Written by Sameer Jha | Published : May 27, 2015 10:51 AM IST
If there is one cricketer who has seen several ups and downs in his career, it is Alastair Cook. The England Test captain’s mental toughness is unbelievable, and his ability to recover from setbacks is something we can all learn from. Want to know what he does to stay fit? Here are a few of his fitness secrets.
Drinks a lot of water in humid conditions: ‘We played in Sri Lanka recently and it was more than 80 per cent humidity. The team was losing up to two or three kilos every two hours. So, if we’re playing for six hours, we need to make sure we start the day hydrated. At breakfast, I force down a litre and half of sports drink, even though it’s not a particularly pleasant thing to do at 7.30am. But you have to stay on top of hydration, otherwise you have no way of catching up,’ Cook told shortlist.com in an interview.
Strengthens his core muscles: ‘Gone are the days of just doing an aerobic run of 30 or 40 minutes and then hitting the bench press. Batting is now becoming more about explosive energy and power, so the core is important. A big set of jump squats will strengthen the core, providing you land with your posture straight and use the whole of your feet as you take off,’ Cook was quoted as saying by shortlist.com.
Uses technology: ‘We have jump mats that tell us how high we jump, and what speed we jump at. That comes in handy as it can help to determine whether you’re at the peak of your game. And sometimes we wear GPS vests to see how our heart rates are doing and what distances we cover during a game,’ Cook told shortlist.com in an interview.
Attributes his powers of concentration to musical training: ‘I also think the musical training taught me to focus my mind before playing in an orchestra taught me how to truly concentrate. If you miss your moment in an orchestra, there is no forgiving,’ Cook was quoted as saying by telegraph.co.uk.
Drinks protein to recover: ‘After every session, whether we’ve been in the field or in the gym, we’ll always have protein. It’s important to grab a protein shake as soon as you finish training, as your body will have the fuel it needs to recover,’ Cook told shortlist.com in an interview.
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