Reebok Fit2Kick: Workout for Striker Position – Core to Extremity

Reebok

#1 The need for strength

Throughout this series of workouts we have talked about speed, speed and then some more speed. Whether it is developing your reactions to a goal scoring situation or those short & quick bursts of movement, our workouts have been about the overall speed a striker needs.

It’s time now to concentrate on the strength you need as a striker. It’s not enough just to be quick; quickness without strength will lead to you becoming an agile but lightweight presence that doesn’t have the ability to penetrate through the opposition defense effectively enough.

Of course, we are not talking about bodybuilder kind of strength here. The strength a football striker needs is more about having a solid core that is capable of exerting sufficient amount of forward thrust during an attacking move.

#2 The Core to Extremity Workout

Our next two sessions (incidentally, the last two workouts in this series for strikers) will be all about strengthening your body and giving it a natural armor against injury.

This particular session helps you work on your entire core and developing solid base strength.

Number of Exercises: 3

Time Duration: 20 minutes for the entire set

No. of Reps: mentioned ahead

#3 Kettle Bell Swings

Target Muscles: Core, Arms and Shoulders

The kettle bell as a lifting/hoisting tool and is said to be one of the best instruments to work out with.

As the name suggests, this unique amalgamation of a kettle and a bell allows for a wide range of movements which can help work out any and every part of the body.

The steps of this particular exercise are:

Step 1: Place the kettlebell in front of yourself, and with your legs spread slightly apart grasp the handle with both hands.

Step 2: Lift the kettlebell straight up in the air; this is not an up-down movement, but you have to swing the kettlebell up in the air. While doing that you have to keep your arms straight; here, your shoulders act as the gear. Stop the motion once the kettlebell has reached your eye-level.

Step 3: Pause your motion for as long as you can, then bring back the kettlebell to its initial spot on the floor.

Your set ends at 30 reps and you have to do 4 sets of this exercise.

Breathing: Take in a deep breath while swinging the kettlebell up, hold your breath for as long as you hold it static (at eye level), and exhale while bringing the kettlebell down.

Levels: To make it difficult increase the weight of the kettlebell and the speed of each rep as well as the pause at the eye level.

#4 The One Arm Overhead Squat

Target Muscles: Arms, Hamstrings, Quads and Shoulders

The basic movement is that of the squat, but the difference is that you lift up a kettlebell while doing this exercise.

The basic steps of this exercise are:

Step 1: Stand with your legs slightly apart, and hoist the kettle bell straight up over your head with one hand. Your other arm should point straight ahead.

Step 2: Lower your body as if sitting down on a chair, and stop this motion the moment your thigh is parallel to the ground and your butt is in line with your knees.

Step 3: Push back up to your initial position, take the kettlebell in your other hand and repeat the above two steps.

The squat when combined with the kettlebell hoist helps you strengthen your core as well as achieve better balance.

Your set gets over the moment you have done at least 10 squats (5 for each hand), and you have to do four sets of this exercise.

Breathing: Inhale while going down and exhale while going back up.

Levels: The best way to increase the level is to do each rep as slowly as possible; also, remember to breathe in and out as deep as you can while doing each rep.

#5 The One Leg Deadlift

Target Muscles: Core, Hamstrings, Quads and Lower Back

The deadlift is one of the favourite exercises for power lifters and body builders all around the world. This is the exercise which gives them the monster legs they are famous for.

This variation that we shall talk about helps you strengthen your target areas (mentioned above) and helps increase their flexibility too.

The basic steps of these exercises are:

Step 1: Place the kettlebell towards one side of your foot. Lift your other foot up so that you are balancing on the foot towards which the kettlebell is kept.

Step 2: Bend down and try to pick up the kettlebell (all the while balancing on that foot), and during this motion stretch the other foot straight behind.

Step 3: Move back up to the initial one leg standing position.

Step 4: Repeat Step 1; the difference would be that instead of picking up the kettlebell, you will be placing it down.

Step 5: Repeat step 3, this time without a kettlebell in your hand.

Step 6: Balance on the other leg and repeat the above five steps.

Your set ends after you have done 5 reps each for each leg. You have to do at least four sets.

Breathing: Inhale while doing a downward motion, exhale while doing an upward motion.

Levels: The difficulty of this exercise can be increased by doing each step as slowly as possible.

Edited by Staff Editor