Activ8 Performance
Rugby, General Fitness, Strength & Conditioning, Endurance, Functional Fitness, Functional Training, Field Sports
Coach
Peter Mamo
Coming out of the off-season? Build the engine that wins the last 20 minutes. 8-week off-feet conditioning for rugby league.
Features0 sessions per week
Must use App app to view and log training
Program Training
GET FIT DURING THE OFF-SEASON
Preseason injuries happen when conditioning volume and running load collide. Off-feet conditioning lets you build a large aerobic base with high weekly volume while keeping ground reaction forces and soft-tissue load low. That protects your joints, hamstrings and calves, and leaves your running allocation free for what running should be used for top-end speed, acceleration and skills.
THE AEROBIC SYSTEM PAYS FOR EVERY EFFORT
Rugby league isn’t an aerobic sport but it is an aerobically dependent one. Every sprint, every carry and every tackle is funded by the aerobic system: it resynthesises your ATP between efforts, clears lactate, and restores the phosphocreatine you need for the next hit-up. A bigger engine doesn’t mean you run more. It means you recover faster between the efforts that decide games.
REPEAT EFFORTS IS THE GAME
The moments that decide matches are repeated high-intensity efforts. Three or more maximal efforts separated by less than 21 seconds. A goal-line set. A kick chase into a stop/start. This program trains that exact quality with “set & restart” clusters built to mirror a defensive set, then measures it with a repeat-effort test so you can prove your drop-off is shrinking.
TRAIN BY HEART RATE, NOT FEEL
Every session in this program has a target, a heart rate zone, a power output, a recovery threshold. You test in week 1, benchmark again in week 4, and finish with a full assessment in week 8. You’ll know your max aerobic power, your peak power and your repeat-effort drop-off. No guessing whether it worked.
Features
Programming 4 days per week
4 sessions built as ENGINE, QUALITY, SUPPORT and APPLICATION across 8 weeks. Every session offers a rower, Watt Bike, SkiErg or Assault bike option.
Exercise Video Guidance
Instructional videos covering machine set-up, damper and resistance selection, pacing, and how to execute each conditioning method correctly.
Delivered through TrainHeroic
Sweating over a lifeless PDF is so over. Your coaches and team will push you harder, know you better, and keep you going longer, all through an app.
Sample Week
Week 1 of 8-week program
FITNESS IS A WEAPON
There is no skill, no size and no speed that survives an empty tank. The players who are still dangerous in the 70th minute are the ones who built the engine to be there.
Get The Engine Room
FAQs
Who is this for?
Do I need all 4 machines?
Do I really need a heart monitor?
Can I run this along side a gym program?
Can I do this in-season?
How long are the sessions?
What results should I expect?
Is this a running program?
Rugby league players from developing semi-professional through to elite level, and any collision-sport athlete who wants a structured preseason conditioning base. It suits players preparing for a preseason and players returning from lower-limb injury who need to build fitness off their feet.
No. You need one. Every session gives you a Concept2 rower, Watt Bike, SkiErg and Assault bike option with the specific settings for each. You can stick to one machine for all 8 weeks or rotate between them — the only rule is that you test on the same machine every time.
Yes. This program is heart-rate driven, and the aerobic blocks in particular only work if you hold the prescribed zone. I suggest a chest strap over a wrist optical sensor as optical readings lag too much during intervals to be useful for the recovery targets.
Yes. it’s designed for it. Two of the four weekly sessions are low-intensity and actively aid recovery from lifting. The program includes integration notes for scheduling around heavy lower-body sessions, and pairs directly with THE BUILD and Off Season Strength for Rugby League.
The full program is built as a preseason block. In-season, run Days 1 and 3 as a maintenance dose and drop the high-intensity sessions.
Between 30 and 60 minutes including warm-up and cool-down. The longest sessions are the low-intensity aerobic days in Blocks 1 and 2.
Across 8 weeks, typical improvements are 7–12% in max aerobic power and 5–10% in repeat-effort test distance, with a measurable reduction in repeat-effort drop-off. You’ll have the numbers to prove it you test in week 1, week 4 and week 8.
No. Every session is off your feet. That’s deliberate: it lets you build a serious engine without adding running volume, so your speed and skills work stays high quality and your soft tissue stays healthy.
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