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Irish Hammer 12:38 Mon Oct 25
Article on Antonio’s lifestyle changes to manage his hamstrings

Well I found it interesting anyways 🥩


How change in diet and extra gym work are helping in-form Antonio stay fit

Another victory. Another winner by Michail Antonio.

There are several contributing factors behind the West Ham No 9’s blistering start to the season — including a change in his diet and extra work in the gym to strengthen his troublesome hamstrings.

In January, the in-form striker changed his diet and no longer eats red meat. Nine months on, it appears to be having the desired effect.

Antonio has six goals in his eight league appearances this season. Only Mohamed Salah (10) and Jamie Vardy (seven) have scored more, and they’ve both played an additional game. And it is not just the changes to his diet where Antonio is feeling the benefits. His full-body workout includes single-leg Romanian deadlifts and jump split squats, which have allowed him to stay fully fit.

The 31-year-old said: “I’ve come to realise I’m no longer the young pup that I used to be. I kept believing that I was. There were certain things in life I was doing that I could have been better with.

“I used to eat what I wanted, I wasn’t the best eater. Now I’ve changed my diet and routine of life. And I’ve noticed since I changed my diet I’ve had less niggles and I’ve not felt my hamstrings at all.”

These days, West Ham supporters are more accustomed to seeing Antonio find the back of the net, as opposed to leaving the field with an injury. The forward has played 716 minutes in the league this season. After the first nine matches of 2020-21, he had only played 485.

It is well documented that Antonio was on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar when he was 14, but his mother told him to concentrate on his school work. Over the years, the Jamaica international has been Spurs’ chief tormentor and he was again in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over West Ham’s local rivals.

He gave Cristian Romero, the £47 million Copa America-winning Argentina centre-back, a tough time and has now scored more goals in all competitions against Tottenham (six) than any other Premier League side.

It was another poacher’s goal, too — and all 52 of Antonio’s Premier League goals have been scored from inside the penalty area, with only Tim Cahill (56) and Javier Hernandez (53) managing more goals in the competition where they were all from within the 18-yard box.

Antonio is known for his indefatigable performances and there was a moment in the second half when Declan Rice lost possession and Tottenham broke on the counter. While the attack came to nothing, it was Antonio, harking back to his days as a winger and even a right-back for the club, who made a lung-bursting sprint to cover for Rice. Such unselfish play is what makes him a team player and a fan favourite.

In July, Antonio changed his shirt number from No 30 to No 9. That number was previously worn at West Ham in the Premier League era by Jermain Defoe, Dean Ashton, Andy Carroll and Carlton Cole. But it could become remembered most for Antonio’s growth into a consistent goalscorer.

When manager David Moyes opted not to sign a forward in the summer, many were puzzled given Antonio’s injury record. But Moyes will surely feel vindicated, considering Antonio is not only proving reliable in front goal, but also in terms of his availability. Since January, he has only missed five league games.

There was a time when Antonio was known for being profligate in front of goal but he has become one of the best forwards in the league — and with seven already in all competitions looks set to top his total of 10 from last season.

Team-wise, Sunday’s win saw West Ham leapfrog their visitors to move to fourth. It was another goal from a set piece, with Aaron Cresswell once more getting the assist. The full-back has now provided three this season in all competitions and, similar to Antonio with goals, could surpass his 2020-21 tally of eight.

It has been a superb start to the season for West Ham, with their 17 points after nine fixtures their best return since 2015-16 — when they finished seventh under Slaven Bilic.

“I’m pleased with the win because there was a resilience to the team,” said Moyes. “Some of our football this season has been so good. Today it was slightly different, but it was still good, and it was resilient, and there were still remnants of how you have to defend well if you don’t always have the ball and what you need to be and we showed that.”

The win over Tottenham highlights once more why West Ham look capable of reprising their performances from 2020-21, which saw them finish sixth to book a Europa League place.

Antonio continues to excel, Rice seems to get better each week, Cresswell is supplying brilliant crosses, Lukasz Fabianski is still dependable in goal, Pablo Fornals has fantastic energy, Kurt Zouma has adapted seamlessly after his summer move from Chelsea and 21-year-old Ben Johnson has shown great maturity during Vladimir Coufal’s absence with a groin problem.

