The People's Gym · Cork
Rugby strength and conditioning in Cork
Rugby is the one sport where the gym is not optional. Contact, scrums, rucks and eighty minutes of collisions ask for strength that club training alone cannot build. Our personal trainers build 30-minute sessions around your position and your season at our Douglas and Ballincollig gyms.
Rugby
Strength that survives contact
Forwards need to be strong in the scrum and the ruck, backs need to be fast and hard to tackle, and everyone needs a neck, shoulders and hamstrings that hold up.
Contact strength
Squats, hinges, presses and pulls with loads that climb. The foundation for every collision, carry and tackle.
Neck and shoulders
The neck work most club players skip is what protects them in the tackle and the scrum. It is in every rugby programme we write.
Power and speed
Jumps, throws and sprints once the strength is there. Faster off the line, harder to stop.
Hamstrings and groins
The injuries that empty a squad in October. Posterior chain and adductor strength, every week.
Position-specific
A tighthead and a winger do not need the same programme. Yours is built for the job you do on the pitch.
Club, schools and social
Senior club players, schools teams, tag and social. Teens train on our teen programme with technique first.
Real Google reviews
From members who started where you are
In their own words, straight from Google.
"APT offer a great targeted personal experience to match your goals with an excellent depth of understanding of strength and conditioning from all their trainers and I would highly recommend."
"Great experience here at ATP. The trainer's are fantastic and they are very interested in getting the best results for you. They are very good at getting everything out of you for the full session while also making sure you are doing everything correctly so you don't pick up injuries."
"Excellent team of knowledgeable and motivating coaches. They can accommodate any level, from complete beginners to advanced athletes. Great stuff"
"ATP fitness have been great for me, i have had reconstruction surgery on both knees so can no longer play football or do long distance running. They have filled this void in my life by catering for my needs and making training not only challenging but fun."
How it works
Rugby S&C at ATP
Rugby players in Cork mostly know they should be in the gym. What they often do not have is coaching: a programme built for their position, technique checked on the big lifts, and someone managing the load around a heavy training week and a Saturday match. Lifting heavy with poor technique is how rugby players hurt their backs and shoulders in the gym before the pitch gets a chance.
What a session looks like
You train 1:2, one coach and two clients, each on your own programme, for 30 minutes. Pre-season is the heavy block: squats, hinges, presses and pulls with loads that climb week by week, neck and shoulder strength, hamstring and groin work. As the season starts, jumps, throws and sprints sharpen the power and the volume drops so you turn up fresh on Saturday. Forwards get more upper body and trunk; backs get more speed and single-leg work. If your club has an S&C coach or a programme, we build around it.
Injuries and coming back
Shoulders, hamstrings, knees, backs. If you are returning from one, we follow your physio's advice and take over once they are happy. Being properly strong before going back is what stops the same thing happening again. Our after physio page covers that stage.
Getting started
Your first session is free. Claim it below and tell us your club and position in the form or when we ring. It is a real coached 30-minute session at Douglas or Ballincollig, no card and no commitment. Schools players start on our teen personal training programme, and our strength and conditioning page covers the general approach.
Memberships & pricing
Simple, flexible pricing
Personal training from €20.56 a session on a rolling membership, €35 pay as you go, and no-expiry packs from €289. See full pricing →
FAQ
Rugby S&C questions
If yours is not here, give us a ring. We would rather talk it through.
When should rugby players do their heavy lifting?
Pre-season, June to August for most clubs, is the heavy block. In season the loads hold, the volume drops and the speed work sharpens so you are fresh for matches.
How does it fit around club training and matches?
Two 30-minute sessions a week, not the day before a match and not on top of a pitch session. We talk to your club S&C coach if you have one so nothing doubles up.
Do you do neck training?
Yes, in every rugby programme. Neck strength is one of the best protections against injury in contact and it is the thing most club players skip.
I am a back. Do I need to get big?
No. Backs need to be strong, fast and hard to tackle, not heavy. The programme leans towards power and speed once the strength base is in.
Do you take schools players?
Yes. Schools and youth players train on our teen programme with technique first and loads suited to their age. Ask about it when you book.
Is it a class or personal training?
Personal training, 1:2. One coach with two clients, each on their own programme, so your position and your season set the plan.
How much does it cost?
Rolling memberships start at €179 every 4 weeks for two sessions a week, and our no-expiry packs never lapse. Your first session is free, no card and no commitment.
Get started
Claim your free session
Tell us a little about yourself and a member of the ATP team will be in touch to book in your free session.
ATP Fitness App
Manage your sessions on the go
Book your PT & classes straight from your phone, manage your membership and top up credits any time.
Find us
Two locations across Cork
Douglas
2nd Floor, Unit A1, Donnybrook Commercial Centre, Donnybrook, Cork City
Tel: 087 649 4134
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Ballincollig
Unit 1A, Link Road Business Park, Carrigrohane, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Tel: 085 725 2370
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed