Antony Papadopoulos

This season, for me, has been full of uncertainty.

- Where I’m going to play.
- Who I’m going to play for.
- And at times, even whether I’ll be playing football.

When your mind is filled with those kinds of doubts, gym sessions and extra work can feel hard.

But from experience, I’ve learned something important:

Opportunities can appear within days.

And because of that, I’ve learned how to stay ready, even when things don’t seem to be moving forward.

One of the biggest ways I do this is by sticking to what I call my weekly non-negotiables.

Every Sunday or Monday morning, I sit down and write exactly what I want my week to look like.

The sessions I’m going to complete.
The work I need to do on the app.
And the habits I’m committing to.

It keeps me organised, accountable, and ahead of the week instead of reacting to it.

Some of my weekly non-negotiables:

- Minimum of 3–4 gym sessions per week (upper, lower)

- 7–8 hours of sleep every single night

- At least 3 litres of water per day

- Regular contact with friends and family

- Add one new thing to the app every day

And something I think is just as important…

I always add one thing to look forward to.

For example:
“Dinner out on Sunday.”
“Coffee with a friend.”

Because balance matters.

If your weeks feel unorganised…
If you struggle with discipline…
If you feel inconsistent…

Sit down and write out exactly how you want your week to look.

Read it every morning.
Read it every night.

Simple. Boring. Effective.

And if you want help with structure, you can follow the programmes inside my app.

They give you a full Monday–Sunday layout with sessions and exercises each day.

I still use it myself.

Antony

3 days ago | [YT] | 92

Antony Papadopoulos

Give yourself 5 years. That’s it.
That’s what I told myself 5 years ago when I wasn’t in the position I wanted to be in.

It’s now how I look at everything.

If I want something done, whether it’s the contract, the new job, the next level... I ask myself:

If I only had 5 years, would I move at the same pace I’m moving right now?

Most of the time, the honest answer is no.

In 2020, I didn’t hate lockdown.
I loved it.

It gave me permission to spend almost a year working on nothing but myself.

Gym work.
Football sessions every single day in my garden.
Long runs.
Home strength workouts.
Hours of ball work.

Wake up. Run. Train. Recover. Repeat.

That period will always be a turning point in my life.

I see so much complacency around me, friends, family, people I know, and beyond.

And I wish I could look them in the eye and say:

You feel fine now. I get it.

But in 5 years, you’ll be in turmoil that you didn’t capitalise when the opportunity was right in front of you.

You don’t feel like you’re falling behind when you’re falling behind.

That’s not how it works.

Two people can do the same workout.

One changes their life.
One doesn’t.

The difference isn’t just what they did.

It’s the intensity of how they did it.

Before you know it, it’s 2030.

You either became who you said you would…

Or you didn’t.

There is no in-between.

— Antony

1 week ago | [YT] | 144

Antony Papadopoulos

People see this photo and think it’s just a normal pre-match warm-up.
Focused. Ready. Locked in.

What they don’t see is what was going through my head in that moment...

It was the end of my first season as a professional footballer.

That season had everything.
- Making my pro debut.
- Scoring on my pro debut.
- Getting sent off.
- Spending 19 games in a row on the bench without coming on.
And being told my contract wasn’t going to be renewed...

A lot of highs.
A lot of lows.

As a first-year pro, it was overwhelming at times.

So in this photo, I was reflecting on the whole journey, the good, the bad, and how I was going to respond.

That summer, I made a decision.

I worked harder than I ever had before.
I got fitter, stronger, sharper.
I took responsibility for my development.
I used every setback as fuel.

Fast forward four years.

I’ve played in League One.
I’ve signed a new deal in the EFL.
And I’m slowly becoming what people would call an experienced professional.

Not because everything went perfectly.

But because I didn’t quit.

So the message is simple:

Whatever you’re going through in your football right now…
Stick at it.
Stay patient.
Use it as fuel.
Work harder.
And prove people wrong.

Antony.

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 151

Antony Papadopoulos

Ever wondered what a proper week of training looks like for a pro footballer?

Most people only see the 90 minutes on matchday… but what happens during the week is what actually keeps players fit, sharp, and available all season.

Here’s a typical week 👇

Monday – Recovery-focused
Usually the second day of recovery after a weekend game.
This includes light runs, light technical team work, upper body gym (to let the legs recover), mobility, stretching, and treatment. The goal is to reset, not push.

Tuesday – Hardest day of the week
If there’s no midweek game, this is the toughest day.
Often a double session:
• Big team session (8–9km total distance)
• High-intensity work
• Lower body gym in the afternoon

This is where the main physical load happens.

