Do you want to improve your cricket fitness but find the gym no fun? Many do, but it doesn't have to be a pain to train.

Vern Gambetta is the coach behind an approach called functional training. It's the natural development of the idea that to get fit for cricket you should play cricket.

Here are a few things Vern has to say about making training both fun and functional:

1. Plan. If you know where you are and where you want to be, it is much easier to get there. Always train with a goal in mind: Be it to score more runs, lift more weight or just feel better.
2. Be specific. The closer your training is to cricket, the better it is. So there is no need to do long steady runs or leg presses in the gym. The fact is you never do those things on the field.
3. Train movements. Your brain wants to learn patterns of movement, so teach it ways to balance and move using your whole body. Don't waste time on single muscles train the whole body using fitness drills or Olympic style weight lifts.
4. Individualise. You know your own strengths and weaknesses more than anyone else, so don't follow a standard training plan. Personalise it to yourself. If you need help with this drop me a line.
5. Create. Find new ways to train that are specific and fun. If you don't like something you won't stick with it in the long term anyway. There are so many ways to train and play that there is bound to be something you can do that you will enjoy.

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