‘I like to keep things simple’ – Maro Itoje reveals his no-nonsense blueprint for building strength
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‘When you’re in the gym, it’s all about the core compound lifts and performing them well to get the best results’. I stood next to Maro Itoje once, and it was a humbling experience. In the hunt for a pre-match snack before Saracens vs Gloucester, I somehow found myself in the stadium concourse engulfed by the 6ft 6in lock’s considerable shadow. He was huge, which is why I was shocked to learn his latest MO in the gym.
![[Maro Itoje on the set of Sports Direct’s ‘New Traditions Start Here’ advert campaign]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/23/16/Maro-Itoje---Rugby.jpg)
A stronger Itoje is a terrifying prospect, particularly for his opponents, but the way he plans to make it happen is surprisingly straightforward. “I like to keep things simple,” he explains. Below, you can find out what the Saracens star does in and out of the gym to build strength, boost performance and remain at the top of his game. Better yet, unlike certain unsustainable celebrity workout transformations, I actively encourage you to give his approach to strength training a go – just maybe not with Itoje’s weights.
Itoje typically trains three or four times per week, splitting his time between the gym, the pitch and more. Each day starts with breakfast, followed by physio if needed, then at 9am he and the team hit the gym. “After the gym we tend to have our forwards unit session where we go through scrums and lineouts – that’s normally at 10.15am for around an hour,” Itoje says. Lunch follows, then it’s out to the pitch for a rugby session in the afternoon.
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