Power-up Your Team’s Attack Using a Pivot

An extremely effective way to make sure that your 5-a-side (or Futsal) team carries an attacking threat is by using a dedicated attacker. This role is one of the most important to your team and, if you get it right, could be the spark that gets you creating space and playing impressive attacking football.

Why we call them the Pivot

In the Futsal world, the most advanced player on the pitch; the one who is in attack, pinning back the opposition defense is called the Pivot¹.

A high quality pivot lives up to this name in two senses:

1. They will be a focal point for the attack, acting as a pivot for the attacking movement of the rest of the team, bringing in their teammates for scoring opportunities through intelligent hold-up play and shrewd lay-offs.
2. If they’re strong and quick with good technique, they will be able to turn ‘or pivot’ around their marker, creating scoring opportunities for themselves.

The pivot is the furthest player forward – they’ll be tightly marked

Played well, this position will give the opposition defenders nightmares, keeping them busier and more stressed than Luis Suarez’ dentist.

Key skills of a Pivot

When selecting somebody to play this role, you want to look for somebody with:

• Strength to hold the ball up. That doesn’t necessarily just mean they have to be big, it just means that they must be able to put their foot on the ball and hold it, withstanding the pressure that the defender will put them under.
• Anticipation both to read when a pass is coming and to latch onto any loose balls for scoring opportunities.
• Technique to be able to receive a pass, controlling it quickly, and be comfortable with the ball at their feet. It’s also very useful if they’ve got a couple of moves to be able to turn a defender.
• Speed for turning quickly and for making little darting runs.
• Shooting accuracy for putting the ball in the net when the chance arises.

With those raw materials you should find that you can make yourself a very good pivot, as long as you have a little bit of tactical knowledge. Here’s what you need to know to play the position:

How the Pivot can Be a Target and Create Space (and why ‘depth’ is crucial)

Even without the ball, the pivot plays an important positional role. By maintaining a position high up the court they pose a continual attacking threat, pinning back a defender giving ‘depth’ to the play.

Depth is really important. People often talk about creating space by a team having ‘width’, but you must not overlook ‘depth’.

It’s a key way that a team can enlarge the space in which they are attacking, giving lots more options to the team and making a lot more difficult for the defence. Take the following example:

In diagram A the team in blue are attacking upwards, but all of the players are within their own half. Nobody has pushed up at the top and the result is that they team are playing possession in a very cramped space, which makes it hard for them and easier for the opposition.

This sort of problem can arise when the attacking players feel they need to move towards the ball, but it’s not always helpful to do that.

On the other hand, in diagram B, where a pivot has taken a position high up the court, much more space (the treasured ‘depth’) has opened up for the team to play in. Not only can player A receive the ball and have much more chance to turn the defender, but it also allows the other players space to attack.

How might the pivot pushing up help the others attack? Consider these examples:

The additional space created opens up more areas for others to move into, and also more space in which they can play, such as in the one-two (or ‘wall pass’) in the diagram on the right.

The way the pivot should look to receive the ball

It might sound easy to receive a pass, but anyone who has played as a pivot will know that any half-decent defender will be breathing down your neck.

To deal with this, the pivot needs to get their positioning and body shape right as they receive the ball. In practical terms, this means that they need to receive the ball with their body half-turned. In all the diagrams on this page, you will notice that the pivot is pictured on the half-turn, not turned straight back towards their own goal, but turned sideways.

Playing on the half-turn is something that can improve your game in all positions of the pitch. It’s so important that we’ve covered in an article of its own, but it’s especially important to do this when you’re playing as pivot. It allows the pivot both to see more (including having more sight of the defender marking them), but also to allow them to hold the opponent off and receive the pass on the foot furthest from the defender (safely out of their reach).

A good first touch is vital – controlling it out of the reach of the defender. This can often be done best by using the sole of the foot – a technique you really need to know for futsal / 5-a-side.

Receiving the ball as a pivot requires good technique under pressure.

The important job a pivot does when they’ve got the ball

Having received the ball, the pivot is going to have to use all their strength and cunning to keep the defender stealing it. Now, if the defender gets their positioning wrong – by being too much either side of they player, or getting too tight, that would be the time to try to turn.

Some pivots will tell you that the moment they try to turn is when they feel the defender’s arm on them – as that’s usually an indication that the defender has just planted themselves in a position. Experiment with this, try turning both ways round opponents and see what works for you.

Often, rather than turn, it can be more appropriate to look to lay the ball off with a pass to a teammate who is making the run forward. The diagrams below illustrate an example of this (note that the team in blue are now attacking downwards).

In the above diagram on the right, the teammate has passed the ball into the pivot and then managed to run past their marker. In this instance the pivot, having received the ball, can perform a lay-off (in this case it might be a case of rolling the ball behind them into the teammates path) to set them up for a shot.

