Lukaku has hit the weights

vi1lain said:
True. It's like they've never watched American football.
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Because in football you need to play non-stop, you cant go sit in the bench a little bit to breathe and recover then back to the pitch, so carrying a lot of muscles can be a problem.

If you are gonna to build a lot of muscles its better it be in your thighs and legs.
 
He's still very very fast sprinter when he has the space to run into.
 
sunama said:
I am not sure what this obsession with "bulk" is.
This is not boxing, rugby or WWE. This is football.
The most important athletic attribute is the ability to run for 90 minutes (or longer), at high intensity.
And lets not forget the skill aspect. The ability to use one's brain to read the game.
Personally, I think the best attackers are thin/lean/light, with the ability to turn and accelerate quickly.
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The best attackers are the ones who can use their physical attributes effectively alongside their technical abilities. Being strong seems to be a hugely underappreciated trait in modern football. How often have we seen Lukaku strug off defenders? Ask Lovren what he thought of Lukakus "bulk".
 
I doubt he's got slower, this sort of thing is monitored heavily. If his sprint speed was declining because he'd put on too much mass that would have been picked up on and rectified.
 
Don't think any of this weight training thing has anything to do with improving their football with some. It is a vanity thing.
 
UnrelatedPsuedo said:
Why does the nonsensical notion that having bigger muscles makes you less explosive, still exist? It's among the stupidest things anyone can believe.
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Cristiano Ronaldo have been losing muscle mass since 2016 (upper body mostly) to prolong his career at the highest level. And his most impressive CL spell was after he'd lost a few pounds and adjusted his game accordingly.
 
KirkDuyt said:
I like this one

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To be fair to Balotelli, Seedorf is a different specimen altogether. I couldn't take my eyes off his calves every time I saw him play, those things look almost freakish.
 
harms said:
Cristiano Ronaldo have been losing muscle mass since 2016 (upper body mostly) to prolong his career at the highest level. And his most impressive CL spell was after he'd lost a few pounds and adjusted his game accordingly.
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So you agree?
 
Lukaku is fine the way he is. He has the physicality and mobility to be a top centre forward, all he needs is the proper service from crosses and through balls which he does not get enough of. We need proper full backs and wingers.

Sanchez, Young and Valencia lose the ball too often, and break down fast play. We need a speedy,tricky, right winger and a midfield magician.
 
UnrelatedPsuedo said:
Why does the nonsensical notion that having bigger muscles makes you less explosive, still exist? It's among the stupidest things anyone can believe.
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Exactly. Just Gatlin (Famously known for his rivalry with Usian Bolt) is more muscly than any footballer I can think of.
 
Lukaku is an absolute tank. Almost never loses a foot race, barges players off like rag-dolls, is a good striker and right winger.

2nd name on the team sheet after De Gea for me.
 
Lukaku has always been a tank, even back when he broke into the first team at Anderlecht aged 16-17. This is him at that age:

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Sure he was probably a bit leaner then, but is it really a massive difference?
 
Ainu said:
Lukaku has always been a tank, even back when he broke into the first team at Anderlecht aged 16-17. This is him at that age:

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Sure he was probably a bit leaner then, but is it really a massive difference?
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:eek:
 
I don't think he's got slower as such - maybe a little I suppose - I just don't think he's as fast as he thinks he is (I mean I'm pretty sure there's an interview where he says he's faster then Rashford).
 
Annihilate Now! said:
I don't think he's got slower as such - maybe a little I suppose - I just don't think he's as fast as he thinks he is (I mean I'm pretty sure there's an interview where he says he's faster then Rashford).
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Lukaku is slow off the mark, but when he gets going he's pretty much un-catchable. Rashford is the opposite, lightning off the mark but can be easily caught over longer distances.

Pogba and Lukaku both reached higher top speeds than Rashford in the first part of the season. Rudiger has clocked the 4th highest top speed in the PL, and Lukaku smoked him when we played Chelsea.
 
breakout67 said:
Lukaku is slow off the mark, but when he gets going he's pretty much un-catchable. Rashford is the opposite, lightning off the mark but can be easily caught over longer distances.

Pogba and Lukaku both reached higher top speeds than Rashford in the first part of the season. Rudiger has clocked the 4th highest top speed in the PL, and Lukaku smoked him when we played Chelsea.
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How often does a guy like Lukaku really get the opportunity to reach his full speed? most of his sprints will be over short distances making reaction times, nimbleness and acceleration more important.

Fergie used to say that Pallister was the fastest in the squad over 100m, that with Giggs, Sharpe and Kanchelskis in the squad. Speed over long distance really not that important in football, outside of full backs maybe.
 
Ainu said:
Lukaku has always been a tank, even back when he broke into the first team at Anderlecht aged 16-17. This is him at that age:

zho8G.jpg


Sure he was probably a bit leaner then, but is it really a massive difference?
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He says in the interview posted above, he bench pressed 100kg when he was 15, that is some feat for some that young.
 
