4 Rugby Captains Explain How They Stayed Jacked During Lockdown

We’ve done enough of them over the past year to conclude that lockdowns are tough, and finding the motivation to train through them can be even harder.

But if you need the inspiration to help you stay fit and build muscle during lockdown, who better to look to than the Home Nations rugby captains? These are the men, after all, who lead their players into battle with the hopes of their respective nations resting heavily on their shoulders, so leading the rest of us through a lockdown or two should be a piece of cake.

Below, we hear from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland captains, Owen Farrell, Alun Wyn Jones, Johnny Sexton and Stuart Hogg, on how they keep fit during lockdown, how they built muscle at home and why it’s not a terrible idea to use a small child as a weighted vest. We—and Sexton—are joking about the last one.

Owen Farrell – England Captain

Men’s Health: What did you do at home to keep fit during lockdown?

Owen Farrell: I managed to get some gym equipment for my home so I could keep fit during lockdown – I got a squat rack, a bench, some dumbbells and an air bike. I think the main thing in the first lockdown was that it was sunny and I could take a ball outside, do some running and kick a ball around, but that’s trickier now.

MH: How do you go about building power and strength at home?

OF: I think that any exercises done properly can help build power and strength. I think burpees are a great exercise to get yourself going. Skipping is tough and is good to keep you moving. It’s just about finding something that you enjoy doing, something that you can be competitive with and seeing where you can take that.

MH: What advice would you give to fans looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home?

OF: For fans looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, I would say it’s best to utilize your time well and try and get out of the house – even just walking around outside helps to clear your mind. I think that’s important to make yourself feel good.

MH: Talk us through an average training day when you were in full lockdown…

OF: I was fortunate that I kept in touch with one of the England conditioners during lockdown. The important thing was that I enjoyed my training – with no games at the weekend and nothing to prepare for it was a matter of being ready for anything and challenging myself.

My training routine changed from day to day in lockdown, it had to remain fairly open as I have a young family so I was doing it as and when I could while also enjoying trying to enjoy my time at home with them.

MH: How has this changed now that you’re playing again?

OF: My training day has changed a lot since we started playing again. We now work with smaller groups in training with a lot of downtime between sessions because of that. It’s very different at the moment.

Alun Wyn Jones – Wales Captain

Men’s Health: What did you do at home to keep fit during lockdown?

Alun Wyn Jones: Over the years I’ve accumulated an array of training gear so I was pretty fortunate when the first lockdown hit and we were left to exercise from home. I found that having a routine was just as important as having lots of equipment. When and how you work out is just as important as what you do.

I had a Wattbike and some weights at home, so I was able to get a plan together and stick to a routine while ensuring the family was healthy and safe. I also did a lot of stuff with them – we’re fortunate to live by the coast so we did lots of activities together to stay healthy.

MH: What advice would you give to fans looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home?

AWN: For fans looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, think about a routine, but also ensure you have balance. If you start a training regime, ease your way in as you don’t want to be super strict for too long, otherwise, you won’t stick to it. I think balance is the key. Once you have a plan, make sure you have times where you can relax and treat yourself, especially in the times we live in now, sticking to a diet or training plan is even harder. So, if you factor in the balance you hopefully should see some progression.

MH: What advice would you give to fans looking to maintain muscle mass during lockdown?

AWN: For those looking to maintain muscle mass during lockdown I think a lot can be achieved with a resistance band, rather than going into full gym mode and having to invest in lots of equipment. If you get a good resistance band there is so much you can do. Even if you don’t have a band, there are so many bodyweight exercises and isometric holds so there’s a plethora of things you can do.

MH: Talk us through an average training day when you were in full lockdown?

AWN: During full lockdown, I needed to ensure I got my family onboard with my training routine, so they knew what I was doing and I wasn’t just disappearing for an hour or so at a time. Usually, it would be training in the morning and in the afternoon. I also made a point to find time to spend with the family because that was the most important thing, being at home and making the most of that and not getting swept away by the training side of things. I was able to both though because my wife was very understanding, but it would usually consist of a double training day, three or four times a week.

MH: How has this changed now that you’re playing again?

AWN: When we went back into training there were a lot of firsts – the first time someone tested positive, the first time we did PCR testing, the first time we had a socially distanced huddle, and all those little things to limit contact. The separated anthems and wearing the masks etc, all these things were as new to us as everyone else. We’ve done a lot of firsts and I’m sure we’ll continue to do more.