Supporting the Pivot – it’s not a one-man crusade

Even the best pivots will struggle to do it all alone. They will need support from the rest of the team, but the two things they will thank you for the most are: playing them quality passes and making good runs.

The quality of the pass you give to the pivot is important. They want to receive a pass that is easy to control (that means that it should be accurate, not over hit, and not bouncing).

The rest of the team need to back the pivot by making good supporting runs. In fact, if your pivot can hold the ball up easily then you can cause havoc with supporting runs.

Over time you can develop combinations that will help you take other teams apart. Here’s an example where the blue team are again attacking downwards:

Here the pivot has run into the channel to receive a pass from teammate X (yes a pivot doesn’t have to be glued to a central location).

As soon as X has made the pass, they fake one way to confuse the marker, before looping round and making a run directly into the space that has been vacated by the pivot. The pivot simply pops the ball into the path of X who has a clear shot at goal.

The pivot, in videos

Now that you understand the basics, it’s time to move on and check out videos of pivots in action.

Your thoughts

Done right, we think that the pivot can be a lethal weapon against other teams. Do you agree?

What has been your experience of using a pivot? Are there any strategies for using them that work for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

This article has been written by 5-a-side.com in association with Mitre Star. It’s just one of our articles that appear on Mitre’s helpful 5-a-side hub.

1 = Note that in Australia the ‘Pivot’ can sometimes be used to refer to the defender that stays at the back, whilst the term ‘Target’ is used for the dedicated striker. The Australians are pretty much the only ones that use the term this way – in Brazil, Spain etc, the term ‘pivot’ is used (in Spanish ‘pívot’, in Italian ‘pivot’ and in Portuguese ‘pivô’).

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5-a-side positions: Find Your Best Spot

What are the positions for 5-a-side, and which one should I play? Two of the most common questions that get asked, especially by players who are new to the 5-a-side format of the game.

Even if you’re a more seasoned player, it can take some time to settle into a particular role in any given team. The process of settling in will become all the easier if you understand the basic requirements of each position and, perhaps more importantly which position will play to your strengths and hide glaring weaknesses, like your desperate lack of pace / stamina / finishing skills / (insert other cause of embarrassment here).

So, what are the positions for 5-a-side?

The exact positions depend on what tactic and formation your team is using.  Each system may have slightly different roles, and those roles might be known by several names, but generally they fall into 5 broad categories (we’ll leave out the goalkeeper though, as that’s straigtforward):

1. Pivot / Target / Top Man / Striker (specialist)
2. Midfielders / Wingers / Utility Players
3. Last Man / Fixo / Stopper (specialist)
4. Attackers
5. Defenders

We’ll work through these with the aid of a couple of examples.

We’ll start with a formation that uses the two specialist positions, the Diamond:

The diamond is a good formation which we’ve covered in our 5-a-side formations guide, as it allows a specialist forward player and specialist defensive player to be allocated, ensuring that at least one person is committed to going forward or staying back most of the time. Let’s look further at these positions:

1) Pivot / Target / Top Man / Striker

This player goes by a variety of names, but essentially they’re the main individual that leads the attack. They are always looking to keep the opposition defenders busy, acting as a focal point for the attacking play.

The term ‘pivot’ is often used for this player; that’s certainly how futsal refers to them. That’s because they spend a lot of time receiving the ball with their back to goal, looking to spin or ‘pivot’ around the defender and get a shot off; but the rest of the team also pivots around them as the hold-up play of this player creates space and supplies the passes for teammates who make runs forwards. Although attacking is the pivot’s main focus, they still need to track back and help out the defense when the other team are pressing forward.

You shouldn’t see teams playing with 2 pivots (though you might find that 2 players rotate the responsibility between players). However, it is common to find teams that don’t consider themselves to use a player in this position at all (e.g. in the 2-0-2 formation explained below) but if you have a specialist who can play this role well, it can be extremely effective.

To be a good pivot, you’ll need most of the following attributes:

• Strength on the ball (but that doesn’t mean you need to be big) to protect the ball from the defender
• Quick feet, and trickery to turn past opponents
• Ability to shoot quickly and accurately
• Movement to create space to receive the ball in, and good anticipation to read when a pass is coming.

If you think that playing as a pivot is for you, there are lots of additional tips and tactics that you should know. Read them here in our guide to being a 5-a-side pivot.

2) Midfielders / Utility Players / Wingers

These players are important components of a good team as they knit together the entire team’s strategy. Whilst the pivot is the focal point of the attack, and the fixo is the focal point of the defense, the wingers are the engine room that powers the whole machine. If they don’t provide enough energy to the team, then neither the pivot or the fixo get enough support to perform effectively.

