England Sevens captain Tom Mitchell tells Sam Rider what a typical training week looks like
A week in the life of England Sevens captain Tom Mitchell
England Sevens captain Tom Mitchell is currently building up to the London leg of the World Series, which takes place on the weekend of 2-3 June at Twickenham.
The series then climaxes in Paris a week later, with Fiji and South Africa leading the standings while England currently sit in eighth.
Here Mitchell breaks down a typical training week for the England Sevens squad in the build-up to an HSBC World Sevens Series tournament, from rugby to recovery and strength workouts to speed sessions.
Monday morning
Speed – At our freshest we do 45 minutes of sprint training, focusing on technique, acceleration and top speed work.
Weights – Next is a weights workout (see details below), focusing on powerful, dynamic exercises to replicate the demands needed for the game.
Skills – When fatigue is setting in we introduce rugby-specific drills to challenge our ability to perform under pressure.
Monday lunch
Team meetings, analysis, physio appointments or some much-needed downtime to mentally switch off and recharge.
How it’s done: Tom Mitchell puts some journalists through their paces (John Marsh)
Monday afternoon
Rugby – practise match-specific exercises and scenarios.
Tuesday
Divided into half strength and conditioning and half rugby training.
Wednesday
Half-day for recovery – a time for massages, pilates or pool recovery sessions.
Thursday
The same as Tuesday.
Friday
The same as Tuesday.
Saturday and Sunday
Tournament time!
Weights workout
Here’s an example of a weighs workout England Sevens will do. Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds, continuously rotating around the three stations for three to five rounds.
Show of strength: Battle ropes are part of the circuit (John Marsh)
STATION 1
Prowler push
Farmer’s carry
Med ball slams
Box jumps
Battle ropes
STATION 2
Dumb-bell squat press
Dumb-bell reverse lunge
Jammer
Banded pull-up
Press-up
STATION 3
“Trunk” exercises – variations of static, dynamic and anti-rotation core moves.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.