Karim Benzema plays better and better. Habits in training and eating are the key to helping the French striker maintain his physique and have a respectable physical foundation.
Karim Benzema, at the age of 34, has just experienced the highest season of 2021/22 of his career. Real Madrid’s “Number 9” played 46 matches and scored 44 goals. He made a great contribution to helping the Madrid team win the La Liga and Champions League double titles.
The French striker scored 27 goals and also has the second most assists in La Liga. Benzema also scored 10 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League, including hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea. Benzema ends the 2021/22 season with 44 goals, 15 assists in 46 games. This performance helps Benzema be evaluated as the No. 1 candidate for the 2022 Golden Ball title.
According to El Confidencial , changing training and eating habits is the secret to helping Benzema play sublime.
Change your diet
Jose Luis San Martin worked in the rehabilitation department for Real Madrid players for almost 40 years. He shared: “Benzema is very smart and has a lot of experience. Looking at his face, we don’t see any signs of fatigue. Benzema maintains an acceptable body weight and takes better care of himself.” .
Since 2018, Benzema has started to eat according to a scientific diet and strictly follow it. In the daily diet, the French striker consults with a nutritionist. The diet is designed to prevent Benzema from gaining weight.
Benzema stay away from steak or red meat. He mainly only eats fish. In the morning, Benzema often drinks carrot powder and electrolyte drink during training. After the workout, Benzema replenishes protein. For lunch, he often has couscous noodles rich in nutrition and good for health. In the evening, Benzema simply eats steamed fish with vegetables. Nuts are also frequently used by Benzema.
Seaweed is also Benzema’s “secret recipe”. Marca and Mundo Deportivo claim that seaweed helps increase metabolism and remove toxins from the body quickly. That is one of the reasons Benzema is able to maintain perfect physical condition despite his age.
Alberto Mastromatteo, famous Spanish chef, adds: “Seaweed is very nutritious. It contains spirulina, which is 70% protein and rich in vitamins. Besides, seaweed also contains Chlorella algae, which provides a lot of energy and helps slow down the aging process.”
Workout with high intensity
Of course, as a professional player, training also plays an important role. Benzema likes to bury himself in the gym. The striker born in 1987 often works out in the gym, choosing many different exercises to make his muscles toned. Benzema also practices kickboxing when he has time.
He regularly uses electric pulse machines to help strengthen muscles. Based on the mechanism of muscle activation through electric current flowing into the fat areas, the electric pulse machine supports weight loss and muscle gain. Benzema also uses the Chinese cupping technique. This massage technique helps to relax muscles and improve blood circulation.
According to Marca , Benzema became aware of cupping therapy in 2019 and was immediately captivated. The process of cupping is quite simple. Suction cups, usually made of glass, are placed over the skin and suctioned to pull the muscles tighter. The blood vessels then widen and more blood flows to the injured area. Increased blood flow will help with faster recovery. This will release harmful substances that have accumulated in the body.
According to El Confidencial , Benzema learned Ronaldo’s physical training method. Each year, Benzema aims to lose 1 kg of body weight and the amount of fat must be kept low. Since CR7 bid farewell to the Bernabeu, Benzema has lost 5 kg.
“I dissected everything to learn from Ronaldo. When watching Ronaldo, I focused on every movement of him, from dribbling, passing, finishing and handling. However, it is impossible to copy completely. Ronaldo,” Benzema replied on Onze Mondial .
The lighter body allows the Benzema to move with flexibility and flexibility. Thanks to that, the former Lyon striker perfected his header skills. He has better bounce and is one of the players with the most diverse finishing ability today.
On the other hand, Benzema has a reasonable rest plan. The new season, when Real Madrid have to attend many matches plus the overlapping schedule of the 2022 World Cup, coach Carlo Ancelotti said he will use Benzema in moderation.
He will not play every game, especially the less important ones. At that time, Eden Hazard promised to have more opportunities. The Belgian has appeared in good shape this summer. He is prepared for a more explosive season after 3 years of disappointment.
Benzema has incredible endurance and he is truly a role model for players in modern sports today. At the age of 34, when many players consider retiring, Benzema is still playing explosively and is a key striker in both the club and the national team.