Their responsibilities are split broadly evenly between attacking and defending (although if you have two midfielders you might make one more attacking and the other more defensive). At times their runs will take them further forward than the pivot, and at others they’ll be even further back than the ‘last man’. As they are required to perform this dual role, the most effective players in this position have excellent stamina, tactical understanding and the discipline to balance their duties. When a good pairing of these players exists to balance the team, the whole team will feel much more in sync.

To be a good midfielder you will need:

• Stamina to continue switching between attack and defense (if you’re the type who needs to rest with their hands on their knees after a couple of runs, this isn’t for you)
• Tactical awareness to know when you should be committing forwards, and when you need to stay back and defend
• Good passing ability, being comfortable to play quick pass-and move football (often just one or two-touch)
• Shooting ability to finish off those forward runs.
• A good all-round game, having the essential skills for both attack and defence.

Midfielders should work on their fitness (how fit do I need to be for 5-a-side), their defensive game (our ultimate guide to 5-a-side defending), as well as their basic attacking skills.

3) Last Man / Fixo / Stopper

Some refer to this character simply as a ‘defender’ but it’s more than that. The terms ‘last man’ and ‘fixo’ are a more accurate reflection of this individual’s role.

The term ‘fixo’ is a Portuguese term literally meaning ‘fixed’, referring to the fact that this player is usually found at the back. They’re main priority is to be the protector in front of the goalkeeper and deal with the threat of the opposition’s pivot. However, just as the pivot doesn’t just attack, the fixo doesn’t just defend. They’re certainly allowed to roam forward from time-to-time, and the unexpected nature of these attacks can make them very difficult for the opposition to defend against.

Defence, however, is where the majority of their work takes place. They will often be the furthest player back, allowing them to see more of the play than anybody else, ideally placing them to assess the shape of the game (or ‘read the play’) and communicate advice to the other players.

A good last man will have most of the following characteristics:

• Defensive discipline – you can’t play this position well if you frequently wander off at the mere sniff of an attacking opportunity.
• Strength and/or speed – to deal with the threat of the attacking players
• Ability to read play and anticipate where the danger will come from
• Communication – to get messages across to other players and help organise the team.

If you’re going to play this position, read our guide to the last man.

The diamond shows how you can incorporate specialist positions into a formation, but positions can be more generic than this. See the square, for example:

In the square formation, the players do similar jobs to the above, but this time two players are more attacking and two are more defensive The roles are more general.

4) Attackers

As the name suggests, these players are primarily in charge of making things happen in the attacking area of the field. But they might not be targets in the sense that the pivot usually plays the attacking role.

With two attacking players, it can make it harder for a ‘last man’ to man-mark either of them, since they both get forwards at different times (and often at the same time) switching to disrupt the defense.

Attackers in these positions ensure that they get back to defend when they’re not in possession of the ball, though they will be the first to press out when they are on the attack.

Top attackers have the following traits:

• Technical ability – good close-control and footwork to maintain possession.
• Pass-and-move ability – necessary to combine with the other attacker and create opportunities.
• Shooting – accurate and decisive finishing
• Acceleration to make darting runs forward
• Dribbling ability to beat opposition players

5) Defenders

A defender is similar to a ‘last man’, but the mantle of being the defensive rock doesn’t just fall on this one individual. Instead, the defender is part of a unit. In the ‘square’ formation there are two defenders, which requires them to work together to organise the defensive duties. When the team is attacking they cannot both stay back defending, at least one of them has to move forward to provide support to the attackers.

If the defenders have a good understanding between them, it can be an effective strategy to rotate the responsibility to attack. Ideally they will both have the stamina to push forward when the opportunity arises, with the other defender covering for them. However, if one begins to tire and there aren’t any substitutes available, the attacking responsibility can be given to the fresher player, allowing the other to recover. It’s all about understanding what the other defender (as well as the other players) is doing and planning around this.

The characteristics of a good defender are similar to the ‘last man’ above:

• Defensive discipline – yes, you can push forward but remember that your main objective is to protect the goal, so you’ll need to have a focus on the defensive arts.
• Stamina to be able to make forward runs to support the attacks
• Ability to read play and anticipate where the danger will come from
• Communication and tactical understanding, especially the ability to form a good partnership with the other defender.

So that’s the main positions for 5-a-side, and variations of them appear in all sorts of formations. Here’s two examples of the roles deployed in two systems that we haven’t specifically covered above:

Which position should I play?

After reading this, you should have a pretty good idea of which position might suit you best. You’ve also probably got one of these positions that you naturally most enjoy, which is often the one that you are best at anyway. So, start by playing this one.

