Speed’s the key for Wolves forward Adama Traore
Wolves flying machine Adama Traore insists his training regime is focused on not adding more muscle – which he believes would slow him down.
The former Barcelona attacker counts natural speed among his greatest assets and reiterated that he does not spend hours in the gym to achieve his incredible physique.
The 25-year-old is consistently one of the fastest players in the Premier League, with only Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker clocking a faster sprint-time in the top-flight last season.
And Traore believes the key to maintaining his pace means he has to be the right weight and avoid bulking up even more.
Traore, who travels to his former side Villa in the West Midlands derby tomorrow, said he concentrates his training on movement rather than ‘pumping weights’ in the gym.
Asked what his main attributes are as a player, Traore said: “I think speed. Maybe strength and the one-v-one.”
And he said he has always had electric pace since a child.
“I think it is natural,” said the Spain international.
“Since I was little, speed was my main thing and I’ve been fast since I was little.”
The winger surprised many when he revealed previously that he was not one for lifting weights but insisted that would not benefit his game.
And while he believes his powerful frame is important, he added: “I’ve said it before but I don’t think people believe me but I don’t take weights – because if you work with weights it makes you maybe slow in the future.
“I don’t need that because I am really big in that way so I don’t need to add more muscle.
“So I think my mentality is whatever I have to work with in my body is to make it better and also not have injuries through the season, that is the important thing.
“If I can be strong in any aspect of the game and work with any part of my body that will help me.
“I do the work in the training ground with the team here, also in my home – different work. It’s not easy to explain but the main thing is I work with my body, the weight of my body is important.
“Whatever the weight you’re working on the important thing is not to take on muscle, to get bigger, you have to work to be sharper to be more quicker in the movements – that is the main work I do, the main work I think any football player would do.
“I control a lot what I’m doing to not get bigger and get to be the player I want to be.”
And he continued: “You have to focus on the movement, not to get bigger, not to get to massive weights to work.
“You have to look for the weight that is good for you and work with the movements – that is what you are going to do on the pitch.
“It is not going to make sense if you are are going to the gym and pumping weights if you are not going to use that on the pitch.”
