Train like your favorite soccer superstar

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So, you followed last year’s FIFA World Cup and are now quite into the beautiful game. For starters, soccer is one of the best sports to take up. It’s very affordable, and all you need is a bit of open space to practice the basic drills. However, just like training for any sport, you’ll need discipline and determination.

Here are some ways your favorite soccer superstars train.

Lower body focus

Since the sport is very demanding on a person’s lower body, soccer players train their legs a lot. They train for speed, endurance, agility, and power. They run and sprint for miles every training session. After that, they do agility drills that help them move laterally and change direction at the drop of a dime.


Kicking power

In line with lower body focus, every soccer player develops kicking power by kicking the ball hundreds of times a day. However, they don’t just kick the ball wherever they feel like kicking it. There usually are targets to help not only increase kicking power, but also improve accuracy and direction.

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Dribbling and ball control

Ball control has always been a big part of a soccer player’s game. If you can’t pass the ball, you have to know how to dribble while running so opposing players won’t relieve you of possession. Dribbling and ball control drills take up a lot of time during training sessions.






Ryan Shephard is a student at the University of Michigan. Since he was young, he has always wanted to work in the sports industry. While he can play sports like basketball, football, baseball, and soccer, he thinks he is better suited for athletic training. To be specific, it is his dream to become an expert in the field of sports rehab and training. For more articles like this, click here.

Exercise choices to keep you optimally fit and healthy

It’s not enough, fitness experts will tell you, to limit your exercise regimen to just one type of activity. In this blog, we’ll look at three most beneficial exercise types to keep you healthy and fit, not to mention active and feeling great about your body.

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The first exercise category is aerobics, which aids in improving your breathing and speeding up your heart rate. Working out your heart and lungs increases your endurance and helps you not feel winded after, say, walking up the stairs. Aerobic exercises likewise lower your blood pressure and blood sugar levels and reduces body fat, effectively aiding in preventing heart disease and stroke. You can have aerobics added to your regimen by walking, dancing, cycling, or joggling.

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Balance exercises like tai chi or yoga are also important, especially as we get older and our vision, leg muscles, and inner ear’s functions begin to deteriorate, causing us to have problems keeping steady. Adding balance exercises does not need you to already have balance issues, of course. These exercise types improve joint flexibility and strengthens hand and leg muscles.

Strength training is key to counter lost mass as we age. It helps immensely in doing everyday tasks, from lifting heavy objects to gardening. It likewise lowers blood sugar and reduces stress and pain in our lower back joints. We suggest doing this regimen two to three times, whether at home or at the gym. Typical strength training routines involve lunges, push-ups, and squats.

Hey, there. I’m Ryan Shephard, a student at the University of Michigan taking up Athletic Training. Thankfully, my courses allow me to learn anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology, as I hope to be a professional sports trainer someday. More on me and my interests here.

Three very important safety tips before during and after workouts

The biggest mistake anyone who works out can make is to not prioritize safety. If you find yourself guilty of this, it’s high time you change your methods. Let’s look at some ways to ensure a safe workout before, during, and after training.

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Warm-up, stretch, and cool down

Warming up and stretching your muscles before you train is a must, especially if you’re working out early in the morning. In the early hours of the day, muscles are cold and tight and may be injured easily. Warming them up and stretching them is a way to get them ready.

After workouts, a good stretch and a cool down routine allow blood to flow regularly again. This saves you from a lot of muscle pain in the hours and days to come.

Proper form

Weightlifting form has been developed throughout history to keep the body from injuring itself. Observe proper form, especially when lifting weights to make sure your muscles and skeletal structure support each other in the correct manner.

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Neatness of the place

This is probably the most important rule, especially if you’re training in a public gym. After lifting weights, put them back where you got them. The same thing goes for other equipment such as Bosu balls, plyo boxes, bands, and the like. Even the smallest, most non-threatening pieces of gym equipment may cause a bad fall.

Ryan Shephard here, future sports therapist. I am currently a student at the University of Michigan majoring in athletic training. These days, I have courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. I'm enjoying learning from the industry's best. What's even more interesting is that I also get to work with the country's top athletes. For more insightful reads on training and working out, visit this blog.