However, don’t stop there. Not everybody starts off playing the position that they’re best at, as a lot of us aren’t honestly able to assess our relative abilities to the rest of the team. Consider asking your teammates which position they think you’d be best at, and after you’ve made it past their inevitable sarcastic suggestions (likely to include ‘left back in the changing room’, ‘sub’ etc) you might get some helpful insight.

The thorough way to settle on your best position, however, is to spend a couple of games playing each one, long enough that you’re able to settle into each. After trying a few, you’ll soon see which one has potential for you. The downside is that if your team is too impatient to indulge your ‘work experience’ in each of these different positions, you might find this to be a tough sell. However, with persistence, you should be able to give them all a go and even the positions that you’re not good at, you’ll at least have an appreciation of your teammates who do play them.

But my team plays a different position that you haven’t mentioned above…

Good for you. The above is supposed to be a fairly comprehensive list of the main positions in 5-a-side and futsal, but it’s not intended to cover every single possibility. We’ve covered the two major formations and looked at the most common positions that you will see.

In practice, people will have their own twists on these roles, and indeed should adapt the way they play to suit the specific individual strengths of the team. Often, you won’t have the luxury of having players who neatly fit the above moulds; they might not have all the attributes; there might be aspects of the position that you need to adapt to suit their strengths and mask their weaknesses.

If you’ve got a position on your team which is different to one of the above roles, let us know in the comments below.

How to Eat Like A Pro Soccer Player

Even if you’re not a professional footballer, you can still eat like one. In fact, maybe you should – by the end of this article I’m going to challenge you to do it.

After all, the diet of a pro football player is designed with one goal in mind: to keep a player in top condition for football. So, whatever level you play, it’s only going to benefit your health and fitness to follow it too.

We’ve already covered the different elements that make up a footballer’s diet, but now it’s time to put down that pie and chips. You might not be a professional player, but in this article we’ll show you how easy it is to eat like one.

The pro footballer’s daily diet plan

The only way to make sure that we’re following the authentic diet of a pro footballer is to find out what one actually eats. That’s where the Secret Footballer comes in.

The secret who?

Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of the Secret Footballer. Who is he? Don’t ask me – that’s why he’s called the ‘secret footballer’ (though speculation will be entertained, even encouraged, in the comments below). He claims to have played the game at the top level in the Premier League, even going up against the likes of Ronaldo back in the day. The point is, he’s more than qualified to tell us how a pro player eats.

In his ‘Guide to the Modern Game*’ he takes us through his daily diet plan that has worked for him as a pro player. As soon as I read it, I thought it was worth looking at in more detail.

Any fool can re-type the content from his book. So I went one step further, I decided to live it for a day. Here’s our guide to what a pro player eats during the season (note: it’s not what they eat just before a game – that’s covered in this post on pre-match meals). I’ll show you what it’s like to follow as an amateur player; and my tips to make it easy for you to do it too.

Meal 1 – When you first wake up

“One Actimel, one pint of lukewarm water with the juice of half a lemon, two small squares of dark chocolate (minimum 74% cocoa)”

Why eat it: This meal is about getting the body going, and boosting metabolism – the function of the body that breaks food down into energy. Actimel is a probiotic drink, which means it contains healthy bacteria to keep your digestion in tip-top condition (rather than nasty bacteria which will just hospitalise you).

The lemon juice also helps jolt your metabolism into life, and having the water lukewarm helps the body absorb it without using unnecessary energy. It also has a purging effect – clearing out the rubbish from the system. Finally, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content has now been found to be good for the body in moderation (just don’t eat the whole bar!)

Preparation: It doesn’t get much simpler than this – which is fortunate if you’re not at your best first thing in the morning. The only remotely tricky bit is squeezing the lemon, but that’s a doddle if you’ve got the sort of lemon squeezer pictured below. If not, go out and buy one – they’re an affordable must-have kitchen accessory.

What’s it like to eat? I had this as soon as I woke up, before showering and found this to be a pretty good start to the day, though I’m not used to drinking that quantity of water first thing in the morning. The lemon gave it enough of a kick to slap me out of my morning slumber and into life.

The only mistake I made was with the chocolate. Go for something much nearer to 70% cocoa rather than the 90% I rather optimistically thought I could stomach. 90% cocoa is quite bitter, and really only for hardcore chocolate addicts. I might as well have just spooned pure cocoa power into my mouth. On the positive side, all that water and Actimel had got things moving and I was taking an unscheduled bathroom pitstop sooner than expected (I’m sure you could’ve done without that info).).

Meal 2 – Breakfast (around 30 minutes after meal 1)

“Two slices of brown toast with almond spread. You may also try porridge with honey for a change.”

Why eat this: A footballer’s breakfast is the meal he’s going to eat before going to training and needs to pack him with enough energy to get him through the session. So it’s about getting carbohydrates, which are turned to glycogen, which directly fuels the muscles.

