Three gym exercises every aspiring flanker needs to master

The new rugby season is almost upon us and players across the country - amateur and professional - are putting in the hard yards.

We caught up with Connacht and Ireland flanker John Muldoon and asked him for the three gym exercises he would be lost without.

Squats

'Legs are huge,' Muldoon begins. 'For the majority of us back-rowers, squats would be a big part of what we do.' 'We usually do squats twice a week in pre-season. That goes down to one, once the season starts. 'Squats are vital to build the leg strength up as you will need every bit of it over the course of the season.'

Power exercises

'Power is the next component you need,' Muldoon states. 'A lot of the older guys do a lot of power stuff. That would include everything from jumping and jumping with weight on your back, to power cleans [various Olympic lifts]. 'That gives you the variation and contrast to squats.'

Upper body

Muldoon continues, 'You can pick any of your upper body exercises next. 'A few of the lads would love to throw in bench there but, to me, I'd have to say chins [pull-ups]. They are crucial. 'The Connacht lads will probably slag and say that is because I'm good at chins but, in an overall body [of a game], you don't bench-press anybody. You do use your back strength quite a bit. 'A combination of back and leg strength will see you in good stead. You use your back more than you would anything gained from the bench-press.' He concludes, 'Someone like Rodney Ah You would be extremely power in his legs and back. His explosive power in the gym is huge and, you can seem, that translates to the pitch. Master those three exercises and you'll be causing havoc at the breakdown - like this guy - in no time. *Muldoon is a Mazda Brand Ambassador. For further information on Mazda's upcoming roadshows, visit their website or Facebook page.