teaching you exactly what you need to know
At the Academy we are passionate not only about building better athletes but helping you learn along the way. The fitness industry can be a funny space and there's a LOT of misinformation, often to sell something they're pushing.
We can honestly say that everything we write about or put on social media is accurate to the best of our knowledge and other research that has been carried out. We want this to be an information hub for people to learn how to perform better.
Honest training advice from Sam Warburton. If you need any info that is strength and conditioning based then this is where you will find it.
These are some of our most asked questions
We hope these help with any questions that you may have. If these don't answer yours in particular then feel free to reach out on Instagram or via email, we are here to help.
What does the nutrition programme consist of?
First off if you want to change your body composition (gain muscle or lose body fat) then it’s essential that you know how many calories are going in. When you sign up you will fill out our on boarding questionnaire. From that we will have all the info we need to calculate your calorie intake for you and your goals. You can select how many meals you would like to eat across the day and how many snacks. You can also select any eating preferences and foods that you would like left out of your programme. As a part of your membership, you will be provided nutrition recipes and guidance from the team on hitting your personal calorie goal.
Can I track my weights?
Inside the app you will get your programme through with all your sets and reps for that given session. You can then note down the weights you used for each exercise. This is essential so you can ensure that you’re progressing throughout the programme. If you used 20kg DB’s say for shoulder press last time then we would ideally like to see those weights increasing over the training block even if only by a few kg as this will add up over time.
Is there just weight lifting programmes?
As well as our comprehensive Strength and Conditioning programmes we also have pre season rugby fitness drills, sprint sessions, conditioning sessions both on pitch and off feet, home workouts with minimal kit if you’re on holiday or don’t have access to your gym for whatever reason. As well as those we have recovery sessions that consist of Yoga class which are run by one of the best in the game Alecs Donovan and Mobility class again by an industry leader Richard Hughes. The recovery classes are scheduled in some programme but they are available to all members to use any time and we recommend you do so for longevity and to avoid injury.
How many days a week do I have to train?
The athlete gym programs run in either 4 or 5 day options for weights with other sessions available such as conditioning and running drills. The Body Comp programmes are available in 3, 4 or 5 day options. Pick whichever suits you and your lifestyle better, you’re better off picking 3 days a week and hitting all of those sessions consistently then picking 5 and missing 1-2 a week as the training splits will ensure you’re hitting each area the right amount across the week.
What kind of support do I get as an SW7 Academy member?
You will get access to all our coaches via our Facebook group for any questions you have. As well as this we also have a support email account to help with any technical questions, memberships, fitness coaching app etc. We pride ourselves on looking after our members the absolute best we can and you will always have multiple options when you need any form of help.
Do I have to be a rugby player?
Absolutely not. The beauty of training like a rugby player is that you have to be good at many aspects of fitness. This is why the program is varied with pre season rugby fitness drills, circuits, various weight and resistance methods, rehabilitation and pre-habilitation all included. We also now have our 'body composition' programs in addition to our 'performance' programs. These are aimed at either fat loss or muscle gain as opposed to sports performance. These would be seen as more suited to the every day gym goer who doesn’t partake in contact sports.
What facilities/gym equipment will I need?
Most commercial gyms, cross-fit facilities etc will have everything you will need. To do 90% of the programmes you would need a Barbell with plates, sets of dumbbells, and a rack. A full gym would be better for sure and we would recommend finding one with a prowler if you’re on the pre season rugby fitness drills. We can give alternatives but it’s a great piece of kit for training for contact sports and explore power. You can message the team at any time to change an exercise if you don’t have the right kit to hand.
When is the best time to start the programme?
You can start at any time. Any of the programs you join will start from day 1 so you won't have missed anything. The rugby specific programmes are designed to either run through pre-season or in-season. You can join either at any time. Similar with our Body Composition programmes you can start these absolutely any time. We have both muscle gain and fat loss programmes there.