Rugby Off-Season
Strength
Backs.
An 8-week off-season strength program built specifically for rugby backs. Build power, sharpen change of direction, and enter pre-season faster, stronger, and better prepared to attack space when the season returns.
One-time purchase. Instant download. Lifetime access.
Why this program
Speed is built.
Not born.
The best backs aren't just fast. They're strong under load, quick to change direction, hard to bring down, and able to repeat high-speed efforts across a full 80 minutes. All of those qualities are trainable, and the off-season is when you build them.
This program is designed for that. Eight weeks of focused strength work built specifically for the demands of back play. Not a generic gym program dressed up in rugby colours. The exercises, the loading, and the movement patterns are calibrated for what backs actually need: power, speed, agility, and the resilience to keep expressing them.
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 back 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 backs demand most: hips, thoracic spine, and adductors.
Recovery & Regeneration Protocol
The full recovery framework we use in clinic. A regeneration points system, hydration markers, and evidence-based nutrition guidelines for speed 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.
Faster, stronger, harder to stop.
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 last quarter of a match when the game opens up. 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 backs need to become stronger, more powerful, and more physically resilient.
Explosive Power
Develop size and the ability to generate force quickly for explosive carries, line breaks, jumping, stepping, and attacking opportunities.
Change of Direction
Improve your ability to brake, step, cut, and re-accelerate efficiently, giving you the physical qualities to beat defenders and react quickly in space.
Contact & Carrying
Build whole-body strength and stability to stay strong through contact, maintain balance, and finish carries effectively.
Repeated High-Speed Efforts
Develop the capacity to repeatedly sprint, accelerate, and make explosive efforts throughout a match without a drop-off in performance.
Resilience & Recovery
Strengthen the muscles, tendons, and joints most exposed to the demands of high-speed rugby, while improving your ability to recover and handle increased training loads.
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 speed work, sprint 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 backs
ready to build.
This program is designed for rugby backs 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 back can follow it.
Backs looking to add structured strength training to their off-season
Players wanting to improve speed, acceleration, agility, and power
Players wanting to build physical resilience and reduce their risk of common rugby injuries
Players wanting to return to pre-season stronger, faster, and better prepared
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 | KB Bottom Up Straight Leg Raise | 2 | 10ea | 10ea | 30s |
| WU | KB Rollover | 2 | 5ea | 5ea | 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 | 1/2 Body DB Press | 3-4 | 15ea | 8ea | 2-3min |
| B1 | Tall Kneeling Landmine Press | 3-4 | 10ea | 8ea | 1-2min |
| B2 | Tall Kneeling Landmine Rotations | 3-4 | 10ea | 8ea | 30-90s |
| B3 | Nordic Curls | 3-4 | 15 | 8 | 30-90s |
| C1 | Bridged Lat/Tri Reach | 3 | 10 | 8 | 30-90s |
| C2 | Push Up Pyramid | 3 | AMRAP | AMRAP | 30-90s |
| C3 | Long Lever SL Hip Iso | 3 | 5ea (10s) | 8ea (7s) | 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 around the speed, agility, and repeated high-effort demands of back play. If you're a forward or a heavy contact-first player, you'd get more relevant work from our Off-Season Strength Program for Forwards, which is calibrated for the collision and pack demands of forward play.
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 backs-specific strength training, built to enter pre-season faster, stronger, and better prepared.