A good level of fitness encourages a healthy lifestyle and so contributes heavily towards my overall health. Personally, I have decided to focus on two specific areas: strength and pace. Strength will allow me to win tackles and headers easier, allow with an increased ability to shield and keep the ball under pressure. Good strength means that I can concentrate less on having to rely on other attributes to help me against bigger opponents, and more on actually putting the man under pressure and winning the ball back.
Pace covers a similar area. With improved pace, both attacking and defending becomes much easier. Chasing down attackers and putting them under pressure or tackling them is a vital ability to have, and better speed means an improved ability to do so. In attack, it makes it easier to get past defenders when dribbling or receiving a pass behind the backline. Analysis I play right full-back. To help me compare and also to have a level to aim for, I have looked at Gareth Bale of Southampton FC.
He also plays full-back, and does so with great success, being a strong contender for Player of the Year, and having attracted interest from clubs such as Manchester united, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and, allegedly, Real Madrid. I think he sets an excellent example and something which I should aim for. These are the essential physical qualities required for a player in the full-back position, compared against the analysis I made of Gareth Bale: Cardio-Vascular and Muscular endurance – The ability to perform well over a prolonged period of hard work is extremely important for a full-back.
Professional full-backs demonstrate the ability to get up the line to join in attack to then get back again and defend, several times a game. Gareth Bale is notorious for making runs down the left flank to put crosses in and sometimes cut inside for a shot. Pace – It is vital for a full-back to be able to chase down defenders to prevent chances being created. In attack, a full-back must also be able to over-lap his winger and provide crosses into the box, therefore creating scoring opportunities.
Bale links up very well with left midfielder Rudi Skacel, making runs around the outside and receiving the ball in an advanced position. His pace means that defenders often struggle to keep up with him, giving him, essentially, a free crossing opportunity. This often leads to scoring opportunities. * Strength – For any defender, the ability to win the ball is vital. But strength can also be used when preventing the loss of possession (for example, when shielding the ball, or seeing it out of play).
Gareth Bale has no problems winning tackles, both through his strength and also his clever use of his body, relating to positioning and technique. These are statistics that I have collected concerning Gareth Bale’s recent performances. This is the kind of level that I personally want to perform at, and using my analysis, I can determine what I need to improve in order to achieve this level of performance, If I then compare this with my own test results, I can easily define my needs and the suitability of my Personal Exercise Plan.
Therefore, I have designed a plan to improve these areas. Safety and Injury Prevention In order to perform my Personal Exercise Plan safely I will need to use all equipment sensibly and properly. I must make sure that I have a spot when doing bench-press, and that when using weights and machines that I know how to use them and am aware of any safety issues there may be. To prevent injuries and stiffness, there are two vital components of any training session: the warm-up and cool-down.
I must always warm-up in order to prevent the pulling of muscles and dislocation of joints. I must, after the exercise, also cool down to make sure my muscles will not get stiff or achy the next day, resulting in a reduced performance. In order to make this effective, I must combine it with a wealth of fluids being taken in before, during and after the exercise. This will provide energy, hydrate my body, and also prevent cramp and injuries. It is vitally important that I always drink a lot when in a fitness programme like this.