Johnny Sexton – Ireland Captain

Men’s Health: What did you do at home to keep fit during lockdown?

Johnny Sexton: During the first lockdown we were in the same position as everyone else as we weren’t out training. We were lucky in the fact we had sessions sent to us that we had to do, but at the start we didn’t have any gym equipment, so it was all bodyweight exercises and circuits. We were allowed within five kilometers of our house, so we were able to go for runs. As things went on, we got to get a bit more gym equipment from Leinster dropping it to our house and we were able to do more standard sessions in the garden with the weights we had. It was a challenge, but it was good, and it was rewarding. I thought the days I had trained earlier in the morning in the lockdown were the days I enjoyed the most and felt like I had a bit of a routine going and back to the old ways of working. It was definitely important for mental health as well just to get some exercise in.

MH: What advice would you give to fans looking to maintain power and strength during lockdown?

JS: If you’re looking to maintain power and strength during lockdown then find a bit of space and get a lot of circuits and press-ups in. Getting one of the kids on your back to add some weight is ideal. Burpees and up-downs too. I’ve got a small garden in Dublin, but you still have enough space to do an up-down, out and back, those type of exercises are the things we were encouraged to do to keep fit. Squats, wall sits are also good exercises.

MH: Talk us through an average training day when you were in full lockdown?

JS: During peak lockdown it was all about running sessions, so I’d get out early and get my run done. Again, I brought my kids with me to keep me entertained and get them out. They got in the way a few times but that’s what I’d do. Then I’d get home nice and early, have breakfast, chill out and play with the kids for a while and try get a weights session done in the afternoon. At the start I had limited gym equipment in the house, but was able to do circuit-type exercises, high reps, press-ups, squats, all those things. We were very lucky in Leinster that we had the staff deliver all of the bench presses, weights and dumbbells to each person’s house. We made do with what we had and I actually enjoyed it. Over those few weeks the weather was good and I have some fond memories.

MH: How has this changed now that you’re playing again?

JS: Once we got back into Leinster, we were only allowed six people in the gym at any one time, so the day was very spread out. When you finished in the gym, you went out for a pitch session and a fitness session and then it was home. Short days and very strange days not being able to see the whole squad, but we were very lucky at that stage even to be allowed back and train together in any capacity. We would have to leave 15 to 20 minutes at the end of gym sessions to clean all of the equipment to make it ready for the next group that came in. It was strange times, and I still probably haven’t got used to them but we’re making do.

Stuart Hogg – Scotland Captain

Men’s Health: What did you do at home to keep fit during lockdown?

SH: During the first lockdown, the strength and conditioning team at Exeter created a WhatsApp group which helped to keep the team motivated and focused on their fitness. I actually turned my garage into a gym so that I could really concentrate on my training. I would spend about two to three hours a day in their lifting weights and working on my overall fitness, it really helped to keep me going.

MH: What are your top five favorite exercises for building power and strength?

SH: It’s amazing what you can do by just using your bodyweight to keep fit and maintain strength and power at home. I had fun playing around with different exercises likes squats, lunges and even star jumps. I used my sofa to help me with my press-ups using it to put my feet on and then my hands in order to tackle different parts of my upper body.

MH: What advice would you give to fans looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home?

SH: For fans wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, make sure to mix things up. Keep the diet varied and packed full of vegetables, healthy carbohydrates and protein. We tried to stay healthy for five to six days but there were always one or two days when we would treat ourselves to some chocolate. I think it’s important to maintain this level of balance especially for good mental health.

The key thing for my family was routine, with three children it was important for my wife and I that we made sure they were staying healthy. On a personal level, the WhatsApp group created by the Strength and Conditioning team at Exeter really helped me. We’d challenge each other to different exercises to keep the element of competition within the squad. It really helped to push me to want to be the best every, single day.

MH: How has your training changed now you’re playing again?

SH: During the first lockdown there were groups of five-six of us spread out across the field doing a lot of different fitness-based exercises, especially running. The main aim was to get the load back in the legs and the lungs. Once we were in level two of lockdown we played in small groups, making sure we were mindful of the health and safety regulations set by the Government. Eventually, we built this up to allow us to play full-contact rugby.

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