Explosive athletes like Micah Richards don’t spend hours in the gym pumping iron, they perform low intensity exercises designed to target specific muscles groups that are used in football.
Improving the efficiency of the way their muscles work enables them to perform their duties with power and precision. Richards has been a beneficiary of this work ethic.
Working with Sam Erith, Manchester City’s head of sports science, Richards has developed the necessary agility to move his bulky frame at speed.
“Being a strong boy I’ve got to be able to manage my strength in the right way,” the defender told FFT.
“When people looks at me they think I do a lot of weights, but I’ve never done weights. It’s little exercises, like the one in this video, that keep everything switched on and loose.
“I’m a big guy – if I feel stiff when I go out on the pitch it takes a while to get into the game.
“If I don’t do my pre-activation before training my body tends to get really tight and I don’t feel the same.”
One of the muscles Richards needs to warm up before he takes to the field is his gluteus maximus. He does this by performing glute bridge exercises with a resistance band.
“It’s all the little exercises, like working the glutes, that help injury prevention and ultimately make you more efficient when you’re out there playing,” Erith explained to FFT.
“If you’re more efficient you waste less energy and you can do more in the game.”
Find out how to perfect the glute bridge technique with the help of Richards and Erith.
Micah is an ambassador for If U Care Share, a charity that encourages young people to discuss their problems: www.ifucareshare.co.uk
Also see:
Build explosive power
Boost your hamstring strength
Add an extra spring to your leap
Build bigger and stronger pins
Build knockout knee strength
Build a rock-solid core
Switch on your glutes for 90 minutes: Part one
Fire up your hips for action: Part one
Fire up your hips for action: Part two