Brown bread is a great source of carbs, without the nasty additives that are pumped into white bread. And as the Secret Footballer says “nuts are a so-called ‘super food’ … a slow-releasing energy source.” Alternatively, if you go with the porridge option, that’s also a great source of carbs. Many sports people swear by oats in their diet: they’re cheap, filling, contain protein, and can help lower cholesterol.

Preparation: Although I’m partial to a bit of porridge, I went with toast this time round. It’s the easy option, and since I’ve still got to cook lunch and dinner, I’m keeping it simple here. So for now, it’s another easy meal – this one just being a case of putting some bread in the toaster and then spreading it with a generous helping of topping.

The only tricky bit was locating almond spread in my local supermarket. It was a task that defeated me, so instead I opted for the best, most natural (and predictably, most expensive) peanut butter I could find. It’s 97% nuts and has no added sugar so I’m getting nothing more than nutty goodness.

What it’s like to eat: After my wake-up meal, which largely consisted just of liquids, it’s good to get something to fill me up. Two slices of brown toast with spread does the job and I’m ready for the morning. I may not have the rigours of football training, but I’m still fuelled to attack the day-ahead.

Meal 3 – lunch

“Steamed broccoli, grilled chicken (no skin), lots of brown rice”

Why eat this: broccoli is another one of those on the shortlist of ‘superfoods’. It provides a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, which keep the immune system strong. The secret footballer suggests you eat 6-8 florets (or ‘mini trees’ in traditional kid’s terminology). Brown rice supplies carbs to both keep you full and give you energy – also, it’s generally better than pasta because a lot of people have food intolerance which can be aggravated by the egg in the pasta. Finally, the lean chicken makes it a balanced meal, providing protein which is essential for muscle growth.

Preparation: I’m not used to grilling chicken, but it’s actually a great method if you know what you’re doing (and I did, because I researched it first). First, put some foil on a baking tray and put it under the grill on high heat (the foil will make the washing up a lot easier). Second, butterfly the chicken so that it’s not one thick breast which will take ages to cook. Butterflying is a really easy technique that just means you thin it out – and I think it looks pretty good too (YouTube video on how to butterfly, if you have no idea). Third, season the chicken with some pepper (but not salt) and put it onto the heated oven tray. Turn it over mid-way through cooking until it looks like it’s starting to brown.

For the broccoli, you’re going to need a steamer. It’s worth investing in a decent steamer (with a lid) that sits on top of your saucepan as it’s a very healthy way of cooking. Boil some water in a kettle, then pour it into the pan and place on the hob. Add the broccoli and put the lid on the steamer. Within a couple of minutes you’ll have steaming-hot broccoli that’s delicious to eat. Make sure you don’t over-cook it otherwise you’ll be losing the nutrients. Keep it al dente – that’s a posh way of saying ‘firm to the bite’.

Finally: the rice. Call me lazy but I’ve got enough on my hands with the broccoli and the chicken so I bought microwave rice which only takes two minutes. Make sure that it’s boiled rather than fried brown rice that you’re buying, that it’s got no added sugar (yes, some do add it) and an absolute minimum of added salt.

What’s it like to eat: Not bad, but a bit plain. It feels like it needs some sauce, but ketchup is specifically banned from the diet according to the Secret Footballer because ‘it can cause sugar-spikes’. So, I decided to add some chopped cherry-tomatoes and a dash of olive oil. Tomatoes are extremely good for you as well as being full of flavor, and the olive oil (in moderation) is really good for the heart, and lubricated the rice nicely. A good lunch and one I can see myself packing in a lunchbox in future.

Meal 4 – dinner

“Grilled or steamed fish with steamed veg (avoid carbs). Followed by low-fat yogurt and fruit – berries in particular.”

Why eat this: Fish is an important source of omega-3. Good for the heart, good for the joints. Footballers will often take supplements to get additional amounts of this. It’s also another good source of protein. Notice that with this meal we’re not looking for lots of carbs. The reason, according to the Secret Footballer, is that you don’t want to be eating these too close to bed, for risk of them turning into fat.

Preparation: You can steam pretty much any fish you want, but as my steamer was going to busy with the vegetables, I decided to put my new-found grilling skills to use. According to my friendly fishmonger, not every fish is great for grilling, but oily fishes (the ones that tend to contain more Omega-3) work nicely. I went for Salmon and used the same grilling technique I used before, although this time I used a dash of olive oil on the fish so it didn’t stick to the baking tray. Steaming of the vegetables is exactly the same as above, though you might find you don’t want broccoli again – I went for mangetout and sugar snap peas. Again I included some tomatoes as an extra bonus, for some extra goodness.

