Strength training is essential for football players, as illustrated by Zlatan Ibrahimović’s example at Manchester United. Before starting your gym training, it is important to ask the right questions to maximize your physical development.

1. What are my goals?

Muscle strength, power, or endurance?

Players vary in their needs based on their playing style (for example, N'Golo Kanté focuses on endurance).

Types of Muscle Fibers:

- Type I: slow-twitch fibers, ideal for endurance.
- Type II: fast-twitch fibers, essential for power and speed (includes IIa and IIb).

Practical Application:

Endurance: 13-20 repetitions (light resistance).
Strength: 1-6 repetitions (heavy resistance).
Hypertrophy: 6-12 repetitions (moderate resistance).

2. Why know my one-repetition maximum (1RM)?

Importance of 1RM

Indicates the maximum weight you can lift in a single repetition, essential for tailoring your training program.

1RM Test:

Perform a maximal effort to determine your capacity. Avoid testing 1RM for safety reasons, especially if you are a novice.

3. How many repetitions and sets should I do?

To gain muscle mass:

6-12 repetitions, 3 sets with rest of 1 to 1.5 minutes.

For strength:

2-6 sets with 6 repetitions or fewer, rest of 3 to 5 minutes.

For power:

3-5 repetitions, rest of 3 to 5 minutes.

Additional Tips:

Concentric Phase:

Execute quickly (1 second).

Eccentric Phase:

Perform more slowly (2-4 seconds).

Use an appropriate resistance to maximize gains in each category.