What truly separates an elite athlete from the rest? Is it raw strength, explosive power, unwavering endurance, or a combination of all three? In the engaging video above, we are given a unique glimpse into the rigorous training regimen of England Rugby star Ellis Genge, alongside fitness expert Andrew Tracey. Their discussion delves into the specific exercises, philosophies, and data-driven approaches that forge a rugby player’s “robust” physique. This isn’t just about lifting heavy; it’s about strategic, multi-faceted training designed for peak performance and durability on the field.
For many fitness enthusiasts, the world of professional rugby training offers invaluable insights into developing an all-around athletic build. The demands of the sport require athletes like Ellis Genge to be not only incredibly strong but also remarkably fast and capable of sustained high-intensity efforts. The approaches discussed in this exclusive look at Ellis Genge’s training reveal a sophisticated program that balances heavy lifting with targeted conditioning and recovery.
The Blueprint of a Rugby Powerhouse: Training for Robustness
Professional rugby players embody the ultimate “all-rounder” athlete, a concept frequently emphasized by Ellis Genge. Their training must encompass every element of fitness: raw strength, explosive power, blistering speed, and relentless cardiovascular endurance. This holistic approach cultivates a state of what Ellis refers to as “robustness” – the ability to absorb impacts, recover quickly, and consistently perform at a high level without breaking down. Such comprehensive conditioning is a masterclass in strength and conditioning done right, ensuring these powerful individuals can take a knock and keep pushing.
The strategic variation in their weekly schedule, reminiscent of methodologies like the West Side Barbell system, is designed to stress the body in different ways, preventing plateaus and promoting continuous adaptation. For instance, a heavy lift day might be followed by a lighter, accessory-focused session, or a power-oriented workout. This deliberate periodization allows for optimal recovery and targeted development of various athletic qualities, moving beyond simply chasing numbers in the gym towards performance-specific gains.
Mastering the Pull: Back Strength and Grip Variations
Developing a powerful back is non-negotiable for rugby players, particularly for prop forwards like Ellis Genge who are constantly engaged in scrums and rucks. Heavy pulling movements are a staple, often scheduled early in the week on “heavy lift” days alongside squats and bench presses. These foundational exercises are critical for building the upper body strength required to dominate opponents and protect the ball.
The Science Behind Assisted Eccentric Training
One fascinating technique highlighted by Ellis Genge is assisted eccentric training, a method that can be profoundly exhausting yet highly effective for muscle growth. In an assisted eccentric pull-down, for example, the athlete pulls the weight down on their own, but then a partner or machine assists in pulling the weight back up, allowing the athlete to resist a heavier load during the lowering (eccentric) phase. This strategy capitalizes on a physiological fact: humans are naturally stronger during the eccentric portion of a lift compared to the concentric (lifting) portion. By overloading the eccentric phase, muscles are subjected to greater tension and micro-trauma, which stimulates significant strength and hypertrophy gains. Ellis notes these lifts are a common feature in “big blocks” of training, indicating their importance in specific phases of his program.
Grip for the Game: The Role of Mag Grips
The conversation also turns to specialized equipment, specifically mag grips, which are becoming increasingly popular in gyms. Ellis Genge explains that these varied grips are not merely a preference but a rugby-specific adaptation. The diverse range of grips used throughout the week—sometimes close, sometimes wide—mimics the unpredictable nature of gripping opponents or the ball during a game. For players whose hands endure constant punishment, such as Ellis, these ergonomic grips also provide a more comfortable and secure hold, allowing them to focus on the working muscle rather than grip fatigue. Ellis proudly showcases his ability to move the full stack, an impressive 120kg, on the pulldown machine, demonstrating the sheer power required in his position.
Squatting for Power: Beyond Just Weight
The squat is often hailed as the “king of all exercises,” and for good reason, especially in a sport like rugby where lower body power and stability are paramount. Surprisingly, Ellis Genge reveals that despite the intense demands, heavy back squatting is performed only about once a week. This seemingly low frequency for such a critical lift underscores a strategic approach where quality and intensity often outweigh sheer volume, particularly during the competitive season. Ellis’s personal best stands at an impressive 223 kg, a remarkable feat for a 120 kg athlete, even if he humorously notes it’s not quite double his body weight yet.
Depth, Volume, and Evolution of Training
The debate around squat depth is a common one in the fitness world, and Ellis Genge addresses this with good humor, acknowledging comments from the “depth police” on his social media. While his professional training prioritizes specific depths for performance and injury prevention, he emphasizes the importance of moving weight effectively for his body type. During the tail end of the season, his focus shifts to maintenance, employing lower rep schemes like sets of three, two, or even single repetitions with heavy weights, rather than chasing new personal records. This strategy ensures strength is preserved without over-fatiguing the body.
