Train Like Gareth Bale

Tottenham’s fleet-footed winger on how to improve your fitness.

“Running is tough. I can’t say I love it.” When a footballer like Gareth Bale – the current PFA Player of the Year; a young man who the likes of Real Madrid would happily part with £50m to have in their side; and a 22 year-old who his teammate Tom Huddlestone called “unplayable” – rolls his eyes at the thought of getting his jogging shoes on, us mere mortals know exactly what he means.

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Watch the man in action though and you’ll realise that while he doesn’t like putting in hard work, he clearly never shies away from it. Research conducted last season discovered the Spurs superstar is pretty much the living, breathing equivalent of a Duracell bunny. He covers over eight miles per game. He is capable of running at full pace for longer periods than any other Premier League player and he can shift from goal-line to goal-line at speeds of over 20km per hour from the 1st minute to the 89th. Right now most of you will be moaning about the fact that Bale is “clearly a natural athlete”. And it’s true. As a 14 year-old he was running 100m in 11.4 seconds (“I’m a lot quicker now”) and also excelling at middle and long-distance disciplines. But superior genetics aren’t the only reason Bale is significantly fitter than you. He also puts in a lot of hard work. “After a summer off, getting back to work can be a shock to the system,” admits the free kick expert. “But, whether I am running through a forest or up a hill or doing a bleep test, I just think about the season ahead and it drives me on.” So as you look forward to your team’s Wednesday night cardio session, think not about the pain and instead think about the gain. Yes, it’s tough getting back into training after a summer that featured several too many beers on the beach, but if you channel the attitude of the PFA Player of the Year and think about winning a cup come May, then while those shuttle runs will be just as painful, they will seem a hell of a lot more worthwhile. Gareth Bale wears the ultra-light, ultra-fast adidas F50 adiZero football boot. Prodirectsoccer.com

The agility ladder

“Warm-up by doing a lot of dynamic stretching [stretching on the move],” states the Spurs No.3. “The agility ladder is one of the best exercises to achieve this. Run through each box of the ladder, lifting your knees to your chest and pumping your arms to perfect your technique and timing. This’ll warm your muscles and body up while aiding footwork and fitness.”

Speed shuttles

“The word shuttle can put ‘the fear’ into most players but these are a great drill for getting back to top fitness,” reveals the former southampton starlet. “Start by doing 10-metre sprints at say, 80% of your maximum speed, followed by 10 metre walks and repeat 10 times.”

Diagonal sprints

“Shuttles may be scary, but this exercise is a nightmare,” smiles Bale. “Start at one corner flag, then sprint diagonally across the pitch to the opposite flag,” He instructs. “Rest for 20 seconds, then sprint along the goal line to the neighbouring flag. Rest again, then sprint diagonally to the far side. Rest again and then finish the exercise by sprinting back to the starting position. Repeat five times.”

Interval training

“This is another stamina developing exercise that is perfect for getting players up to, or nearer full fitness,” reveals the Wales international. “Do a light jog for five minutes, then sprint at full whack for 20-30 seconds, and then walk for a minute.” Repeat five times. Collapse in a heap.

Crossing on the clock

“Someone plays the ball out wide and then from 40 metres or so out, the wide man must sprint and cross the ball over for the onrushing striker,” explains Bale. Sounds easy, right? Wrong: “From the ball being played wide, you have 10 seconds to score,” He continues. “Plus you have to mix up your crosses, so some go low, some are drilled, some are lofted and some go to the back post and some to the near post.”

Warm down

The reason you can’t walk the day after a game isn’t because you’ve ‘put an unbelievable shift in’, it’s because you’ve ‘gone straight down to the pub’. “A big part of the modern game is recovery, so warming down is as important as warming up,” says the 22 year-old. “The aim of a warm down is to slow the body down. All you need to do is some very light stretching followed by a gentle jog around the pitch.”

Eat like Bale…

“Start the day with cereal – nothing too heavy,” says Bale.

“During training or a game make sure to keep your fluids up, it’s important to stay hydrated. After playing you need to help your body recover so mix carbohydrates with proteins to help speed along your recovery.

Ideal dishes are pasta, fish, chicken, steak, potatoes, rice and fresh vegetables. We have every healthy option available to us at the club. Then, when I go out for supper in the evening I try and have something similar to what I had for lunch.”

From the November 2011 issue of FHM India.