How to train like OWEN FARRELL
OWEN is incredibly intense in his training and leaves no stone unturned. Whether it’s watching video, hours in the gym or kicking… he always wants to do more than everyone else.
People don’t see his intensity in the gym. He makes sure his body is in the best possible shape. Some weeks that will mean doing less and going to the pool. Other weeks it will be really pushing yourself with weights and watt bike sessions. He lives it. Day in, day out.
EYES
His vision is very good. You can bounce tennis balls off a net to improve your reactions. Sometimes you close your eyes and open them just before the ball lands to improve your speed. Some of it is natural. England do specific eye training with Dr Sherylle Calder.
SHOULDERS
The little muscles in your shoulder are as important as the big muscles. They are the ones that will break first in a big tackle. You want to be strong but also supple. There’s a lot of pre-hab work to strengthen your rotator cuff. Owen might put bands on the side of his weights or really try to throw them up to make it explosive.
HEART
His fitness is first class. The best players — Dan Carter Richie McCaw — have not been gym freaks but they have had an incredible fitness base. That means you never tire and always make good decisions. Repeated sprints help with those kick chases or getting up off the floor.
ARMS
He’s northern so he loves working on the guns with David Strettle at the end of a session! It helps when you have to really grab in a tackle or hand someone off. If you go to rip a ball in the contact, you also want to be strong in the pulling technique.
CORE
It’s a big thing to prevent injuries. With Eddie Jones, he likes you to stay straight when you are passing because a lot of players move across the field. You want to keep your chest and head straight so you can dummy or go. Being able to twist but stay straight is so important. That’s why you see England train with a harness around their waist a lot of the time.
LEGS
For Owen, it’s about kicking strength. When he’s doing his squats, they are explosive. A lot of work with sleds, a lot on his five-metre pick-up speed to get through the line. A lot of kicking is repetition. Your groin gets used to it. It all links in with your back and glutes.