Interestingly, Ellis shares that in his younger college days, he engaged in high-volume training like German Volume Training (10 sets of 10 repetitions), even supersetting squats with lunges. This dedication to building mass and strength was paramount early in his career. However, as athletes progress up the ladder, the emphasis often subtly shifts from pure weight training volume to more game-specific skills and conditioning. This evolution highlights how training protocols adapt with an athlete’s development and competitive phase, prioritizing performance on the field over gym numbers.
The Bench Press: More Than Just a “Bro” Lift
Often considered a quintessential “bro” lift, the bench press holds significant importance in Ellis Genge’s training, performed two to three times a week with various modifications. For a front-row rugby player, a powerful bench press is vital for pushing opponents, maintaining stability in scrums, and overall upper body strength. Ellis typically favors a tight grip, believing it maximizes the effectiveness of the lift and offers better carryover to his rugby performance, in contrast to the wider, arched-back style often seen in powerlifting which aims to move maximum weight.
Bone Density and Rugby Impact
One of the most compelling insights from Ellis Genge is the link between heavy bench pressing and bone density, revealed through DEXA scans. He explains that front-row players who frequently lift substantial weights show exceptionally dense chests. This suggests that the immense compressive and tensile forces experienced during heavy benching contribute directly to strengthening bone structure, offering a crucial protective benefit in a collision sport like rugby. This scientific backing elevates the bench press beyond mere muscle building, positioning it as a fundamental movement for enhancing bodily robustness and injury resilience—a truly data-driven justification for its inclusion in an elite program.
Ellis’s personal best in the bench press is 180 kg, which he humorously attributes to “bench specializing” during a period when he was recovering from a lower body injury, allowing him to dedicate more focus to upper body strength. This anecdote further illustrates how training adapts to circumstances, always with an eye toward maximizing strength where possible.
Conditioning for “Repeated Effort”: The Unsung Hero
While strength and power are cornerstones of rugby, conditioning is arguably the unsung hero, crucial for sustaining performance throughout an 80-minute match. Ellis Genge emphasizes that rugby’s conditioning demands are not about prolonged, steady-state efforts, but rather about “repeated effort.” This means the ability to execute high-intensity bursts—like scrummaging, tackling, and sprinting—recurrently, even when fatigued. This unique requirement is addressed through specific, often brutal, conditioning protocols.
Watt Bike and Assault Bike Protocols
The Watt Bike is a key tool in Ellis’s conditioning arsenal. Protocols vary widely, from “mental fitness” sessions involving six 1-kilometer intervals to pure power sprints such as 6 seconds on with 24 seconds off, or 10 seconds on with 30 seconds off, and even 60 seconds on with 20 seconds off. These max-effort intervals are designed to push athletes to their physiological limits, fostering both anaerobic power and lactate tolerance. The public display of wattages on a whiteboard adds a competitive edge, motivating players to push harder.
The Assault Bike, however, stands out as Ellis’s least favorite, yet most effective, conditioning tool. Described as the “biggest finisher of a body,” it exemplifies the concept of letting the body “write a check it can’t cash.” He recalls a particularly grueling Matt Fraser workout: 20 calories every minute on the minute for six reps, totaling about eight minutes of work. Ellis finished his first set in a rapid 19 seconds, but by the last, it took him 37 seconds, demonstrating the rapid onset of fatigue that these machines induce. This intense, short-burst conditioning directly prepares players for the relentless, stop-start nature of rugby, ensuring they can perform repeatedly under duress.
Tackling Your Training: Q&A
Who is Ellis Genge?
Ellis Genge is a star player for England Rugby. He is known for his rigorous training regimen designed for peak performance and durability on the field.
What does ‘robustness’ mean in rugby training?
In rugby training, ‘robustness’ refers to an athlete’s ability to absorb impacts, recover quickly, and consistently perform at a high level without injury. It means developing an all-around durable physique.
What types of exercises are important for an elite rugby player?
Elite rugby players focus on a combination of strength, explosive power, and endurance. Key exercises include heavy pulling movements, squats, bench presses, and intense conditioning drills on equipment like Watt and Assault Bikes.
What is ‘assisted eccentric training’?
Assisted eccentric training is a technique where a partner helps an athlete lift a weight, allowing the athlete to then lower a heavier load by themselves. This method stimulates muscle growth and strength by emphasizing the lowering (eccentric) phase of a movement.
How do rugby players train for their unique endurance needs?
Rugby players train for ‘repeated effort’ conditioning, focusing on the ability to perform high-intensity bursts of activity repeatedly, even when fatigued. They use specific interval protocols on Watt and Assault Bikes to build anaerobic power and lactate tolerance.