It says a lot that more West Ham players could get into Spurs’ team these days than the other way around.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have one of the best strikers in Europe in Harry Kane, yet it was Antonio who was the difference here yet again.

Charoo 11:05 Tue Oct 26
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamsrings

The single leg Romanian deadlifts have probably had a positive effect on using his left foot too.

He looks more balanced and has made some good passes and crosses with his left recently, still scuffs it a bit but he has definitely got better.

1LRDL’s generally don’t overload the hamstrings with big weights but they stretch and strengthen. They also improve balance and stability. You often see people are fine on their non kicking foot but weak on their kicking foot, so to do 1 leg rather than both leg RDLs gives more chance to strengthen, lengthen and better stability to the muscle. Strange that he has only just started them. Any decent strength and conditioning coach would have had him on them much before now.

Mex Martillo 8:11 Tue Oct 26
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamsrings

As many are saying, on the day Antonio was the best forward on the field. Neither Kane or Antonio looked especially great, but obviously Antonio like a good forward got a goal from nothing and Kane got nothing and looked ordinary.
Any regrets in the England setup? Antonio hung out for years to get a cap and finally gave up on them. Now with every passing week of the Premier, it looks like England could do with Antonio.
Thanks Irish

chim chim cha boo 6:52 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamsrings

Cheers Irish and I hope you are well.

Thanks Irish 6:50 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle changes to manage his hamstrings

Thanks Irish

, 5:38 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle changes to manage his hamstrings

By keeping himself fit Antonio can extend his useful career and that would be well lucrative.

An extra year at the top will be worth several million to someone of Antonio’s ilk.

gph 5:36 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle changes to manage his hamstrings

If he dropped the red meat without replacing its fat content he'd probably get leaner.

But surely he could just use the cup method and get jello removed from his head, instead of doing without steaks. Probably could avoid the extra exercise, too.

Sven Roeder 5:23 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle changes to manage his hamstrings

He is definitely fitter and leaner .... maybe partly due to ditching the red meat
He was too bulky previously and the physical change is obvious.
I think that improved fitness and power is obvious throughout the squad.
The players do their initial warm ups and small sided game in front of our section and when you see them up close you realise we have some very powerful players like Antonio, Zouma, Soucek , Rice etc. Even Ben Johnson is a bit of a beast.

lab 5:23 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Cheers Irish .

bruuuno 5:20 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Ah, missed the bit about the squats and deadlifts

bruuuno 5:20 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Is that it? Stopping red meat ? Surely there must be more

willswishwellingtons 5:09 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Have been wondering this for a few weeks now, was half expecting him to get flagged for doping of some sort, such has been the relative length of him being injury free.

I'm interested in this specific theory of why ceasing consumption of red meat prevents injuries. Anyone?

chim chim cha boo 5:02 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Cheers Irish and I hope you are well.

wd40 4:22 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Would think a lot of his change of fortune would
be down to Moyes and the team he has built along side himself.
Good football management.

Not to long ago at Westham the likes of Antonio being treated for his hamstring in a professional manner and
coached to play better on getting older wouldn't have happen.

gph 1:33 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Thanks, Irish

gph 1:33 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

I hope Antonio can now be classified as non-injury prone.

But even non-injury prone players get injured, so even if the board knew for a fact that Antonio's injury record was going to improve, they've still been negligent in not getting in decent back-up.

Rossal 1:11 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

guaranteed his hammy will go on sunday now

Northern Sold 12:50 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-7828775/Michail-Antonio-crashed-Lamborghini-Christmas-Day-dressed-SNOWMAN.html



I think his biggest lifestyle change is not driving around in Supercars dressed as a snowman.... and hitting brick walls

Fortunes Hiding 12:45 Mon Oct 25
Re: Article on Antonio’s lifestyle charges to manage his hamstrings

Perhaps the board knew this, and Antonio isn’t going to breakdown and this is the reason we haven’t bought a striker?