Liverpool FC’s James Milner Workout Will Destroy You

Liverpool's oldest, but fittest player.

Liverpool FC’s James Milner Workout Will Destroy You

Football (soccer) players need to be exceptionally fit, this much we can agree on. But you may be surprised to learn just how fit Liverpool FC’s oldest player, James Milner, actually is.


James Milner, Liverpool FC’s current oldest player at 36-years-old, is one incredibly fit human being. Keeping up with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović – and outclassing his teammate Mohamed Salah in the fitness stakes – the Liverpool midfielder and full-back is a fine example showing how older age and peak-level fitness can go hand-in-hand.

But what exactly does it take to maintain such a high level of fitness? Well, an awful lot, let us tell you that for free. Fortunately, James’ workouts are well documented, so if you wanted to see how your fitness levels compare with that of Milner’s, we dare you to try.

Take this short clip of a leg workout James posted to his Instagram account towards the end of 2021.

It shows James performing a Bulgarian split squat, widely regarded as one of the most hated leg exercises in existence, followed by single-leg Romanian deadlifts using two heavyweight kettlebells as opposed to a barbell.

James performs both with impeccable form, and in case yours are struggling or you’ve never tried them before, be sure to check out our guides for how to perform a Bulgarian split squat and Romanian deadlifts.

Whether he’s putting his body through pre-season training or maintaining his physique (he has been known to have a body fat percentage as low as 8 percent, according to former Manchester City sports therapist, Paul Webster) James Milner conducts a variety of training, including cardio and strength.

He also, according to the Liverpool Echo (via The Sun) continues to best his teammates in a lactate test. The Liverpool Echo says, “This notorious programme measures the player’s aerobic endurance as participants are asked to run a series of increasing distances at great speeds.”

“At the end of each checkpoint a sample of blood is taken from each player’s ear to measure their lactic acid level. If the level is too high, they must drop out until there is only one player left.”

And James Milner wins it every single year, “The Anfield elder statesman is seemingly untouchable when it comes to the lactate test, finishing top of the pile every season that he has been at the club,” according to the Liverpool Echo.

Paul Webster, speaking to Goal, explains part of the reason James Milner is able to remain so fit, is because of his attitude to life away from the gym and the training pitch. “It’s everything: drinking, James doesn’t touch alcohol; food, he’s meticulous with how much he eats; his timekeeping is perfect; he has goals – he wants to be fitter and stronger as months go by; his general behaviour and his internal discipline,” he relates.

More recent images posted to Instagram by James show him training with his Liverpool FC teammates during pre-season training in July 2022.

Smiling from ear-to-ear in each image, James continues to indicate how unfazed he is by the training regime being asked of him, due to his strength.

If you’re running low of inspirational fitness figures, James Milner is a dark horse you need to add to your list.

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