How to Gain Weight for Rugby
Rugby, like American football, is a game of speed, strength and mass. Being bigger makes a player hit more forcefully, and thus be more effective. Having a great amount of muscle mass makes receiving a blow easier. Gaining weight for rugby is not as easy as eating a few fast-food burgers.
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Instructions
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Eat five meals a day. Building and maintaining muscles increases metabolism, which requires frequent meals and snacks. Because rugby players need to be big, three of your meals should be large. Think protein, carbohydrates and fat. Snacks should have several hundred calories.
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Feed your muscles. While protein does not build muscle, it's crucial for muscle growth. How? When exercising the muscles, they tear, and protein helps repair muscles as they grow and strengthen. Add protein powder to cereals or oatmeal or snack or a protein and low-fat milk shake.
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Get at least eight hours of sleep per night. An often overlooked key to muscle building is getting enough sleep. The Irish Rugby Football Union notes that during sleep, growth hormones increase and helping turn consumed food into muscle.
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Know the difference between fat and muscle. Increasing calories without working out will lead to weight gain, but also an increase in fat. This can be detrimental to a player's health and skill level. Muscle growth can be achieved through eating large portions of healthy food and exercising. Engage in weight training and cardiovascular training.
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Engage in weight training at least three days a week. Resistance training is necessary for muscle gain. Different rugby clubs might vary on training programs, but resistance work is required for muscle growth and strengthening.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find that you're gaining weight but not muscle mass, cut out the energy dense foods, which are high in calories but low in nutritional value.
