When a football superstar sustains injury during a match, coaches, teammates and fans all hold their heads in horror, wondering if their idols have, indeed, sustained a genuine injury worthy an instant trip to the hospital, or if they’re just rolling around in an attempt to earn themselves an Oscar.
When a player is someone such as Sergio Ramos, emotions of dread are most definitely felt. Unfortunately the Real Madrid and Spanish talisman, he did in fact sustain a hamstring injury during a meeting between Spain and Germany (in which the Spaniards demolished their opponents in a 6-0 humiliation fest) on Tuesday 17th November, as part of the UEFA Nations League 2020 tournament.
With Ramos being Ramos, however, he has a fighting mentality and has quickly put himself through an intense recovery program to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible. Taking to Instagram to show his progress – and to provide some insight as to how to build rock-solid hammies for yourself – Ramos shows he’s just as committed as ever to put the hours into the gym and the water.
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His most recent post shows him running laps of a pool – and looking in good spirits as he does so – in what is known as hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy treatment isn’t anything new – water has been used for various treatments for centuries, albeit in various forms – but it has remained a prominent method of recovery used by physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
In Sergio Ramos’ case, he is performing exercise while submerged in water, which alleviates pressure and resistance exerted on joints – hydrotherapy also includes the use of exceptionally cold water to boost muscle recovery. This is what allows the Spanish captain to run laps pain-free, to improve the strength of his hamstrings and other leg muscles.
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His rehabilitation program not only includes hydrotherapy but several leg-specific exercises in the gym, outlined in a second Instagram post. Ramos’ leg program includes:
- Weighted Squats
- Single-leg RDLs
- Weighted Bulgarian Split Squats
- Medicine Ball Bounces (to strengthen his core)
- Single-leg Weighted Hip Thrusts with Heel Slides
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If that wasn’t enough, another post shows another particularly gruelling leg workout which comprises the following moves:
- Banded Walks
- Banded Leg Pulls
- Copenhagens
- Weighted Single-leg Hip Thrusts
- Exercise Bike….while in a sauna
Ramos is no stranger to keeping his body in incredible shape – as outlined earlier this year with an unbelievable body transformation – but this commitment to rebuilding and strengthening his body shows just as much mental strength, as it does physical.
A few rounds of his gruelling workout and you’ll never want to skip leg day again.