The Performance Holiday

Eat this...

“You should enjoy yourself when you’re on holiday, but at the same time, if you order the right things you 
can have the best cuisine a country has to offer and still stay healthy” – England chef Tim De’Ath


Spain - Paella
Calories 450
Protein 38g
Carbs 28g
“A fantastic dish. Rice
is slow-burn carbs, and you’ve got protein in the chicken and fish.”


Italy - Tricolore salad
Calories 300

Protein 12g

Carbs 11g

“Pasta’s out of fashion. Mozzarella, tomatoes, salad, olives, prosciutto: healthy and delicious.”

America - Naked burger

Calories 400

Protein 50g

Carbs 5g

“Get a quality burger without the bun and have corn, broccoli and coleslaw on the side.”


France - Lamb chops

Calories 400

Protein 30g

Carbs 0g

“Great protein. Have asparagus and green beans on the side in 
a garlic sauce – tasty.”





Listen to this...

…ROCKING OUT - Everything Everything – Get to Heaven

“Art-rock experimentalism and big, 
fat pop hooks in perfect union.” 

…CHILLING OUT - Jamie xx – In Colour

“A solo debut full of slow beats and steel drum-assisted Balearic bangers.”


3  …BUSTING A RHYME - Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
“Compton’s Lamar has redefined rap for the post-’00s generation and he reaches his creative peak on this mesmerising hip-hop opus.” 

4  …HAVING A DANCE - Florence and the Machine – 
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

“Florence Welch tones down the bombast on this ode to heartbreak made up of pulsating West Coast-style anthems and orchestral swells.”

 

 

Drink this...

Germany - Camba Bavaria – Hell 

“A modern, drinkable but very tasty 4.7% Hell from this great new brewer inspired by the US and Britain,” says expert Tim Hampson (@beerhero).
 


Belgium - De La Senne – Taras Boulba 


“The De La Senne brewery is young but creating old-style, easy-drinking beers such as this one at 4.5% – 
perfect for a few holiday jars.”
 

Spain - Alhambra - Negra 

“The Spanish are all about regional identity with their beer as well as their football. This is a fantastic 5% 
dark lager from Andalusia.”
 

Netherlands - De Molen – Kopi Loewak Coffee Stout


“A holiday treat. Flavoured with coffee 
beans that have been eaten and excreted by a civet, it’s strong at 9%, but crazy, extravagant and unique.”

 

 

Work out like this...

‘M’ shape shuttles

“Sand is superb for fitness,” says Premier League personal trainer Jamie Reynolds from Velocity. “Draw five X markers in the sand (shown as cones below) in an ‘M’ shape, 10m apart. Sprint between them: forward, then backpedal, and forward and back again. Time your mates over five sets.”

 

‘S’ shape shuttles

“Draw a blocky ‘S’ shape 
in the sand, markers 10m apart again. Sprint and turn left from the top of the S, sprint and turn left again, then do the sprint and right turns. The benefits when changing direction on the pitch are amazing. Five sets, timed: see who is fastest.”

 


Side-to side headers

“Set up two X markers on the sand 5m apart and stay within them. With someone throwing you a ball, shuttle from side to side, jumping up and heading the ball. This is a powerful workout – it strengthens the legs, ankles and feet, giving you fewer injuries going back into the new season.”

 

Pool lifts

“This can reap benefits for upper body strength. From underwater, straighten your arms and grab the side of the pool. Then slowly pull yourself up out of the water, with your arms straight by your side. It works your arms and chest brilliantly. Repeat as many times as you can without drowning.”

 

 

Start a game with the locals like this....


Spain - “Hola amigos, 
¿les gustaría 
jugar al 
fútbol?”


Greece - “Geia sas,
agória. Tha thélate
na paíxete podósfairo?”



France - “Bonjour, 
garçons – 
voudriez-vous
 jouer au 
football?”


Portugal - “Olá meninos! Que gostaria de jogar futebol?”
(Translates to "All right lads, fancy a game?") 


Read this…


Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning – Guillem Balagué
From tiki-taka Barça to Total Football Bayern, this is “a brilliant analysis of how one of football’s most interesting people made himself the best,” says performance psychologist Tom Bates. 


Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable – Tim Grover
“It’s great to read something aspirational that you can apply to your everyday life,” Bates says of this motivational tome, recently seen held by John Terry on a trip to Dubai.

Power vs. Force 
– David R. Hawkins

“If you’re interested in why we act as we do, this is fascinating,” promises Bates of a spiritual classic subtitled The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour. You’ll return with a new vision for happiness as well as a tan.

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Nick Moore

Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.