P.S. it’s not “these 5 exercises” you’ll find on TickTok. That’s dumb.
Step 1: Do the thing you want to get better at
Collision dominance is a skill.
Practice it like any other skill – with repetitions of deliberate practice.
Check this box before you even think about the gym.
Step 2: Are you too small & skinny?
If you’re 60kg soaking wet, you’re not dominating any collisions against a 100kg monster.
You don’t have to be 110kg and shredded but should be within a ballpark figure of the level of Rugby you’re aspiring towards (~10% range of BW).
Step 3: Do you meet these minimum strength standards?
Foundational strength isn’t cool anymore.
We don’t care what’s cool, we care about what works.
Our minimum standards for athletes looking to dominate collisions in rugby are:
Squat: 1.6xBW
Bench: 1.2xBW
Chin-up: 0.3xBW
Trap-bar: 1.9xBW
For more S&C standards for Rugby – Strength and Conditioning Standards for Rugby.
Step 4: Time to turn up the power
Now, you can chase improvements in your power scores (vertical or broad jump is easy to track).
Use plyometrics and strength work to improve these scores.
Step 5: Speed kills (even in collisions)
Force = mass x velocity
If you can enter the collision faster, you’ll enter it harder.
Improving your speed will not only make you more difficult to beat, it’ll make you more difficult to handle if you get caught.
Conclusion:
There are no “Top 5 Exercises to Improve Collision Dominance”.
Start chasing physical adaptations, not exercises.
Follow these 5 steps and you’ll actually start dominating collisions in rugby.
