Off-Pitch Training: Be Competitive Wherever You Are

Don’t overlook the number of work footballers spends training off the pitch. Technical ability alone will take you far but modern football also relies on great strength, speed, and athleticism.

Get a Flexible Gym Pass

Ever notice how the smallest players on the pitch are always the strongest? Look no further than James Milner as the perfect example of a tiny man who’s surprisingly strong. Milner and other tiny people like Coutinho and Moreno not naturally big, imposing sportsmen, which is why they need to make up for some of that in the gym. Sure Coutinho’s wickedly fast and has dazzling footwork, but how often do you see him getting pushed off the ball? If you’ve been doing all your work on the pitch, it’s time to also work out at your local gym. When in the gym, remember to pay attention to your entire body – this isn’t just about pecs and abs – and flexibility, too. That means a full routine of warm-ups and warm-downs.

Catch a Rabbit

You’ll notice that something is missing from every top-level match: slow people (Lucas Leiva notwithstanding). Let us consider why careers end. The technical ability of footballers doesn’t diminish anything like the way basic physicality does, and many fast players struggle to cope once the mileage sets in and their pace disappears (hello Michael, hello Fernando). So retain sprinting segments in all your training sessions. Work on both dead and rolling starts, max velocities, accelerations, decelerations and changing directions.

Simulate In-Game Movement

Perhaps you’re not a gym rat who’s willing to commit to heavy lifting. If this is the case, you can isolate in-game movement and find an exercise that mirrors it. Movement exercises like lunges, squats, jumping, and short sprints can all be well-practiced off-pitch. Increase the required power of these exercises by adding ankle weights.

Dedication

The 10,000-hour rule tells us that all the great geniuses of music, art, sport, science and literature only attained true expertise in their field having practised a total of 10,000 hours (about 3 hours a day for 10 years). So start young, keep at it, and know that you’re within 10,000 hours of greatness.

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