Peter Stringer, scrum half for Munster and Ireland rugby, tells Patricia Westonhe keeps his love for biscuits under control
You must be very fit?
Yeah, I'm very fit. I train all year round and my training schedule is broken up into different routines throughout the year.
What's a typical training schedule for you?
In pre-season I train twice a day at least five to six days a week. I work with weights in the gym and do fitness, cardio training.
A lot of work has to be done in pre-season. In the gym I lift heavy weights to build muscle, then once the matches start, it's all about maintaining muscle rather than bulking. For cardio fitness I do longer distance running to improve my aerobic capacity, then once that's up I do shorter runs for anaerobic fitness. The whole plan is laid out and structured by my fitness coach.
Have you suffered from any serious injuries?
No, I haven't had too many - touch wood. I have a neck injury at the moment and I've injured my thumb and hand but that's really the extent of it.
Do you do stretching or Pilates to improve your fitness?
Well, stretching is crucial, especially in pre-season because you can really stiffen up. We also do Pilates because a lot of the players have dodgy backs and we take a couple of classes a week, which is very helpful. Your core needs to be right in order to avoid injury.
Do you follow a strict eating plan?
I have a nutritionist who plans out what I need to eat and I stick to that. I have to be very disciplined because if I eat bad foods my training will suffer. It's key to lasting in the game. The nutritionist lays out what I need to eat whether it's a training day or not.
Do you indulge in any treats?
You have to have the odd treat but I'm very disciplined. I enjoy biscuits but I have to stay away from them or I'll eat them all. I'm fairly strict on myself and I keep eating the right stuff. I don't drink any alcohol at all.
Would you use alternative medicines?
No, I haven't gone near any of them because I'd be half afraid to be honest. I just like to stick to what I know.
Patricia Weston's exercise prescription:
Take a few training tips from Peter and bulk up your muscles to get fitter for life.
Increasing your muscle mass has many advantages. Muscle is more efficient at burning calories. Bulking up can also improve your overall body strength and help reduce your risk of injury and illness.
When you're training remember that quality is better than quantity.
Perform each training set slowly and observe the correct breathing technique. Do not swing weights; lift them in a controlled manner and always breathe out on exertion.
Eat lots of food rich in carbohydrates after your muscle-building session to help your muscles repair and build.
Vary the intensity of your workouts. Don't get into a workout rut by performing the same exercises using the same weights. Avoid boredom and plateau by frequently changing rest times, amount of reps and weights.
Get plenty of rest between workouts. Alternating weight lifting with aerobic workouts is the best way to give your body adequate recovery time.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher.