Hockey
How Manpreet Singh stays fit for his sport
Discover the Indian hockey team player’s fitness routines, perspectives on why fitness is important, and favourite workouts for fitness training.
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Manpreet Singh is the leading star in Indian hockey.
He has been a mainstay in the Indian national men’s hockey team for several years now, winning the Arjuna Award for his dedication to the game and representing the nation in sports.
He helped his team win two bronze medals at the Summer Games, in Paris (2024) and Tokyo (2021). He was also named the best men’s player of 2019 at the FIH Player of the Year Awards, and won the Khel Ratna in 2021, the highest honour given to sportspersons in India.
Manpreet has often spoken about how fitness has been one of the most important aspects of his game. He believes he wouldn’t have been able to sustain at the top level in international hockey if he hadn’t focused on fitness early in his career.
Here he speaks about how fitness has been part of his regular routine, how he thinks his dedication to fitness has helped him excel, and what targets he has set for himself in the next few months.
Manpreet Singh
© Focus Sports
How fitness impacts hockey
Manpreet started by emphasising that fitness is extremely important in a sport like hockey.
“Fitness plays a key role and without it, we cannot survive in the international game. Lack of fitness also makes us prone to injuries since our muscles need to be strong enough to perform at high intensity for long periods of time,” says Manpreet.
Direct impact of fitness for Manpreet
He has personally observed how lack of fitness can result in a player’s performance dropping from expected levels.
“We go through many fitness tests when we are part of the Indian national hockey camp. If I were to go home for a vacation and didn’t train, it would be obvious during the camp because of the fitness tests. Also, when I step up my fitness training at home, it shows in my test results when I’m back at the camp,” says Manpreet.
Asked about the type of fitness tests they do, Manpreet said: “We have to do tests like the yo-yo test, agility test, 5km-long runs, suicide running drills, etc. Each of them has to be completed within a specified time duration to pass the test,” adds Manpreet.
Manpreet Singh
© Ali Bharmal | Red Bull Content Pool
When Manpreet kicked fitness into high gear
Most athletes start their career with a focus on improving their skill sets. Manpreet did the same but learnt early enough that skills are nothing without fitness.
“It was when I started playing for the India under-21 hockey team that I realised the importance of fitness to improve my game. Before that, I was immature and didn’t pay much attention to fitness. When I reached the national camp, I realised that I needed to stay fit on priority if I wanted to keep playing for a long time. I started noticing that our senior players would train regularly with the team, but they would also do extra fitness training sessions individually. That really gave me a reality check,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet’s personal fitness objective
“I have two objectives – I want to be fit so I can be the best hockey player in the world, and I want to be fit so I don’t have injuries. I want to be the best in the world, and for that I need to go through each and every fitness drill so I keep improving. But to be the best in the world, I also need to steer clear of injuries so I can play consistently. So they go hand-in-hand,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet Singh
© Focus Sports
Types of fitness that Manpreet focuses
When asked which aspect of fitness – muscle strength, muscle endurance, aerobic/cardio fitness, or flexibility – is most important for hockey, Manpreet opted for a mix of all.
“I think it is important to balance all of the factors. When we are at camp, we usually do heavy weights for muscle strength and endurance. As we get closer to a tournament, we de-load and work on achieving a perfect balance among all aspects of fitness,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet’s fitness strengths and weaknesses
While he doesn’t have an particular weaknesses at this stage of his career, Manpreet does tend to do more strength training to help with his sport.
“I usually focus more on strength and weight training. I believe that I will only be able to achieve great things on the hockey field if I have very strong muscles to support me,” says Manpreet. “For example, if my hamstring is weak, it will increase my chances of injury during the game, and I won’t be able to run as much. So I make sure to work on strength and endurance to be the best at hockey,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet’s fitness regime
The national team coaches and trainers adjust fitness routines according to the needs of players and the team. So the routines do change often. But while Manpreet is with his family, he has a planned fitness routine.
“When I’m at home, I do two sessions a day – running in the morning and gym training in the evening. I run for about one hour and my gym workouts go on for a maximum of two hours,” says Manpreet.
Endurance is important for Manpreet's game
© Ali Bharmal | Red Bull Content Pool
Manpreet’s most favourite and least favourite workouts
“I love doing the single-leg squat in the gym. With fitness training outside the gym, I like conditioning training. My least favourite workout is the bench press,” says Manpreet.
What’s in his gym bag
Manpreet usually carries the same items for every fitness session.
“The things I usually carry are my gym shoes, change of clothes, and a can of Red Bull. Red Bull helps me during my gym sessions as it gives me the energy required to perform at the top level. I usually drink it either before the session or during,” says Manpreet.
His workout buddy
When he is in his hometown, Manpreet is joined by a childhood friend for fitness sessions.
“Varun Kumar is my workout buddy. He is my childhood friend and was with me in the national team as well. Whenever we are both in our hometown, we workout together. We keep pushing each other and motivate each other to get better. We challenge each other and share a healthy competition in terms of fitness,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet Singh
© Focus Sports
Aspects of mental fitness
Manpreet believes in a wholistic approach to fitness that involves both body and mind.
“I meditate in the morning as soon as I wake up. I go over my plan for the day and visualise my goal. I believe that if I want to be the best in the world, I need to have the right mindset. So I work on that too as part of my fitness routine,” says Manpreet.
Manpreet’s New Year fitness resolution
With some big competitions lined up, Manpreet’s fitness focus for the new year is to be tournament-ready at all times.
“Next year is extremely important for us. We have the World Cup in January and Asian Games in September. A win in the Asian Games will help us qualify for the next Olympics in Paris. So my New Year resolution is to improve my fitness and my mindset for my upcoming tournaments. I have to be completely dedicated and be able to give my best,” says Manpreet.
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