Reebok Fit2Kick: Workout for Goalkeepers – Resistance Band Training

#1 The importance of resistance training

Resistance training is said to be very important since it uses various kinds of resistance/opposing forces which train your body to become faster and fitter once the pushback is removed.

The advantage of resistance training is that it slows your body and makes it difficult to perform very simple movements. This obstruction when removed makes that simple movement which was difficult to do very easy, which in turn makes your movement faster and more explosive.

It goes without saying that for a goalkeeper, having fast and explosive movement is of critical importance. You require a special kind of athleticism to be able to withstand the pressure of all the obstacles coming his way, and to carve a way through the attacking forces and palm the ball away. Resistance band training helps you develop exactly that.

#2 The Resistance Band Workout

Number of Exercises: 3

Time Duration: 20 minutes for the entire set

No. of Reps: 10

#3 The Wide Stance Air Squat with Resistance Band

Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Knees and Ankles

The squat, as we keep saying, is one of the most complete exercises for training the lower body. Our current exercise is a very basic variation of the same and helps you strengthen the muscles mentioned above as well as increases the power with which you jump and the speed with which you reach.

The basic steps to this exercise are:

Step 1: Stand with your legs slightly more than your shoulder width apart and lift your hands up till your shoulder level. Relax your body and take a few deep breaths. Loop the resistance band around your knees as shown in the image.

Step 2: Lower your body as if trying to sit down on a chair, and stop this motion the moment your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground. This would mean your butt is in line with your knees. The pose will cause the resistance band to stretch.

Step 3: Pause for about half a second and then go back up to the initial position. This will cause the resistance band to relax.

Step 4: Repeat the above 3 steps.

This variation helps strengthen nearly all the muscles of your lower body.

You need to do 10 reps and a total of five rounds

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.

#4 The 50 Feet Resistance Run

Target Area: Running Form, Lower Body Speed, Power and Flexibility.

The 50 Feet run is basically a normal sprint wherein the resistance bands hold you back. You will need a partner to help you perform this particular exercise.

The basic steps to this exercise are:

Step 1: Mark a starting and end point in the area you are doing this exercise. They should be approximately 50 feet apart.

Step 2: Loop the resistance chord around your waist and instruct your partner to hold on tight to both ends.

Step 3: Start running as hard and as fast as you can from the starting point towards the finish line. This would ideally mean dragging your partner behind you. This obstruction caused by your partner will ensure that the run becomes a hard one to complete, but the advantage is that once the resistance bands are removed, you become faster and your lower body speed, power and flexibility will increase exponentially.

Step 4: After you finish the run, you need to turn around and run back to the starting point in the same manner as mentioned above.

You have to do a total of five runs.

Breathing: Inhale and exhale as deeply as possible with each run.

Levels: To increase the level of this exercise try and run longer distances. Pause for shorter durations of time between each run.

#5 The Partial Squat Walk

Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Knees and Ankles

Another variation of the basic squat, this exercise when combined with a resistance band helps you strengthen your entire lower body.

The basic steps to this exercise are:

Step 1: Stand with your legs slightly more than your shoulder width apart and lift your hands up till your shoulder level. Relax your body and take a few deep breaths. Loop the resistance band around your knees as shown in the image.

Step 2: Lower your body as if trying to sit down on a chair, and try and do a partial squat. This will cause the resistance band to stretch.

Step 3: Now start taking baby steps forward while maintaining the position attained in step two.

Step 4: Repeat the above 3 steps.

You need to do a total of 20 steps and a total of five rounds.

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.