Ruben Loftus-Cheek Quotes

Overall strength work - if you can do it regularly - makes a massive difference on the pitch, especially when you are fatigued. If you are stronger, it helps you deal with that.

In the game of football, you need to be strong, and at my position, you need to be able to put up a good fight. So I work on my upper body and lower body strength because your body's got to be able to last.

What batsmen like me do for fitness is often a bit different to what bowlers like Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad do but everyone in the squad has a big focus on core strength. It is really important for batting, bowling and fielding. You need a strong core and spine so your movement isn't restricted out there.

What I would say is I've only had one injury in my NBA career that was probably was because my core wasn't strong enough, when I had a stress fracture in my back.

I came back from my ACL injury and won MVP. So, what's a groin? What's an adductor? That's how I look at things. I feel like if you just continue to take care of your body, working out, making sure you're in shape and you stay on top of your game, you can play as long as you want.

I train, for me, very smartly. I don't train heavy, I do a lot of isometrics.

I've been doing a lot of strength and stretch work to get stronger.

I think that for my sport, the core is the most important. I mean, really in all sports, but especially in the sport I play, I keep my core right and try and keep that up no matter what I'm doing.

Obviously, getting stronger is the key, and knowing how to use my body, knowing what to expect.

I have to improve on my speed endurance, and I am working on it.

To me, it's not all about how much weight you can lift in the weight room. It's how you can manipulate weight in the ring.

I don't want to get too much on the football side and gain weight, so I'm as fast on the field.

I noticed the more muscle I put on, the more cushion and padding I had, the better my performances were getting. I decided I could be this little, stick-thin thing out there and be hurt all the time, or I could show my athleticism, and if it comes with a little bit of weight on the side, it is what it is.

Ballet is a healthy world despite what people might think. There's a perception that ballet dancers are skinny and unhealthy, but that's rubbish. You have to be strong, so eating regularly and healthily is essential.

I'm now comfortable bowling long spells. Strength training has brought the pace up.

Actors normally go to the gym to achieve a certain kind of fitness for a role but when you start playing a sport, then you realise that being athletically fit is a very different kind of fitness.

I work on my body tremendously to be able to withstand whatever is thrown my way.

Jumping isn't as important to my training as you might think; I'm only in the sandpit once a week. There's a high risk factor of injury doing it, so instead, I rely on my progress in the gym to judge how far I'll jump on the big day.

Being in the weight room has helped me. Defensively, it helps because I'm not getting backed down easily. My legs are stronger, so I can move my feet better.

Hamstring flexibility and hip mobility for me are the two most important factors on the field.

The weight room prevents you from getting injuries, keeps your body durable and, working out even during the season, it helps a lot. It keeps your body loose, it keeps strengthening your body, especially the functional stuff.

At least for soccer players, it comes down to a blend of two types of fitness - your base endurance, which comes from longer distance running, and your speed, which comes from sprint-based workouts.

Core strengthening is key to everything. It's not just about the way I look, but about stabilizing my body so I can perform better on stage.

You can't play when you're not 100% fit especially at this level.

I'm probably the least flexible athlete you'll find. When it comes to yoga, I can't get in the positions and I can't hold them. You have to be pretty flexible to do it. Once you get certain positions, you have to have the core strength to hold those positions. It's a pretty good workout.