The yogurt and berries is extremely easy to prepare. Just buy a big tub of yogurt, spoon out a sensible portion and add the berries – easy! I also added some pomegranate seeds – another item that’s on the ‘super food’ list.

What it’s like to eat: Honestly, delicious. A really nice meal. The only slight reservation was not having carbs with it, as that’s what I’m used to. It does make the meal feel fairly light, although that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be hungry, especially after having the yogurt and berries. A good finish to the day.

Snacks: what a pro footballer eats between meals

So, what happens if you’re hungry in between meals? A bag of crisps, a chocolate bar, a cheeky bag of sweets?

I’m afraid not, you’re eating like a pro now, and you won’t see them stuffing their face with that sort of rubbish. If you’re hungry then it’s raw vegetables for you – a bag of carrots is what the Secret Footballer recommends. You might also try fruit: a banana, an apple etc. Or a handful of nuts (unsalted).

You can eat something like this, but minus the hummus dip

Drinks: how a pro footballer hydrates

With this new balanced diet you’re following, you won’t need anything other than just plain water to keep your body hydrated, and you should have a glass with every meal, at least. No need for sports drinks – you’re getting all the energy you need from your meals.

And there’s certainly no time for sugary drinks – put down that can of Coca-cola – or caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee.

How did it feel to eat like a pro?

At first I looked at the menu and wondered if the whole day might feel a bit joyless, dining like a monk, it was actually pretty good. The meals were tasty, and there was something reassuring about preparing and eating proper food, free of all the additives that you find in the processed rubbish that sneaks into our diet. I’m not saying that I’m going to be eating like this every day (after all I’m not a pro footballer), but it has definitely made me think about what I eat. I’ll be making some of these meals more often.

The pro diet challenge

So, you’ve seen me do it, now it’s your turn. Can you live the footballer’s diet for a day? If you’re up for the challenge, let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to come back and share your experiences later – will you feel the same benefits that I did? Will it change the way you eat in future? Will you crumble just mid-way through the day and hit the crisps and chocolate instead?

It’s just one day and won’t cost a fortune – I highly recommend giving it a try. Let me know how it goes.

Credit for the above meal plan goes to the Secret Footballer and his Guide to the Modern Game. If you want to read more, his book is available on Amazon* by clicking on the below image. 

The Best Stretches & Exercise for Tight Hamstrings

In part 1 we already looked at why tight hamstrings arise, and how you can accurately test if you’ve got problems with your flexibility (as well as the consequences of having tight hamstrings).

Part 1: The problem with tight hamstrings and how to test yours

Now that you know the damage this can cause, it’s time to do something about it. In this post we’re going to look at the simplest, but most effective ways to improve your hamstring flexibility.

Simple but effective ways to improve hamstring flexibility

There are several ways to improve hamstring flexibility which include:

• Changing your routine to avoid long periods of sitting down.
• Stretching regularly
• Massaging the muscle

It’s worth saying that improvements in flexibility are unlikely to happen overnight and the above methods will need to be applied consistently over a period of time for the benefits to be felt.

Avoiding sitting down

We know that sitting down for long periods of time can contribute to having tight hamstrings, but we’re not suggesting you go resigning from your desk job.

Instead it’s about being more aware of how long you’re spending sitting with your hamstring muscles contracted, and trying to add periods of standing and stretching. This might range from switching to a standing desk, getting up when you’re making calls, or just a few more trips to the water cooler throughout the day.

The best stretches and exercises for tight hamstrings

As a matter of routine, you should be stretching after playing sport. We’ve covered how you do that in a separate guide. But even when you haven’t played sport, if your hamstrings are a problem then they will benefit from some regular stretching.

Searching for ‘hamstring stretches’ online can bring up some seriously crazy moves. There are many exotic yoga stretches you can find, which are aimed at reasonably advanced yoga practitioners.

But we’re going to work on the assumption that you’re probably not a dedicated yoga bunny, or your hamstrings probably wouldn’t be tight in the first place.

Actually, some of the simplest hamstring stretches are the most effective. We suggest keeping it simple, as it means you’re more likely to stretch and to do it properly.

A) Anterior Pelvic tilt – the sitting-down stretch

Lets start with something really simple. Here’s one that you can do even just sitting down in your chair at work. If you’re doing it right you’ll feel a satisfying pull through the muscle. And as it’s so easy you can do it a few times through the day without your colleagues even noticing.

Sit on the edge of your chair, with one leg straight and one leg bent. Keeping your back straight, lean forward from your hips. Feel for the stretch at the back of your straight leg. Repeat on the other side. This video demonstrates it nicely:

B) Hamstring release stretch

This one is also very easy. It works a lot like the test for tight hamstrings we covered in part 1. Lying back, you bring your right leg towards your chest and use your hands to support your thigh. Then try to straighten your right leg towards the ceiling. Hold this stretch so you feel a pleasant pull at the back of your knee and thigh. Your back should be flat on the bed, so you feel the stretch in just your leg. Then repeat with your left leg.

