Fit-cric

Now, match day requires a light and effective warm up session which should be properly designed in order to activate all the muscles without draining the athlete.

•It should start with a low tempo and gradually the tempo should be increased up to a certain level•

Here are the top drills you can add in your regime:

1. Loop Band Movements:

Loop band switches and abduction will enable you to activate your glutes, quads and hamstrings which you require during the match to perform your movements.

2. Medicine Ball Throws:

• A must do exercise for all the cricketers! •

It improves the batting range of a batsman as well as enhances shoulder and hip activation for the bowler!

3. Agility Drills:

• You cannot ever think of a warm-up session without this •

Foot movement plays a key role in both the departments . These drills enable you to have a better foot movement throughout the match!

And lastly do not forget to add confidence in your routine!💫

Trekking or hiking is a strenuous physical activity which requires apt prep in order to execute it properly. It involves climbing mountains usually at an altitude of minimum 10000ft.

It requires a decent amount of stamina,endurance,strength and of course strong will power to reach the summit.

Lets be real  trekking without a basic pre-trip training or a basic level of fitness is 'hard work'!.

Sore calves and aching quads are badges of honour, with blisters and lost toenails marks of pride.But in return, you get some of the most untouched, pristine and jaw-dropping scenery on the planet. And you know what? The more you train for your epic hike, the easier it’ll be!

Here is the list of things you should do in your pre-trek training:

• Start walking with weights : During trek, you are required to ascend as well as descend with your backpack. Hence, before 2 to 3 weeks of trek you should train yourself and make yourself  accustomed to walking with weights on.

• Long-interval training : 5 kms within 32 minutes  is the basic target one should set during long - interval training . Slow jog or long step walking with a moderate speed will be an ideal choice.

•Take "stairs": Yes, it may sound something different but during your pre-trek training days avoid the lifts and take stairs as much as possible in order to get those quads, calves and hamstring accustomed to such movements

• Workout : Focus more on cardio vascular endurance, core and legs strengthening .Include basic exercises such as weighted explosive squats, calf raises, burpees, planks, russian twists in your regime.

• Walk on rough terrain : As we are all aware of the fact that trekking routes are not even and you would encounter uneven surfaces or rough terrains at regular intervals. For this reason ,you must make your body acclimatised to such conditions by practicing walking on rough paths .

These were some of the points you should take note of. Apart from that eat healthy, sleep well , hydrate and you will be good to go for your trek!

Conquer the summit!

Now, there is a huge misconception among people that explosive training is only reserved for highly trained athletes to increase their sports performance. However, explosive training can serve a purpose in every day life as well.

For example, if your child is falling from the top of a slide and there arises a need to hustle and catch them then you will require your "Explosive strength" to get there quickly.

Let us now understand its importance physically:

• Explosive workouts combine speed, strength, and power training into functional movement that allows you to generate force quickly, or decelerate quickly. Explosive strength is necessary for improving reaction time.

• Fast and explosive reps will activate the maximal number of muscle fibers possible and can help to develop speed and power for sports and physical activity. Being able to move weight fast will help to move more weight.

Now, let us take one exercise as an example and understand how explosion really benefits:

° INCLINED BENCH PRESS :

• Fast and explosive reps help to activate the maximum number of muscle fibres possible. Moving the barbell fast in to and fro helps you to develop explosive power and increases physical performance in the field.

Key note:

• This exercise requires higher shoulder stabilisation as compared to flat bench press . Hence, make sure you have activated your shoulder properly before this movement.

'Now what do I mean by cardio- vascular endurance?'

"Cardio-vascular endurance is the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to your body tissues."

• The more efficiently your body delivers oxygen to its tissues, the lower your breathing rate is. While this may help you get a little more bottom time in your workout,athletic competitions like marathon or in the cricket field.

Here's how my cardio -vascular endurance training routine looks like:

• Stretching -

Well, you can't proceed to any workout or training nor end it without stretching right? But are you aware about its types? Dont worry let me list it down for you :

|Dynamic stretching|- Perform this during pre workout or training. Dynamic stretching basically means to induce movement in your muscles and tissues in order to get them ready and warmed up before your training.

|Static stretching| - Perform this post workout or training.Static stretching basically means to stretch your muscles and release the tension or stiffness caused during workout or training.

• Shuttle run -

After i am done with my stretching and warming up, I move onto the shuttle run. I place two markers at a distance of 40 metres. The work is to start from the marker and run at a moderate speed up to the other marker ,which was placed at a distance of 40 metres, for 8 minutes in the first set followed by 7 minutes, 6 minutes and so on up to the last set which is of 1 minute. Some key pointers:

° Take a minute break after each set

° Your running speed should be moderate

° Batsman: Focus on your turning and imagine it as if you are running between the wickets.

° Focus on your breathing for maximum output!

• Core training :

After rehydration and rest of 10- 15 minutes i move on to my core training. My core training is a cycle consisting of various exercises like planks,med ball exercises, burpees and many more . 3 sets of each exercise is performed with a rest period of 30 to 45 seconds.

• Cool down :

Lastly , I end my whole training with a relaxing cool down session in order to release excess oxygen as well as any sort of stiffness from my body. Cool down session usually lasts for about 20-25 minutes.

Refresh and relax your mind and body!

`What is a hip flexor`?

