Casemiro: How a footballer should train in the gym

Our highly respected midfielder delves into his mentality in the gym and his daily routine in a new interview inside the revamped Carrington training centre.

And there’s one part of that routine which he thinks is particularly important.

“I’ve played in both old-school and modern football,” Casemiro reflects, when discussing his relationship with working out.

“In old football, it was more about just playing with the ball. Of course, footballers always looked after themselves but when I started I was with more old-school players but now football has changed a lot. It is more specific, with specific work. So, I think when I arrived in Europe was when it all changed.

“I started when I arrived in Madrid. I spent more time in the gym, I tried to spend more time in the gym, especially before training. This was when my career began to change.

“I started to see a more gym focused side to me, where I tried to become stronger. We’re from Brazil, our main concern is quality with the ball, but it is important not to forget the physical side. In modern football, quality will always win, but the physical side is crucial too.

“For me, my favourite thing to train is core. 100 per cent — core. Everything must be trained, but core is the base for everything. What people see on the outside can be beautiful, but this is what is on the inside, you have to be strong. In football, there is lots of contact and collisions. So, it is the most important part of the body and of the exercises.”

So, if you’re a young footballer wanting to follow in Casemiro’s example, make sure not to neglect on your core exercises. We did ask him for his favourite one, but he simply said, “I do them all!”

Watch the full interview with Casemiro now!