Keep Your Edge

Winter is here! Unfortunately for us goalkeepers this is the season that makes consistent training a little trickier – sessions get called off because of bad weather, etc.  That said, I want  to give you a few tips to help you keep your edge…

Work on your upper body strength

Ok, now for a “real” tip – it’s important for goalkeepers to build strength overall, but one area that gets overlooked is the upper body strength. Most keepers will tend to focus on the lower body, which is obviously important for diving, etc. Now this doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to look like Arnie to be a good goalkeeper, but upper body strength will help you when it comes to reaching those hard shots or shots from short ranges as well being able to hold onto the ball if someone challenges you after you make the save.

To keep this simple, you can just include a routine of different styles of pushups every day. This will help you build the muscles in your chest, arms and shoulders – the key areas for a keeper. Of course there is more that you can add in time, but this is a great place to start.

Work on your flexibility

This tip is one that is extremely useful for any goalkeeper at any level. It’s simple – you 100% NEED to stretch. If you are a keeper and you’re not stretching properly, you are doing yourself a disservice. Flexibility is an essential part of making those game-winning saves that could make or break your career. On top of that, the more flexible and well-stretched your body is, the less likely you are to sustain a career-destroying injury.

I really can’t stress this enough. And it’s so easy! My first recommendation is to scour YouTube and find a stretching routine that works for you. You could even try doing some yoga sessions, either at home or at an actual studio. This is a great way to stay limber and to improve your range of motion for when it comes to the crunch.

Tyler Vaughn

Renegade GK