Working the farm with hay bales for a squat rack – Loughborough’s Emily Scarratt trains at home

Emily Scarratt

image:stillsport.com

Loughborough Lightning and England centre Emily Scarratt has gone back to basics during lockdown with a little help from her family farm.

Speaking to Loughborough University as part of its #TrainatHome campaign, Scarratt explained how she’s built a gym out of the materials she had to hand, including two large hay bales:

“I’m pretty lucky that my family farm is ten minutes away and I’ve been able to build a gym there. I’ve got two big round bales as my squat racks, two stacks of pallets with a barbell across the top as a pull-up bar and some tyres – all the classic farm stuff.

“It’s quite ‘spit and sawdust’ and it’s not the most glamorous of gyms but it’s definitely serving a purpose.”

Scarratt, who was named World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year 2019, has also spent her time lending a helping hand to the farm’s daily upkeep:

“I’ve been working on the farm a little bit as it’s providing an important service at the moment. My days are definitely a bit different now but to feel like you’re being useful is quite nice.”

Emily also talked about how the Lightning squad has come together during lockdown, ensuring everyone has stayed in touch and team morale has remained upbeat.

“As a squad, we’re got loads of things going on – quizzes, workouts, challenges. Within this we’ve got mini teams set up with the squad, helping keep motivation high and keeping communications regular.”

Loughborough University’s #TrainatHome campaign looks at how its elite level athletes are adapting their training schedules during the coronavirus outbreak. With new content and interviews released every few days, athlete videos can be downloaded in full by visiting HERE.