Football is our national sport, loved up and down the country for the skill and virtuosity involved. Indeed, many of us spend our Saturdays trying to emulate what we’ve seen on Match of the Day the previous week though, if we’re honest, very few of us come close to replicating in any way the ingenuity and aptitude of those in the Premier League.
To get those step-overs, first touches and in-swingers just that little bit better this season, it may be a good idea to focus on the most fundamental part of improving in any sport – your fitness.
First on your list before training should be the warm up. For football, static stretching isn’t advised – it can easily lead to muscle pulls and injuries. Instead, start with around 5-10 minutes of jogging and light stretching, followed by specific warm-ups using the ball – dribbling, kicking and fast stopping. This will prepare you for the fast paced nature of the beautiful game.
Next is improving your speed. Short sprints and bursts of pace are part and parcel of everything you do on the pitch, so should be well represented in your training regime. Try sprinting for a ball, making a quick pass or shot and coming to a slow stop. Dribbling the ball at speed and between cones can also go a long way to making sure your skill levels keep up with your heightened speed.
Power is also an important attribute, and weight training should be included in every training regime you come up with. Squats and lunges followed by leg lifts and curls can all lay the foundations for a powerful boot and a strong all-round player. Make sure you focus on core strength too – stomach crunches, planking and weighted sit-ups will all help your balance and ball control.
The final aspect you should work on is endurance. Normal endurance runs of 10 miles plus are no good for football – you need 100m jogs and sprints combined with short breaks for a good 20-30 minutes at a time. Drills mixing exercises such as press-ups and sprints will also go a long way to improving your endurance and maintaining your overall fitness.
Of course, all the hard work would be no good without the right equipment. Serious footballers should invest in some serious boots, and you’ll struggle to find any better than Puma football boots from Very. A new fitness regime, some new boots – perhaps even a new player this season!