What do strength and conditioning coaches do?

A strength and conditioning or S&C coach is typically in charge of four aspects of an athlete’s training program: improving power and strength, developing the energy required for the specific sport, style, and position of the player, reducing the potential for injury and burnout, and assisting in recovery, should an injury occur.

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Their work generally complements those of other exercise instructors and personal trainers, as they all aim to improve our overall fitness. The main difference is that their methods are sport-specific, which is why they primarily work with athletes.

S&C coaches are mandatory in most modern sports, from boxing, MMA, and football to basketball, golf, and swimming. The equipment and resources at their disposal are often more extensive than the ones we often find in fitness centers, as their main objective is to provide strength and power to dedicated athletes. Aside from being employed by professional sports franchises, S&C coaches are often hired by schools, physical therapy centers, and high-end fitness centers.

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The top reason serious athletes train with an S&C coach is to develop the correct technique to be truly competitive in their given sport, particularly in regard to qualities like rotational, reactive, and explosive strength. They are also aware that S&C coaches provide them with their necessary nutrition and motivational needs, as well as quick recovery guidance.

Hello, there. I’mRyan Shephard, a student at the University of Michigan. I’m hoping to have a career in professional sports training and rehab. Thankfully, my courses allow me to learn anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Qualities you need in an athletic trainer

Today, it’s almost imperative that a sports team have an athletic trainer as part of the coaching staff.   Athletic trainers are professional healthcare personnel who look after the health and wellbeing of players during training and games.  They treat injuries and can even spot problems before they turn into something big and career-threatening.  If you’re looking for an athletic trainer for your team, here are some qualities to take note of.

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Prepared for anything

In sports, anything can happen.  A bad fall can mean the end of a player’s career and responding quickly to the incident may very well save that player’s career.  When interviewing an athletic trainer, go through their experiences and ask their professional opinion on previous predicaments you and your players experienced before.

High ethical standards

Some athletic trainers turn a blind eye on players who use performance-enhancing drugs.  But this isn’t just the case where ethics are tested.  An unethical athletic trainer would allow a player to risk further injuries by continuing to play when they are not in the best shape.

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Honest and trustworthy

Players and coaches don’t need to have sugarcoated opinions.  If a player needs to be benched to avoid injuries, the athletic trainer says so.  They also need to be approachable so that players feel at ease talking to them after games or during training.

Ryan Shephard here, future sports therapist. I am currently a student at the University of Michigan majoring in Athletic Training. These days, I have courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. I'm enjoying learning from the industry's best. What's even more interesting is that we also get to work with the country's top athletes. For more insightful reads on athletic trainers, visit this blog.

Wrist and hand injuries you can get while playing sports

The wrist and hand combine to provide people the ability to lift and carry objects, using them as they please.  Athletes are prone to sustaining injuries in these parts or develop a condition involving them, which is why care and caution are necessary when using the wrists and hands.  Here are some common injuries to watch out for.

Tendonitis

This is the inflammation, swelling, or irritation of a tendon, and it often results from overuse.  Typically, the tendon becomes irritated when people start a new activity or exercise.

Distal radius fracture

Also known as a broken wrist, this commonly experienced fracture in the body involves the radius bone, a long forearm bone.  A distal radius fracture takes place near the wrist joint on the thumb side, usually taking place from a fall onto an outstretched arm.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

This is a frequently occurring disorder that happens even without playing sports, but just the same it causes pain as well as tingling in the hand, wrist, thumb, and the first three fingers.  Risk factors include having a small carpal tunnel, being female, aging, having wrist trauma or injury, and having certain conditions such as hypothyroidism or diabetes.

Tennis elbow

This overuse injury involves a tendon on the outside of the forearm, which fails and starts to tear away from the bone.  The injury originates near the elbow but may be painful down the forearm.

’Basketball finger’

This occurs during an athletic activity where the hand comes in contact with a ball, ranging in severity from a sprain to a dislocation. 

Ryan Shephard is studying to become a certified sports and rehabilitation specialist. He is majoring in athletic training at the University of Michigan. And has courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. Read more on this site.