Fondly known as Ricky, Carlos Brathwaite is an international cricketer and an entrepreneur with a sharp perspective, a remarkable skill-set, & most importantly, a special connection with the people.
Playing cricket for several international, franchise, and domestic teams, Carlos made everyone ‘Remember the Name’ during the final match of 2016 ICC World Cup Twenty20, sealing a dramatic victory for the Windies by hitting four consecutive sixes in the first four balls of the last over.
Today, he shares his training goals with Anytime Fitness. “Let me decode my fitness formula and how it has helped me grind on the field for you!”
Our lives revolve around our fitness routines, even more so as cricketers. Besides helping us shape our physical wellbeing, it prepares us mentally to go long in the game, especially while playing at a high level – whether you are fatigued or are in a relaxed state.
Physically, maintained fitness levels allow me to throw better, run faster, potentially bowl faster, while mentally, it helps me with decision-making on the field; it lets me be more aware, no matter the length – twenty-twenty, one-day, or a test match.
My workout regime
My initial training was focused on the following three phases, accounting the format of the game played.
Phase 1: Weight loss
Phase 2: Strengthening the whole body focusing on core, legs, and shoulders. The workout included explosive sessions to build the areas
Phase 3: Building speed and agility
Given my sporadic schedules, I try to get at least 15-30 minutes of workout every day. As a cricketer, I need to get my prehab, activation, and core in my place, even if it’s a travel day. When I am working out, I usually focus on one set of the upper or lower body with the core; or sometimes I do cardio and core.
Formula to sustain as an all-rounder cricketer
As an all-rounder, the goal is to strengthen the muscular and core development; focus on your legs, core, back and shoulders. Here’s why:
- Core: We need to have a better core for overall strength; it is where the strength is pulled from while performing on the field.
- Legs: Strong legs are needed for a strong base.
- Shoulders: Shoulder strength helps increase my performance in all 3 areas – batting, bowling and fielding.
Other than these, you should work on building high intensity and speed. I use short intense sprints as opposed to long-distance running to build my speed up and manage my heart rate.
My note – everyone has to take a different route!
The beauty of cricket is that it is like life; we are all different. From our body structure to our youth, culture, language, even the way we socialise, we are unique in so many ways. This tends to show in the professional game. We have different strengths and weaknesses; some of us are blessed with a strong core, while some of us are strong in the legs.
For me, the specific domain that needed improvement would be cardio; speed is one of my shortcomings but I continue to work on it. Running, in all truth, is not my favourite part but being an all-rounder, it is something that I have to practice even when I don’t want to. On the other hand, I have been blessed with powerful legs and a powerful lower-half but I need to continue to improve. So simply put, fitness is individual; analyse your body, plan your routine accordingly, and keep grinding!
