Ride to win: Episode 2 - Maximising Match Conditioning

What’s the secret to keeping the All Blacks in peak physical condition week after week throughout the season?

Listen to Episode 2 of our Ride to Win miniseries with Nic Gill, All Blacks S&C Coach, to learn how he varies training for 35-40 individual squad players in order to keep them continuously performing at their best.

It takes creativity and finding new ways to give players exposure to high-intensity work without necessarily being on the pitch.

“The All Blacks don’t really have an off-season. We use the Wattbike to get ready for games, week on week. Whatever the session, we can trust that the bikes are going to hold up to it.”

Throughout the season, Wattbike sessions could involve anything from high intensity speed work, anaerobic lactate tolerance work or power outputs through to general endurance or recovery sessions on the bike.

As an S&C Coach to a professional team of this magnitude, comes pressure. Nic is constantly trying to get the athletes fitter, performing at their peak every week after week, and to achieve both these things without injuring the players.

“When I talk about the Wattbike and my passion for this tool, it comes from the fact that I can get athletes fitter, more powerful and quicker, and we’ve never had an injury from it.”

Tune in to Episode 3 of the Ride to Win miniseries where we talk to Nic about Off-Feet Conditioning.