Just because you’re not a pro athlete doesn’t mean you can’t train like one. Take a cue from these World Cup players and take your fitness to the next level.
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The World Cup happens just once every four years, making it a platform for ultimate fitness. Top football players from around the world condition, train, and come together for a month of perfect playing. Injuries are guarded against, experts are consulted, the best of the best obsessively seeking the ultimate combination of diet, fitness, and training to propel them (and their squads) to an ultimate win.
As professional athletes, it’s easy to look at the World Cup team players as untouchables. When your job is playing soccer, and your days revolve around keeping your body fit and healthy, with teams of gurus to get you there, it’s easy to reach max fitness.
While the World Cup boys don’t have it easy, they certainly navigate a different schedule than the corporate work-a-day crowd. Still, a peek into what drives them, how they do it, and what it takes to take fitness level to the extreme in a lesson that can be applied to anyone wanting to better themselves, their focus, and their six-pack abs.
Here’s a look at 5 of this years elite World Cup players, and how you can hack some of the fitness secrets behind their success.
1. Get Disciplined.
From Cristiano Ronaldo, Striker/winger, Portugal.
When injuries threatened his participation in Portugal’s World Cup opener, Ronaldo didn’t take the bench. Instead, he took the field, focusing on a training regiment designed to rehabilitate his injuries.
Known for his obsessive training routines, Ronaldo is fiercely focused, combing mental motivation as well as physical discipline. A commonly shared quote about Ronaldo’s penchant for pushing himself comes from Sir Alex Ferguson, who once said, “There’s no fluke about it. I see Ronaldo practising all the time in training.”
Ronaldo’s typical training sessions are intense, and keep in mind he’s a professional. But, if you want to understand what it takes to be an elite athlete, you might try working up to a day that mirrors Ronaldo’s practice.
Run like Ronaldo:
- 3 to 4 hours of daily practice
- 25-30 minutes running/ cardio
- High intensity sprinting drills
- Technical drills to enhance skills and ball control
2. Practice. Then Practice Again.
From Luis Suarez, Striker, Uruguay
Recovering from a keyhole surgery to his left knee, Suarez returned to training with a focus on swift recovery:
“The knee is getting better. I feel very good. I have to go day by day but everything is going the right way.”
Pre-surgery, Suarez’ training regiment included adding practice routines to hours of training. The time put-in paid off with mindblowing free-kick prowess. He bagged five free-kicks this season, three of those in his last two games.
Suarez says his success has come as a direct result of his added practice time:
“The more you practice, you grow in confidence”
Strike Like Suarez:
- Watch how other elite players do it
- Work on your weak skills
- Add more time to your training
3. Use Your Free Time
From Wayne Rooney, Forward, England
Just before the World Cup, when most players took a week off, Wayne Rooney pumped up his training routine. Times two.
Heading on holiday, he took two trainers with him. Having once admitted to showing up to pre-season training seven pounds overweight, Rooney is showing his dedication to top fitness by using every spare minute he has to maximize his on-field preparation.
Sharing a training video of his workout in May, Rooney proved his passion for play is alive and—well—kicking.
Train Like Rooney:
- Workout on vacation
- Watch your alcohol intake
- Add weight work to your cardio
- Work with a trainer
4. Maximize Your Strengths
From Lionel Messi, Striker, Argentina
Known for incredible speed and agility Messi is arguably the best athlete in the game today. Known as “The Flea” by fans who love him for his remarkable quickness on the pitch, Messi is a perfect combination of explosive-yet-stable,. He’s not just quick, he’s solid. He’s not just powerful, he’s accurate.
While his notorious ball handling skill seems like the stuff of superstars, it’s possible to build your own workouts to expand your total athletic ability. Don’t just build muscle, build speed. Don’t just build force, build precision.
Make Like Messi:
- Add plyometrics 3x weekly
- Add explosive strength training sets 2-3x weekly
- Train for linear speed as well as multi-directional speed
5. Sacrifice.
From Neymar, Striker, Brazil
As one of the world’s most talented players, Neymar has scored more than 100 goals for Santos since his senior team debut in 2009. Having joined Santos FC as an 11-year-old, it may be tempting to write Neymar off as pure natural talent, untouchable by everyday standards. However, Neymar himself says his success is the result of constant training. Training happens on the pitch, on the road, and even in the off-season with 90-minute gym workouts:
“As much as it can appear like we are just having fun — which in my case is also true — there’s a lot of training involved, which means constant commitment and sacrifice. When I’m not playing or training for Santos, I’m with the Brazil team, so training and matches dominate all my time….
“I also wish I could eat what I like, but as we have matches almost every weekend, we must eat a balanced diet, with protein, carbs, and salads every single day,” said Neymar in this article for Redbull
Play Like Neymar:
- Fuel your workout with a top-notch diet.
- Take time to rest and recover. Add massage or hydrotherapy to your weekly schedule.
- Shake up your routine. Train alone and with a team, add tactical and technical workouts to your schedule. (In layman’s terms: add varied cardio, strength training, weights, plyometrics, and more.)
- Have Fun. Loving what you do is Neymar’s mantra. Train hard, play hard, have fun.
See a sample of Neymar’s weekly training routine at Redbull.
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Originally appeared at YuriElkaim.com
Photo credit: Articularnos/flickr