IN THE September edition of Rugby World, London Irish take us through a session of Pilates. The full squad took part in one session per week during pre-season at Ten…
Fitness
Building upper body strength: the bear crawl
WE'RE STARTING to work the upper body. John Dams, Harlequins' head of strength and conditioning, shows us some variations of the old classic, the bench press, in the September edition…
Building the foundations: the shuttle test
ARE YOU starting to feel the effects of pre-season training? John Dams, Harlequins’ head of strength and conditioning has put together a workout to build your base strength in the…
Assess your fitness: the 3 cone test
IT’S TIME to dust off your trainers, because pre-season training is beckoning. First things first, you need to assess how fit you are currently in order to set goals and…
Conditioning combo 6: Prowler push, sled drag & skipping
THIS IS the sixth and final instalment of this season’s conditioning combos series put together by Harlequins head of strength & conditioning John Dams. They are all dynamic three-exercise circuits…
Conditioning combo 5: chin-ups, get-ups and dynamic side plank
THIS IS the fifth in a series of conditioning combos put together by Harlequins head of strength & conditioning John Dams. They are all dynamic three-exercise circuits or ‘triple…
Conditioning combo 4: Prowler push, farmer walk & med-ball slams
THIS IS the fourth in a series of conditioning combos put together by Harlequins head of strength & conditioning John Dams. They are all dynamic three-exercise circuits or ‘triple sets’,…
How to – Fight the Festive Flab
THE FESTIVE season always leads to an increased intake of food and drink. But try to keep your diet in check, maintain some sort of training routine and get rid…
How to – Stay in Top Condition
AS THE festive season looms, you will need to manage your time and social life well, writes John Dams, Harlequins’ head of strength and conditioning. So while others take a…
Conditioning combo 3: sled drags, press-ups & med ball throws
THIS IS the third in a series of conditioning combos put together by Harlequins head of strength & conditioning John Dams. They are all dynamic three-exercise circuits or ‘triple sets’,…