Carli Lloyd may be the first player to ever score 3 goals in a World Cup final, but she now wants to score a hat trick at the 2021 Tokyo Games by winning her third gold medal. After her successful rehabilitation from a knee injury, Lloyd is back feeling better than ever. The New Jersey born soccer player talks about her approach to rehab, training, nutrition, and her future goals.
Lloyd is undoubtedly one of the most successful players in football history. She reached the milestone of 300 appearances for the US national team and helped bring home two FIFA Women's World Cups. “I definitely have bigger goals that I want to achieve,” she says. “So I stay focused and hungry to keep achieving these goals. This is my number 1 priority. "
The popular player's winning mentality has never been as pronounced as in the 2015 World Cup final, when she scored an amazing trio of goals in the first 16 minutes against Japan. "After scoring a hat trick in the World Cup final, I was even more motivated to take my game to the top," says Lloyd. “I was hungrier than ever after that moment and I really believed in getting better. All my life I've relied on trying things that I'm not good at, and I've never been afraid to try something and fail. Feeling uncomfortable means growing and developing, and I've always felt good when I feel uncomfortable. body but me sets the bar for myself, and when I reach that bar, I'll always raise it! "
Still, Lloyd knows that it is as if their forward thrust is being threatened. She kicked while exercising and felt a sharp pain in her knee. When it swelled, she underwent physical therapy, but eventually needed a scope to clean the joint. "During that time, I stayed patient so that I could properly heal it," says Lloyd. "My knee has been fantastic ever since." After 10 months, the star of Team USA returned to the camp. “Consistency has been key for me throughout my career,” says Lloyd. "Sleep, hydration, nutrition, exercise, having others around me, ball training, fitness and my new strength training program became my top priorities."
The football supremo has also started working with veteran coach Chris Halladay. "He introduced me to a new type of training that is a neurological physical approach that helps with athletic performance and movement," says Lloyd. “Since I started training with Chris in vember 2020, I've never moved better. I'm more explosive than ever and stronger than before my injury. It has a big impact on my game at the age of 38. "
As a player, she understands that it means staying at the top, constantly pushing yourself. “I've always tried to break down barriers with my fitness to become the best I can be,” says Lloyd. “As I get older, I appreciate it even more to be as efficient as possible. I have found that throughout my career, bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, and soccer-specific fitness have helped me to be my best and add to the longevity of my career. "
Lloyd cites her use of CBD oils as a key factor in her recovery - especially the topical CBD medical products. Llloyd says the oils help temporarily relieve the pain she gets from sore muscles, joint pain, and stiffness. The World Anti-Doping Agency recently removed CBD from its list of prohibited substances in time for the Tokyo Games. “It's really important for me to listen and take care of my body,” says Lloyd. "Especially when it comes to pain relief, and I've noticed immediate relief from using CBDMedic."
Your training plan
"During the season, I really have to listen to my body and figure out what I need," says Lloyd. “I've always been someone who trains harder to prepare for games so that the game feels easier than the practice.
“In addition to my team training, I usually do 90-minute units, five times a week, with a game on the weekend. Depending on how I feel, I can take 1-2 days of rest.
"In addition to my team training, I do a 40- to 60-minute aerobics run at the beginning of the week, strength training once or twice a week, a unit with my individual fitness trainer and I also do a sprint fitness session."
A functional approach
"I'm a striker for the national team, so I concentrate on positioning, run behind the back line, hold the ball up and play in crosses," says Lloyd. "I play a midfield role for NWSL Gotham FC, so I work on a lot of things from playing through balls to picking up players to being creative."
Your dietary preferences
"Out of the field is just as important as on the field," says Lloyd. “You have to take care of your body and diet plays a big role in this. I think there are a lot of naive people who think they can get away with poor diet when they are younger, but when they get older they wish they had taken better care of themselves and made diet a priority.
“In 2009 I started to deal with organic food. I noticed an immediate effect on my performance when I did this. From year to year I concentrate more and more on my diet. "
Goals for the future
“My next goal is to get on the Olympic list with my teammates and win gold,” says Lloyd. “I will always keep going to be the best player I can be while enjoying the process and having as much fun as possible. This is the fittest, fastest, most explosive I've ever had and most of all, it's fun. I always strive to get that 1% improvement in everything I do. "