This stretch is nicely demonstrated in the following video:

C) Hamstring Towel Stretch

This can be simply illustrated in the following diagram:

General stretching guidelines: you don’t need to do all these stretches. Try doing just one or two at a time. Repeat the stretch on both legs, multiple times if you can.

Your muscle is like an elastic band. After stretching it tends to go back to its original state. These exercises need to be repeated regularly over a period of time to experience real benefits.

These stretches should be held for around 20 seconds each. As always, observe the following best practice:

• Do not bounce as you stretch.
• Do not hold your breath
• Do not attempt if you have injury. First consult with your doctor.
• Stop if you experience any pain. Consult with a doctor.

D) Dynamic stretches

The stretches above are referred to as static stretches, because you remain relatively still when you do them. These sort of stretches aren’t recommend before playing sport as they can reduce strength and weaken your performance.

Instead, pre-sport, dynamic (i.e. moving) stretching is recommended. You need to be warmed up first before doing these – some gentle jogging will do the trick – don’t just launch into these cold. Try doing the following for your hamstrings.

The straight-leg toe-touch. This can be performed standing straight up, starting with your chest up and shoulders back, put your arms straight out in front of you at 90 degrees. Tighten your abdominals and keep your back straight to maintain good posture. Then, swing your leg forward whilst straight to try to touch your toes to your outstretched hands. Do the same on the other leg and keep alternating. Repeat 10 times.

Hamstring Massage

If you’ve got the luxury of having someone to massage you, and they can work into your hamstrings then that will help. However, most people are going to have to take care of themselves and that’s where your trusty friend, the foam roller comes in (and we can recommend this one*).

To use the foam roller and help release hamstring tension, sit on the roller with it under the bottom part of your hamstrings. Slowly roll back and forth and side to side working your way up toward the glutes. By bearing weight through one leg at a time you will increase pressure on the one side. It’s better than bearing weight through both thighs, because this lightens the pressure. Work both legs thoroughly.

Summary

Tight hamstrings are not only at risk of getting injured, they can also cause knock on problems for other areas of the body, including your back and knees.

With a few simple changes to your routine, and a bit of care in the form of stretching and massage, you can improve your hamstring flexibility and reduce your chances of injury. Test out if you’ve got tight hamstrings, and do something about the problem today.

References:

Influence of static stretching on hamstring flexibility in healthy young adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Medeiros DM, Cini A, Sbruzzi G, Lima CS.

How to Make Your Own Isotonic Sports Drink

You can’t mention isotonic sports drinks without somebody telling you that you don’t really need them. It’s true, and we’ve covered it in our guide to what to drink for sports: most people don’t need to be drinking sports drinks if they’re doing exercise for 60 minutes or less.

But the fact is that we are drinking them, millions of them, and let’s face it: drinking something is better than nothing. So let’s look at what goes into them and how you can make your own, improved version.

So you want to make your own isotonic sports drink – what should it contain?

Despite what manufacturers would have you believe, making sports drinks is not rocket science. These drinks contain two main ingredients:

• Carbohydrates: these are sugars that provide the fuel for working muscles.
• Sodium: essentially just salt. A small amount of this helps speed up re-hydration. It maintains your fluid balance and replaces the salts that are lost in sweating.

Drinks companies spend a lot of time refining their mix of carbs and salts, generally trying to come up with an ‘isotonic’ concoction (though there are also hypertonic and hypotonic versions – see here for the difference between hypertonic vs isotonic vs hypertonic drinks). If a drink is described as ‘isotonic’ it means that it contains similar concentrations of salt and sugar as in the human body. In other words, it will contain between 6% and 8% carbs (sugars).

But did you know that you can make your own sports drink simply, cheaply, and more naturally than the major brands?

We’re going to show you six alternatives to the sports drinks you can buy in the shops. In each case we’ll be making 500ml, which is the size of the bottle that sports drinks typically come in. To make more, you just need to scale up the ingredients for the quantity you want to make. Easy.

Option 1: Cheap and Easy Sports Drink

100ml squash / cordial (not ‘reduced sugar’ variety)
400ml water
A pinch of salt
4tsp sugar (optional)
Directions: Mix together and store in the fridge to chilll

The key to making this one work is that you want to find a squash that’s not described as ‘reduced sugar’ or ‘no added sugar’ or else it won’t contain the carbs that sports drinks typically provide.

In the above example, we used a ‘hi-juice’ squash / cordial, which contains a relatively large amount of natural fruit juice, but you can use cheaper alternatives. The above bottle would make make ten 500ml servings when diluted and each serving works out at about a tenth of the price of branded sports drinks.

