Some variation of the bench press remains a staple in rugby clubs across the globe. A player with poor levels of strength will be able to make up for their strength shortcomings with higher . Rugby players should add supplemental exercises to their regime eg. Sport Highlights 8K subscribers Subscribe 11K 1.5M views 1 year ago Here are some of the Best NFL Combine Bench Press Moments, Please Leave a Like and. Strength is very important to the player, but they cant let training fatigue slow down or negatively affect their match performance. Wales cancelled their team announcement prior to their third-round Six Nations match against England. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'fluentrugby_com-box-4','ezslot_3',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fluentrugby_com-box-4-0');As the bench pressing standards of rugby are based on body weight and the average weight of rugby players differs greatly between positions their expected bench press numbers also vary greatly. If you dont, your progress will plateau. I honestly would sack Pivac now and get Robertson in. His playing position is a tighthead prop. The same Spanish study compared the average 1RM bench press strength of National Amateur rugby players by position and gender: Male forwards: 95kg/209 lb. J Strength Cond Res 35(2S): S44-S50, 2021-Power development is critical for enhancing rugby performance because there is a close relationship between power and sport-specific skills. IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ian Cameron takes a look at the bench press PBs of some notable professional rugby players. Your body adapts to the type of workout you do; if you want to get stronger so you can lift heavier weights, you need to lift heavy weights in training. Aled de Malmanche (Stade Francis, retired) 220kgAndrew Sheridan (Sale Shark, retired) 215kgAlfie Tooala Vaeluaga (Samoa) 210kgWill Griff John (Sale Sharks) 210kgNicky Smith (Ospreys) 200kgRory Sutherland (Edinburgh) 200kgJack Whetton (Highlanders) 195kgBen Tameifuna (Racing 92) 190kgManu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) 190kgSiate Tokolahi (Highlanders) 190kgCian Healy (Leinster) 190kgDavid Kilcoyne (Munster) 187.5kgJackson Wray (Saracens) 187.5kgMaro Itoje (Saracens) 187.5kgDavid Pocock (Panasonic Wildknights) 185kgJoe Moody (Crusaders) 180kgPouri Rakete-Stones (Hawks Bay) 180kgMax Lahiff (Bristol Bears) 180kgWill Genia (Rebels) 180kgDigby Ioane (Glendale Raptors) 180kgMike McCarthy (Leinster, retired) 180kgTendai Mtawarira (Old Glory) 180kgPaul OConnell (Munster, retired) 179kgNemani Nadolo (Montpellier) 175kgEben Etzebeth (Toulon) 175kgJaycob Matiu (Northland) 170kgBen Funnell (Crusaders) 165kgPierre Spies (Montpellier, retired) 165kgMatt Vaai (Counties Manukau) 162.5kgPete Samu (Brumbies) 160kgSam Whitelock (Panasonic Wildknights) 160kgMatt Todd (Crusaders) 150kgCaleb Timu (Montpellier) 150kgCourtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) 140kgJim Hamilton (Saracens, retired) 140kgDan Carter (free agent) 145kgSonny Bill Williams (ex-Blues) 140kgRichie Mounga (Crusaders) 137kg, Bosch gets captain's armband for clash against Stormers, Crusaders dedicate first win to absent Razor, Pushback after launch of 'World 12s' event. Born in Italy and playing for Toulon, Sergio is also the captain of the Italian team. Kong Hall of Famer Oct 11, 2007 30,996 13,966 AFL Club Essendon Dec 6, 2011 #7 Re: Irritating people/things that annoy you in the gym Josua Tuisova is a massive rugby player from Fiji and a surprisingly big rugby player to play on the wing.