Some people may think that outside of matches, a typical ‘day’ is one that includes lots of rest, but that’s rarely true as we’re spending most of our time researching or prepping for the next game. Much like the typical 9 to 5, we’re expected to work hard right from the get go. Several hours of training drills, four daily meals, and a regular supps intake are on the agenda every single day - there’s no let up.
06:00
For me, I’m up at 06:00, and it’s straight to the kitchen for my first breakfast of the day. I’ll load up on carbs ahead of a few hours of intense training, with a big bowl of porridge, one banana and a portion of blueberries. That’ll be washed down with a Maximuscle Promax shake.
It’s then off to the club, where I’ll make up a quick BCAA 3000 pre-workout, before a heavy weights session at 08:00. As a team, we’ll attack one muscle group per day. Tuesday is chest for example, and we’ll split each day across the other big muscle groups. Post-session, it’s a second Promax shake to help restore muscles.
09:00
After the gym we’ll eat together as a team, and by 09:00 I’ll most likely be topping up on some poached eggs, bacon and spinach on wholemeal toast. From now and throughout the rest of the day, I’m constantly sipping water or the occasional green tea to keep the hydration levels up.
10:00
By 10:00 we’re in rugby mode, and we’ll be talking strategy ahead of our next game. We’ll analyse our last matches, learn from any mistakes and build upon our strengths before analysing who we’re up against next week. Tactics are vital for us, so this is a really important hour.
Once we’ve done our research, we’ll hit the training field with some unit sessions – line-outs or scrums, to work on our drills for the next match.
13:00
By 13:00 we’ll have showered, changed, and I’ll grab some lunch. For me, that’s usually a chicken breast, sweet potato and some vegetables, again with another green tea and loads of water.
14:00
A quick turnaround, and by 14:00 we’re back on the pitch for our second session of the day – contact work, plus some more drills.
15:00
We’re usually done by 15:00 and after another Promax chocolate shake and some quick media duties, I’ll leave the club and head home.
17:00
The rest of the evening from around 17:00 onwards is for some rest and recovery. I’ll grab a Promax bar when I arrive home, before a few hours of down time, a balanced evening meal of fish (usually salmon), vegetables and brown rice.
21:00
By 21:00 I’ll be in bed, nursing a Maximuscle micellar casein shake before we go again.
