Rugby Off-Season
Strength
Forwards.
An 8-week off-season strength program built specifically for rugby forwards. Add size, build maximum strength, and enter pre-season stronger, more powerful, and better prepared for the contact demands of the pack.
One-time purchase. Instant download. Lifetime access.
Why this program
The off-season is when
seasons are built.
The off-season isn't downtime. It's the window where forwards get bigger, stronger, and better prepared for the contact demands of pre-season and the year ahead. Waste it and you're playing catch-up from round one. Use it well and you show up to camp already ahead.
This program is built for that. Eight weeks of focused strength work designed specifically for the physical demands of forward play. Not a generic gym program dressed up in rugby colours. The exercises, the loading, the progression, and the rest patterns are all calibrated for what forwards actually need to build.
Four sessions a week. Structured into two 4-week blocks that progress from volume and technique into serious strength and endurance work. The kind of block a serious forward would run with a professional S&C coach, made available to you.
What you get
Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
Two professionally designed assets, delivered the moment you purchase. Built to be used together and built to last well beyond your first off-season block.
The PDF Program Guide
25 pages of structured training laid out session by session across two progressive blocks. Includes warm-ups, exercise sequencing, sets, reps, tempo, rest periods, and clickable links to a video demonstration of every movement.
The Excel Tracking Spreadsheet
Log your weights every session and watch your progression across the 8 weeks. The spreadsheet mirrors the program so you always know what you lifted last time and what to push for next session.
Optional Mobility Sessions
Three structured mobility sessions you can drop in between strength days or on active recovery days. Built around the joints and patterns forwards demand most: hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.
Recovery & Regeneration Protocol
The full recovery framework we use in clinic. A regeneration points system, hydration markers, and evidence-based nutrition guidelines for strength and power athletes. Recover better between sessions, adapt faster.
Alternate Exercise Library
Every primary lift comes with two alternate options. Travelling, busy gym, or limited equipment? Swap the movement, keep the program. No session ever has to be skipped.
The 8-week progression
Two blocks. One goal.
Bigger, stronger, ready to hit.
The program is periodised into two 4-week blocks. Volume and intensity progress deliberately so your body builds real capacity rather than getting smashed.
Build the base. Movement quality, hypertrophy, and the strength imbalances that show up when the off-season lets you actually address them. RPE 7. 3-5 reps in reserve.
Intensity steps up. Heavier loads, tempo work, and the kind of strength endurance that shows up in the 70th minute of a match. RPE 7-9. 1-3 reps in reserve.
Why this works
Six gains that
change your game.
Muscle Growth & Size
Build lean muscle mass and develop the key muscle groups forwards need to become stronger, more powerful, and more physically resilient.
Maximum Strength
Develop whole-body strength to improve your ability to dominate contact, maintain body position, and win physical battles.
Explosive Power
Improve your ability to produce force quickly for powerful carries, tackles, ruck work, jumping, and explosive movements from short distances.
Contact & Collision Resilience
Build the strength and stability needed to repeatedly absorb and produce contact while maintaining strong body positions.
Repeated Effort Capacity
Develop the endurance and physical capacity to repeatedly carry, tackle, ruck, and get back into position throughout the match.
Resilience & Recovery
Strengthen the muscles, tendons, and joints exposed to the demands of contact rugby, while improving your ability to tolerate training loads and recover between sessions.
How it fits your off-season
Four sessions a week.
Room for the rest.
The program is structured so you can hit it hard without wrecking the rest of your off-season. Two days on, one day off. That leaves plenty of room for on-field conditioning, mobility, or genuine rest days when you need them.
A typical training week
An example only. Days can shift to suit your week. What matters is completing all four sessions, ideally on no more than two consecutive days.
Is this for me?
Built for forwards
ready to build.
This program is designed for rugby forwards who want to use the off-season properly. It assumes you're comfortable in a gym and ready to train hard, but the structure is progressive enough that any committed forward can follow it.
Forwards ready to take their off-season training to the next level
Players looking to build muscle, strength, and physical power
Players wanting to handle contact and the physical demands of the pack better
Players wanting to enter pre-season stronger, fitter, and better prepared
Club, colts, university, or professional forwards using the off-season properly
A preview of what's inside
Sample session.
Block 1, Session 1.
Every session is laid out exactly like this, with progressive reps and tempo prescriptions across each week of the block.
| Seq | Exercise | Sets | Reps W1 | Reps W4 | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WU | Supine Hamstring Kicks | 2 | 10ea | 10ea | 30s |
| WU | KB BU Press | 2 | 15ea | 15ea | 30s |
| WU | KB Hinge to Squat | 2 | 10 | 8 | 30s |
| A1 | Barbell Deadlift | 3-4 | 12 | 8 | 2-3min |
| A2 | NCM Box Jump | 3-4 | 4 | 5 | 1-2min |
| A3 | SA DB Floor Press | 3-4 | 12ea | 8ea | 2-3min |
| B1 | Incline Neutral Press | 3-4 | 10 | 8 | 1-2min |
| B2 | Incline DB Tri Ext | 3-4 | 12 | 8 | 30-90s |
| B3 | Heel Elevated SL Glute Bridge | 3-4 | 15ea | 10ea | 30-90s |
| C1 | Tall Kneeling Landmine Press | 3 | 10ea | 8ea | 30-90s |
| C2 | Tall Kneeling Landmine Rotations | 3 | 10ea | 8ea | 30-90s |
| C3 | Nordic Curls | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30-90s |
Common
questions.
Everything you need to know before you start.
Two files, delivered to your email instantly. A 25-page PDF program guide with all 8 weeks of training, full exercise descriptions, video links, mobility sessions, and the recovery framework. Plus an Excel spreadsheet that lets you log your weights every session and track progression across the full block structure.
Adjust your schedule and complete it on a different day. Consistency over the 8 weeks matters more than sticking to a rigid weekly pattern. Aim to complete all four sessions each week to maintain the intended progression.
Standard commercial gym equipment. Barbell with plates, dumbbells, kettlebells, a bench, resistance bands, and basic gym machines. Every exercise comes with two alternate options if specific equipment isn't available.
The programming is built for the contact and collision demands of forward play. If you're a back or a rugby league player, the general principles still apply but you'd get more relevant work from a position-appropriate program.
Ideally 8 weeks of genuine off-season with no matches, so you can build without competition load stacking on top. If you've got more, repeat Block 1 to extend the foundation phase. If you've got less, you can start in Block 2 with a couple of transition weeks first.
Stop the exercise straight away. Review your form, consider reducing load or range of motion, and try again. If pain persists, contact us at reception@4dhp.com or consult a healthcare professional before continuing.
As this is a digital product delivered instantly, we're unable to offer refunds once the file has been downloaded. If you have any issues accessing your file, contact us at reception@4dhp.com and we'll sort it out.
Own the off-season.
Own the season ahead.
8 weeks of forwards-specific strength training, built to enter pre-season bigger, stronger, and better prepared.