Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 1

The first week of pre-season training means one thing: pain. After a summer of indulgence, week one is hell on earth.

And once that nightmare is over, it gets no better: you’ve still got to find the time, energy and motivation to get through the next five. It’s a long, hard slog. But don’t worry, FourFourTwo Performance isn’t going to leave you to do this alone.

We’ve teamed up with Lucozade Sport to get you in match-winning shape for the big kick-off.

Drawing on the expertise of Mathew Monte-Colombo, West Ham United’s strength and conditioning coach, and Matt Lovell, consultant nutritionist to Manchester City and Tottenham, we’ve put together a set of simple downloadable training guides for you to follow over the next six weeks.

Don’t expect an easy ride. If you want to take your game to the next level you’re going to have to put in the hard graft.

“Make no mistake this six-week programme is tough,” says Monte-Colombo. “But if you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll reap the benefits.

“You might not be able to fit it all in, but if you can just find time to work out three to four times a week it will make a difference. You’ll be fitter, faster and stronger than your opponent.

“Seek advice from gym instructors on how to perform the exercises and only do things you feel confident with. Push yourself and work hard.”

And to help you blitz through the workload, Lovell has laid out a nutritional plan to fuel your performance.

“Getting the right food and fluid on board will make a huge difference,” he says. “It will help energise your workouts and repair your muscles so that they can go again the next day.

“I appreciate that it’s not always easy for an amateur footballer to follow a strict diet, but if you can follow this as closely as possible you’ll see the weight drop off and the muscle pack on.

“Most importantly, stay hydrated. It’s part of what I call bottom line nutrition. If you become dehydrated your performance will drop off rapidly – you will have less concentration, co-ordination, power, motivation and speed.”

Now, all you have to do is follow our guides and sweat it out. Good luck!

For more pre-season training guides see:
Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 2
Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 3
Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 4
Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 5
Lucozade Sport pre-season training: Week 6