Even with a relatively sugary squash, it only provides a total of around 7g of sugar for a 500ml drink, much lower than the 30-35g of sugar that are in a Lucozade or Gatorade of the same size. If you think you’re missing out, you can add the extra sugar (about 4 teaspoons) and dissolve it in, but very few people will need any additional sugar for exercise lasting under 1 hour. If you are going to dissolve extra sugar in, you’ll find it easier if you’re using warm water.

Option 2: Real Fruit Cooler Sports Drink

250ml of real fruit juice (100% juice, not a ‘juice drink’)
250ml water
pinch of salt
Directions: Mix together and chill

This uses natural fruit juice instead of squash. In the example above we’ve used a budget orange juice, to keep the cost down. It naturally contains 10.4g of carbs per 100ml, so in total our finished sports drink has approximately 26g of carbs, which puts it just about in the ‘isotonic’ bracket, slightly under the amount a gatorade or lucozade would contain, but it tastes more natural and is a fraction of the cost.

A carton of ‘value’ juice (from concentrate – which is just as good as juices that aren’t from concentrate) is relatively inexpensive and each serving will cost you somewhere between 10-20% of the cost of a store-bought sports drink. The price will go up as you use fancier juices, but if you prefer the taste of ‘pressed apple and mango’ or ‘pineapple’ then go for it.

Option 3:  Mojito inspired cooler – the tasty sports drink

1/2 Lime juice (about 20ml)
150ml Apple Juice
Water 330ml
Honey / brown sugar – 1tsp
Mint (4-6 leaves)
Pinch of salt
Directions: Simply mix sugar / honey and mint together, but don’t break up the leaves. Add the apple juice and the water. Shake, chill. Drink 

There’s a bit more preparation involved in this recipe, but it’s worth it. This one is made from natural ingredients and tastes delicious. It’s inspired by the famous mojito coctail. No, don’t get excited, this version won’t contain any alcohol.

It’s a good sports drink because it naturally contains enough carbs to put it roughly on a par with your store-bought sports drinks, but it’s not got any nasty synthetic stuff that you’ll find in branded drinks.

And go on then, yes you can serve this one at a summer BBQ too. It’s especially good if you’re trying to cut down your alcohol this summer. (Little tip: use sparkling water instead of still water and add a few ice cubes)

It’s not as cheap as the earlier options, but it’s a delicious natural alternative.

Option 4: Lemon and Ginger Cooler Sports Drink

44ml lemon
chunk of raw ginger
450ml water
3tsp honey
Directions: Add a few thin slices of ginger to a large cup of boiled water and let it sit until the flavour has infused. Remove the slices of ginger and squeeze in the lemon, then stir in the honey.  Let it cool before pouring into your drinks bottle and leaving in the fridge to chill. 

Another natural option here. Ginger has been noted as having a high number of health benefits, particularly its anti-inflammatory properties, which is something it shares in common with natural lemon juice. So it’s a good, healthy drink, which also has a hit of vitamin C in it as well. If you want even more benefits, use manuka honey (not cheap) in your mixture.

Option 5: Coconut Water, ‘nature’s sports drink’

100% natural ready-made sports drinks are hard to come by, and they don’t just grow on trees you know…. Oh, no, apparently they do.

100% pure coconut juice is mother nature’s sports drink. It contains 5g of carbs per 100ml, very close to the amount in a manufactured sports drink and already contains an impressive mixture of minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Many of which are also in branded sports drinks.

It’s ready to be guzzled exactly as nature provided it but if, as some people complain, you don’t like the taste, try adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice to it.

The drawback is that it’s not as cheap as an artificial sports drink (at least not if you’re paying for 100% juice varieties, which is what you should be using), and if you live in the UK it’s got a pretty large carbon footprint getting it to these shores, but when it comes to 100% natural drinks that don’t need any mixing or messing with, it’s hard to beat this.

Option 6: flavoured water

50 ml Sugar free squash
450ml water

This contains almost zero carbs, which means it’s not a sports drink in the usual sense at all. But the point is that most of us don’t need the extra carbs if we’re exercising for less than 60 minutes so this is a very good option. In some cases these additional carbs can undo the weight-loss benefits that come from sport!

The American College of Sports Medicine has stated that “during exercise lasting less than 1 hour, there is little evidence of physiological or physical performance differences between consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink and plain water.” But it still recommends that you have a chilled flavored drink for sport so that you’ll want to drink it. Studies have been performed showing that when drinks are flavoured, kids drink more of them when playing sport (Rivera-Brown et al) and it’s the same for us adults.

As for the carbs you need, you can get these through eating a good balanced meal before sport. See our guide to what to eat before football if you need more advice.