As a player, especially in the old days, this was probably my least favourite time of the season. As the years and the
game has progressed this became a more specialized time and not as hard as before, where the work was, rightly so, more position specific instead of everyone going on long hard runs for two weeks
without seeing a ball. Although I agree this is the way to go, either way I usually felt that I didn’t get enough work in or wasn’t quite fit enough before the first games came around.
Especially now as the games start a week or ten days in to the pre season schedule. This affected me enormously if I had strong competition for my position that season, where a couple of good
pre-season games (although the managers wouldn’t say beforehand that these games mattered…we all knew they did) would give me the nod to start the season ahead of my rivals. With this in mind and
timed for just before pre-season training usually starts, I have devised a ‘Get the Edge’ Pre Pre-season 3 or 4 day intense training program, over 3 different daily sessions. This is formulated using
the most up to date sports science and training methods, with a few old school ones as well. It is designed to have a couple of days off before you go back to training after this program to optimize
performance when you do go back, where you’re guaranteed to have the edge over you’re rivals. It will get you feeling sharp straight away, with you’re eye well and truly in for when the first games
come round and also to stand you in even better stead for the remainder of the season, where the likelihood will be if you start the season you will stay as number 1 for the rest of it!