Bobski said:
How often does a guy like Lukaku really get the opportunity to reach his full speed? most of his sprints will be over short distances making reaction times, nimbleness and acceleration more important.

Fergie used to say that Pallister was the fastest in the squad over 100m, that with Giggs, Sharpe and Kanchelskis in the squad. Speed over long distance really not that important in football, outside of full backs maybe.
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He doesn't need 100m :)



He was in a foot race with Rudiger who is very quick and did well
 
breakout67 said:
He doesn't need 100m :)



He was in a foot race with Rudiger who is very quick and did well
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Very impressive, the power in that run, especially as he is having to hold off a player at the start and control the ball at the same time. Rudiger had to adjust his run to avoid Christiansen so it is not a true race, but physically Rudiger can not really challenge Lukaku when he gets that momentum. It is the smaller adjustments and change of directions where Lukaku can look a little sluggish.
 
Bobski said:
Very impressive, the power in that run, especially as he is having to hold off a player at the start and control the ball at the same time. Rudiger had to adjust his run to avoid Christiansen so it is not a true race, but physically Rudiger can not really challenge Lukaku when he gets that momentum. It is the smaller adjustments and change of directions where Lukaku can look a little sluggish.
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Agreed! Lukaku should improve in tight spaces.

Lukaku obviously works on his physical level. He has even said in interviews that he has tested 95kg and 105kg and he performs better at 100kg. He is dedicated to his craft.
 
Would be better spending his time with a ball on a string thing you used to get as a kid for Ball control.
 
Ish said:
:drool:

We just need to sign Balotelli with his old mo-hawk hairstyle, so we can have Clubber Lang as well.
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:D

Now all we need is someone to play the role of Mickey, then we'll be set to win the championship next season, in the dying seconds of the last game, which will happen to be an extremely brutal affair. ;)
 
pascell said:
He says in the interview posted above, he bench pressed 100kg when he was 15, that is some feat for some that young.
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My cousins who were brothers got into sport lifting in high school. They were a year apart from each other but close in development. By 17 they were benching 200kg and both won state titles in their respective brackets. They were short though, maybe around 168cm so they looked abnormal. That was 25 years ago. They're both fat now.
 
sunama said:
:D

Now all we need is someone to play the role of Mickey, then we'll be set to win the championship next season, in the dying seconds of the last game, which will happen to be an extremely brutal affair. ;)
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Mickey :(

Don't forget Pauli, he was a character. Damn. Blast from the past. Love me some Rocky.
 
breakout67 said:
Lukaku is slow off the mark, but when he gets going he's pretty much un-catchable. Rashford is the opposite, lightning off the mark but can be easily caught over longer distances.

Pogba and Lukaku both reached higher top speeds than Rashford in the first part of the season. Rudiger has clocked the 4th highest top speed in the PL, and Lukaku smoked him when we played Chelsea.
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I don't think so, I really think Rashford got unstoppable acceleration and top speed. If he gets away, not everyone can catch him. Maybe Bellerin.
 
I really feel he should be cutting down a few pounds over the summer, that extra weight isn't needed and is messes with his speed and turns. Speed and acceleration is one thing, and not necessarily screwed by being too big - but twists and turns and stops definitely are. There is a reason why the best strikers in the world don't have this body mass, it just doesn't help them whatsoever. It also explains why he looks so clumsy in the box sometimes, it takes more energy to move those heavy parts around. I'm not able to tell how heavy he is, and you can't trust bios online, but he is 190 cm and looks like he is close to 100 kg if I were guessing. His ideal weight would be just above 90 kilos. Look at Ronaldo, he is a bit shorter but around 15 kilos lighter for sure. People will say that Lukaku knows this best and what helps him be at his game, but he is pretty far behind his target in the league from last season, playing for a much better team. Not least, lifting heavy weights takes its toll as many would know, it also definitely messes up his needed rest between games.

Furthermore, at 90 kg he would still win 99% of the body challenges he faces and wins today. As for headers, we know he isn't particularly great at winning them even at 100 kg.
 
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Aged 13. Clearly the guy has always been a massive fecking tank.
 
Well his body is still developing and maturing - not with the rates his body was developing when he was 15 or when McTomminay went 10 inches in no time.
But he is entering his prime and and it's normal that he bulks up from natural growth.
Yes, surely he trains a lot, but the only thing the heavy muscles are getting in the way is his agility - dropping the shoulder and changing direction aren't as easy when you're less mobile, because of all that muscle mass. On the other hand however, with all that muscles mass is easier to hold off defenders and muscle them off the ball. Which I think is more important for a striker, whereas agility and mobility are more useful for wingers and playmakers.
 
Oooooor he just naturally gained mass like every other man does after the age of 20. Just saying.
 
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