Advice from Coach Sommers

[AdrianM]

I am a Rugby Union player who is trying to progress to the top and play

at International level. I read Coach Sommers posts on Pavel Tastsouline strength and conditioning forum at www.dragondoor.com. I am an avid kettlebell lifter, olympic lifter and functional strength enthusiast. This

off-season I will incorporate the 'Smolov Squat Cycle' (this will be

the second I have run through this training cycle in full), including

the olympic lifts: Snatch + Clean & Jerk along with kettlebells,

sandbags etc.

The reason I write this to you is to ask for your help, your years of

experience and you wealth of knowledge is what I need. To save my lower

back from abuse and symptoms of overtraining I want to incorporate

body-weight exercises. I am 115kg, I play tight-head prop; one of the

requirements of this position is bear the majority of the weight while

scrummaging. Exceptional lower body strength and core is required,

harnessing muscle tension has been a secret to success. In order to

transfer the weight of the scrum to my opponent, utilizing extreme core

tension aids in scrummaging dominance, and is therefore essential.

I now ask you to guide me in what basic exercises would be the most

beneficial for me to learn and perfect. Due to the nature of my sport

and my body type I do not posses incredible flexibility to achieve many

of your posted exercises. L-sits for example are hard for me, not

strictly due to the fact that I am not as flexible, nor is it that I

lack the upper body strength to hold myself, it is rather that I have

31 inch quads and I carry much of weight in my lower have (hips, gluts

and legs).

If you would like to know more about my training history in the

body-weight area in order to refine your choices to make selection more

specific please let me know exactly what you would like and it will be

provided to you immediately. I must thank you for efforts in posting on

dragondoor, and operating your website which has given me many ideas

into my own training to pursue my goals.