• 'HIP FLEXORS' which are located near the front of the hip are vital for lifting the thigh towards the torso and facilitates movements like running,walking and bending.

But here's the catch ⚠️

'Prolonged sitting or neglecting stretching and strengthening routines can lead to tightness and overactivity in the hip flexors.'

• When it comes to professional athletes,optimal biomechanics and muscle function are non- negotiable for peak performance.

• Tight hip flexors can be "SILENT SABOTEURS" ,limiting range of motion,power,output and agility ,therefore, addressing hip flexor tightness is crucial for injury prevention and optimising athletic efficiency -key ingredients for excelling in sports!✨

Now ,before jumping into this commonly asked question ,let me give you a brief about what actually is a subconscious mind:-

• The subconscious mind is that part of the brain which functions below the usual level of consciousness when you are awake. While you are eating, drinking, working or reading, it’s your conscious mind. You can comprehend the meaning of everything around in your conscious mind.

• The subconscious mind is busy working behind these scenes. It takes the information and stores it at a deeper level. It absorbs every piece of information from your surroundings like a sponge. This starts developing right when you are an infant.

Here are the ways :

1. Surround yourself with positivity

Encircle yourself with thoughts and beliefs which are positive. Surround yourself with people with positive mindset and believe that anything is achievable. The Subconscious constantly absorbs information and draws beliefs from them. Avoid watching toxic news and staying with negative people. Do not inject an iota of negativity inside you.!

2. Visualise

Visualisation is the key when it comes to performance in cricket. You need to visualise how you will bat or bowl the following day. Great players like Virat Kohli believe in visualisation which helps him to perform consistently and get the desired results.

3. Express Gratitude

Practice expressing gratitude for all that you have. This gets you into the mindset of abundance. Your mind believes you already have what you want. This practice of rewiring the brain removes the lack of mentality and believes in all that it can have.!

4. Meditation

Reflect more on yourself through meditation. Spend time just with yourself focusing on the way you want to perform. Make yourself believe that you can truly deliver the performance you want to.

• Start now

Pre-season is anytime before the next season. Don’t wait until the last few months or weeks before you head down to the gym and start training to capacity trying to make up for the last six months. Starting sooner rather than later allows you to hit the odd road bump and still keep going.

• Build a solid foundation

Build on the structures of the body. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, focus not on the funky one arm cable exercises (although I love them) but think about the big movements that the body needs to be competent at in general. Hinging at the hips, shoulder capsule mobility, ankle stability, shoulder blade control, knee integrity, to name but a few. Many of these structural issues can be improved with the big five lifts – done correctly that is. These are: squat; deadlift; row/pull up; overhead shoulder press; bench press. Remember this is not the only focus, and mobility and fitness should not be discarded, but getting these lifts strong will certainly keep you in the game as you develop other areas of your cricket fitness. Kinetic Cricket has a full breakdown of these lifts and how to use effective progressive overload to develop your strength and robustness.

• Aim to be better than you were, not the finished article

One of my favourite phrases is “Be less wrong today than you were yesterday”. Simply put, strive for growth not for perfection. You will enjoy the process far better if you achieve small wins every other day rather than the end-goal feeling a million miles away. Sometimes this may mean pulling the pin on a workout if you feel a niggle, sometimes it may mean holding yourself back, even if you feel you can do that one last rep or lift just a fraction more. Train smart, don’t chase perfection.

• Focus on your weaknesses and mobility issues

Mobility is often banded together with flexibility and suppleness. I was fortunate to be fairly mobile during my career which helped, being a wicketkeeper, but I have trained hundreds of people who find certain movements very difficult especially through their shoulders and their mid-backs. These mobility issues have an immediate impact on your technique which in turn can have an immediate effect on runs and wickets

•Shed some pounds

Cricket is very much a confidence game, and although feeling confidence can and should come from inside, there’s no doubt that looking in good shape, feeling trim and carrying less timber gives anyone a boost. The summer is often a time of big lunches and even bigger jugs at the end of a good win so enjoy them without feeling like your waistline is getting away from you. Fat loss can be simple and hard at the same time.

Lastly relax and journal your weak areas and the things you need to work upon!

Ever wondered what separates two players with same level of skills and fitness?

'Mindset' is the word!

Waking up everyday and believing in yourself that you are the best and reciprocating that energy in the field is what helps you to stand out. Keep believing!

1. clean & jerk

It is a full body strength developer exercise including quadriceps,deltoids,core triceps while also works upon posterior chain muscles.🏋️‍♀️

2. Landmine press

It works around your shoulder mobility issues and also it's a go to exercise for fixing strength imbalances.💪

3. Medicinal ball rotations

A great exercise for developing upper body strength ,power and elasticity ! Must be performed without fail✨

4.Core Stability

This game is the greatest leveler!

Every day is a new day & a new opportunity to prove yourself!👊

Generally, an ectomorph individual is known to perform better as compared to others due to the ability of being more flexible and agile!🦘

You need to train specifically for those movements which are required in the field and most importantly: "STOP TRAINING LIKE A BODYBUILDER"!

And these specific training will lead you to you know what: ⬇️

Excited to embark on this journey and share my thoughts, passion , knowledge and adventures with you. 💫

I am Muzammil Ibrahim Farooqui , a professional cricketer at the cricket association of bengal and this is my little corner of the internet.

Lets connect ,explore ,learn and have some fun together!🌟