Nike Master Trainer On How You Can Learn From The Pros

Jamie Reynolds has worked with some of the biggest names in sport – here he reveals some of the traits that set athletes apart, conditioning lessons we can all benefit from and why generic training plans should be handled with care

- Jamie Reynolds

He may be best known as the man behind Anthony Joshua’s knockout power, but Nike Master Trainer Jamie Reynolds has also worked with a number of up-and-coming fighters and a crop of current Premier League players. MF sat down with @jamie_velocity to talk S&C, core values and the unique drive of elite athletes.

MF: The athletes you work with are predominantly footballers and boxers – on the face of it, they’re two very different disciplines, but are there any training methods you employ for both?

JR: “When it comes to the work that these guys do in the gym, the truth is that around 70 to 80 per cent of it is the same no matter the sport. The systems and principles used to help make a footballer stronger aren’t going to vary too much to those used to add strength to an NFL player, or a tennis player, or a boxer. The differences come when we look at how to transfer what we learn in the gym to the pitch/ ring/court and also how we train the athletes’ energy systems for the specific demands of their sport/position.”

MF: How much importance do you place on core strength?

JR: “I place a lot of importance on training the core in the right way, so it’s important to remember that during movements your trunk is more of a conductor of force than a producer of it and should be trained with that in mind. So, if our goal is to move and perform better, exercises like dead bugs, a pal of presses and bear crawls are likely to be on the menu. However, ten different variations of ab crunches definitely won't. True ‘core strength’ is having the right mixture of stability and mobility through our hips, torso, and shoulders.”

MF: What are the main areas you look to improve when working with footballers?