The Rugby Pod: Wattbike Bootcamp

With the Rugby World Cup mere months away – the very top tier of the sport, on the level of the Olympic Games for its athletes – we have teamed up with the Rugby Pod and the legendary All Blacks Strength and Conditioning Coach Nic Gill to challenge two titans of British rugby, ‘big’ Jim Hamilton and the now nearly as big Andy ‘Goodey’ Goode.

Playing at a recent charity game, the retired Leicester Tigers legend Goodey turned to former teammate turned regular mate Jim and said: I need some help. Fortunately, the pair would be hosting Nic Gill on their podcast just a few weeks later.

Longer-term Wattbikers will know of Nic ‘Gilly’ Gill and his relationship with the “Watties”. The New Zealand All Blacks have been making use of the Wattbike in their strength and conditioning training for over a decade now, and Gilly is a major proponent of their use.

“They’re massively important for me to be able to get more fitness gains without any risk of injury,” says Gilly on The Rugby Pod. “It's a way of getting really solid energy system development, really good conditioning with low risk.”

Goodey’s goal is to lose 10kg, something a lot of people – regardless of their past experiences in sports – can relate to when they turn to Wattbike. A six week training plan that builds from ground zero is on the cards, along with insight into nutrition and the approach to eating well to support activity. But it’s not what you’d expect, because as a fan of a well-brewed recovery beverage, Gilly’s promised to show Goodey some ways to keep the perks while still reaping the just rewards.

As for the braggadocious Big Jim? He wants to see how he measures up to the mighty All Blacks, taking on some of the challenges the players undertake and seeing how he will compare to the power players of today.

Goodey’s Plan – building from ground zero

Big Jim’s Plan – test yourself against the best

Access both plans for free on the Wattbike Hub