SAM WARBURTON
"OLD HABITS DIE HARD.
I’LL DO THIS ALL THE WAY INTO MY LATER YEARS”
Sam Warburton reveals his blueprint for building strength, power and a body to stand the test of time
During his playing days, Sam Warburton reached the pinnacle of his sport: regarded as one of the best rugby players in the world, thanks to his powerful athleticism and unfaltering dedication. He amassed 74 caps for Wales, won two Six Nations titles, and captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2013 and 2017 tours.
But despite hanging up his boots four years ago, you certainly wouldn’t know it to look at him. Rather than losing his muscle mass and expanding his waistline – as is the way with many ex-professionals – Warburton hasn’t given up the elite training methods that underpinned his triumphant playing career. He still trains like an athlete – albeit with less volume – and with his SW7 Academy, he’s helping others adopt the techniques that made him so successful on the pitch… and a man mountain off it.
“My training hasn’t changed much,” Warburton tells MF. “I remember my mum saying to me, ‘You’ll put weight on like the rest of us when you stop playing!’ I said, ‘No, I won’t. I promise you I’ll carry on training.’
“Old habits die hard. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t do anywhere near the running loads I used to do. When you’re training for rugby, you might do 10-20k in a week. Whereas now I do roughly zero! But I still do strength and power training, mobility and pre-hab work. So I train less – three to four times a week – but I’ll do this all the way into my later years. There’s a lot of evidence pointing to how beneficial strength and power training is for longevity, health and performance. It’s also something I love.”
POWER GAME
Many people will be surprised that Warburton still places a heavy emphasis on power training. While it was a vital component for his explosivity on the rugby pitch, Warburton insists it has universal values, helping any man to develop rapid force production, explosive reactions and physical durability. It will also equip you for everything from sprints and drives, to being able to pick up your kids, swing an axe or throw a ball.
“I still train for power now,” says Warburton, who enjoys trap bar jumps and box jumps (see workout). “Even if you’re doing low-level jump training and power training, it helps you in everyday life. I just slipped on a rope, but I quickly regained my balance because I’m used to that (sudden) exposure. So if you can integrate low-level power training into your workouts, it is massively beneficial. And, of course, explosive power transfers to your jump and your acceleration and – from a rugby perspective – your efforts in contact, too.”
