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How Patrick Dangerfield became unstoppable

Name: Patrick Dangerfield

Age: 24
Born in: Moggs Creek, Victoria
Lives: Adelaide
Height: 189cm
Weight: 95kg

By Ray Klerck

Back on track
Dangerfield makes light work of the competition now, but stepping up to the big leagues wasn’t easy. “In my first year I stress-fractured my spine, thanks to a weak core that I’ve now fixed through training,” he says.

“The moves I reckon helped the most were the side plank, Swiss ball jackknife and holding a plank for a minute with 20 kilograms on my back.” Research in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found a strong link between lower-back pain and a weak core, so get cracking with the workout below if you’re battling a back niggle.

Dangerfield’s core strength workout
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1. Weighted plank 3-4 1 minute
2. Swiss-ball jack-knife 3-4 10-12
3. Side plank 3-4 1-2 minutes

MORE: When you definitely shouldn't power through the pain

The need for speed
10:84 seconds. That’s how long it took Dangerfield to win the grand final 100-metre sprint race, twice. “I wasn’t always fast, but after some sprint-technique lessons in Year 12 it all came together,” he says. “We still do plenty of sprint-based stuff and I’m always trying to get faster.” The moves he reckons are best for pace are barbell squats (4-6 sets of 6-10 reps) and jump squats (four sets of 3-5 reps), so include those in your repertoire if you’re in need of more gas.

GALLERY: Seven tests of true strength

Winning attitude
Dangerfield is a prodigious winner of ruck balls. “I bring aggression to the field and it’s always helped secure the ball,” he says. One of best exercises to get the kind of upper-body power you need to win ball is the bench-press throw (like the bench press except you throw the weight up in the air), recommends Dangerfield. We recommend not doing this exercise if you like your face just as it is.

Dangerfield says to do four reps at 30kg, then four reps with 40kgs and another four reps with 50kgs. Few men have tried to argue with his hand-off. Fewer still have succeeded.

Weak-point training
He might seem indestructible, but Dangerfield confesses to a weakness – a former one, anyway. “I had strong legs but couldn’t push big weights on the squat. Fortunately, Nick Poulos [the Crows’ strength coach] managed to fix this,” says Dangerfield.

“I took a wider-than-hip-width stance and pointed my toes out slightly, which made my legs instantly more powerful.” If you’re having trouble with the squat, try those tweaks to rack up bigger numbers.

MORE: Build muscle from all angles

The man in chains
Turkish get-ups are his all-time worst exercise, but what’s his favourite? “Like most blokes, I love the bench press, especially when we do it with chains hanging from the bar,” he says. “We usually do 3-4 sets of as many reps as we can at 100kgs, plus the chains.” A trip to the local scrapyard may just earn you some valuable muscle.

Recovery uncovered
To train hard, Dangerfield knows he has to recover even harder. “Massage is essential and we all have one twice a week, plus I use the foam roller any time I feel a little niggle,” he says. “Most importantly, I wear skins for a few hours after training and games.”
He’s on the right track; research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found this was an excellent strategy for helping athletes recover after strenuous exercise.