Reebok Fit2Kick: Workout for Striker Position – Total Speed

#1 The importance of speed

It goes without saying that speed is important in football. In fact, it is perhaps more important than any other quality in the game. And to reinforce that point, we have before us a host of role models who have perfected the element of speed in world football today. Its very tempting to imagine ourselves outrunning the opposition, dribbling with incredible speed and stepping over coolly the way our favourite football superstars do!

The agile usually trump the brawny in football, and thats true at the highest levels as well as in the neighbourhood games that we indulge in every now and then. And a striker is usually one of the fastest members of the team. The trick, however, lies in sustaining this speed over a long period of time; its nogood being quick for just a few minutes and then going sluggish over the next half an hour!

It is imperative, then, forspeed training toholda very important place in the workout regimen of an aspiring footballer.

#2 The Total Speed Workout

Taking our series forward, we now check out the workouts that can help you, as a striker, build lightning quick speed.

If you do not want to fall down the pecking order or miss any first team action, adhere to the below workout as religiously as you adhere to breathing!

This workout session aims at helping you develop breathtaking speed as well as enhanced stamina.

Number of Exercises: 2

Time Duration: 20 minutes for the entire set

No. of Reps: mentioned ahead

#3 The Thruster (with / without weights)

Target Muscles: Core and Legs

Ever seen a rocket being launched into space?

The success of the launch depends on the ‘thrust’ energy that is applied.

The thruster workout helps you generate this kind of explosive power, which when combined with speed and strength can help you get ahead of the competition.

The basic steps to this exercise are as follows:

Step 1: Stand with your legs slightly apart, and then bend your knees as if sitting down on a chair, i.e., perform a front squat. Do not stop till your thighs are parallel to the floor. This would essentially mean that your hip would be just below the top of your knees. Your hands should be on your waist all this while.

Step 2: Thrust back up to a normal standing position. While doing this, remember to start pointing your hands up and over your head. The final point would be where you would be standing normally but your hands would be straight up above your head.

Your set ends after 10 reps.

Breathing: Inhale while going down, exhale hard while going up.

Levels: To begin with do this keeping your hands free. The next level would be where you are holding a 5 kg dumbbell in each hand while performing the repetitions.

#4 The Sprint

Target Muscles: Calves, Ankles, Lower Back, Quads and Hamstrings.

As a football player, you generally tend to run an average of 5 km to 10 km (depending on the level you play at, amateur for the least and professional for the most). But long distance running is not what defines the striker; instead, it is the short, strong bursts of speed that help develop you into a goal scoring machine. The sprint workout is ideal to develop that kind of ability.

How to do a sprint?

Step 1: Mark a distance which is 10 meters from the starting point.

Step 2: Launch your run as if trying to win an Olympic race, and run as hard and as fast as you can towards the end point.

Step 3: Take a deep breath, run back to the starting point. Do NOT compromise on the speed.

Your set gets over the moment you have done at least 10 sprints between the starting and ending points, for a total of 100 meters.

Breathing: Breathe rhythmically with each step you take during your sprint. Remember to breathe through your nose; this will help you avoid getting winded easily.

Also, remember to take at least five deep breaths between each sprint.

Between sets you can take a minute long break.

Levels: Increasing the distance between the starting and ending points helps increase the level. You can also do more sprints in each set.