Wednesday – Proper recovery day
This is about staying healthy and absorbing the work.
• Injury prevention (low sets, low reps)
• Mobility
• Sauna / steam room
• Ice baths
• Light movement

Thursday – Last tough day before the game
Still a strong session, but slightly less than Tuesday.
• 6–7km total distance
• Tactical work
• Upper body gym in the afternoon

After this, intensity drops.

Friday – Match Day -1
All about preparation.
• Tactical work
• Team meetings
• Opposition analysis
• Set pieces

Nutrition is huge here: carb loading, hydration, sleep.

Saturday – Match Day
Everything you’ve done all week leads to this.

Sunday – Full recovery
Complete rest or very light recovery work.

This is why random training doesn’t work. Everything is structured around performance, recovery, and staying available all season.

Antony.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 63

Antony Papadopoulos

Let’s talk about the gym for footballers.

I’ve played with so many insanely talented players over the years… but a lot of them don’t truly understand how important the gym actually is.

And no, it’s not about getting massive, chasing muscles, or just looking big.

The real value of the gym is this:
It can be the difference between playing 10 games a season… and playing 40, 50+ games consistently.

Why? Injury prevention.

Football places huge demands on your body, sprinting, decelerating, changing direction, tackling, jumping, landing. If your muscles, tendons, and joints aren’t strong enough to handle that load, something will eventually give.

These are the muscles that protect your body when the game gets intense.

Then there’s power.

Football isn’t just endurance, it’s explosive.
Sprints. Jumps. Shots. Changes of direction.

Power training helps you:
• Accelerate quicker
• Jump higher
• Win duels
• Become more explosive
• Feel stronger on the pitch

And yes… let’s be honest , who doesn’t want to look good as well? That’s just a bonus 😅

If you’re a footballer and you’re not training properly in the gym, you’re leaving performance, durability, and consistency on the table.

This is exactly why I built my app — structured gym plans, football-specific sessions, injury prevention work, recovery, mobility, and everything a footballer actually needs.

If you want to train properly, not randomly, download the app. Link in bio.

Antony.

1 month ago | [YT] | 100

Antony Papadopoulos

6 years ago I made a decision that completely changed my football.

I’d always worked hard… but I properly locked in.

Not just extra training — but how I thought about the game, how I lived, how I recovered, how I fuelled. I started trying to absorb every bit of information I could.

- From coaches.
- From nutritionists.
- From sports scientists.
- From players ahead of me.

I stopped pretending I knew everything and started acting like a sponge.

- Ask questions.
- Listen properly.
- Apply what you’re taught.
- Stay curious.

And honestly, I’ve still got a lot to learn, that never stops.

But I’m now at a place where I understand the body, preparation and what actually improves performance much more than I did back then. That didn’t come from guessing… it came from learning from people who knew more than me.

My advice:

- Be coachable.
- Be open.
- Be willing to learn.
- Surround yourself with people who know more than you — and absorb it.

The quicker you drop your ego, the quicker you’ll improve.

Antony.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 126

Antony Papadopoulos

Here’s my framework to improve as a footballer consistently:

Step 1:
Train with structure, not randomness.
Have clear football sessions planned: technical work, position-specific drills, decision-making and match realism. Stop just “kicking a ball about”.

Step 2:
Fuel properly.
Structure your day around breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Eat enough carbs for energy, protein for recovery, and hydrate properly.

Step 3:
Strength train 2–4× per week.
Focus on football-based strength: lower body, upper body, core and power.
Lift with intent — strong, fast footballers last longer and win more duels.

Step 4:
Add fitness the right way.
Use repeat sprints, intervals, pitch runs and conditioning sessions that actually translate to games, not just jogging laps.

Step 5:
Recover like a pro.
Mobility, sleep, hydration, recovery sessions, light days.
You get better from recovering from training, not just doing more of it.

Step 6:
Work on your mind.
Confidence, routines, handling pressure, dealing with bad games, mental strength separates players at the same ability level.

Step 7:
Be consistent, not perfect.
You don’t need to do everything every day, you just need a repeatable weekly structure. Show up, stack days, keep going.

“It can’t be that simple.”

It honestly is.

Train smart.
Fuel right.
Recover well.
Repeat.

1 month ago | [YT] | 132

Antony Papadopoulos

For a long time, I used to think that more was always better.

More training. More sessions. Less rest. Saying no to everything else. I thought that was what being serious meant.

But I was wrong.

Over time, I realised that constantly locking yourself away and training non-stop can actually be a detriment. It catches up with you eventually, whether that’s mental fatigue, loss of motivation, or physical injury.

What’s made the biggest difference for me is finding the right balance. Training hard, recovering properly, and still allowing myself time to switch off, socialise with friends and family, and live a normal life outside of football.

That balance has made me:

More consistent

More focused

Less burnt out

And honestly, a better footballer

But this is important — balance doesn’t mean doing nothing.

You still need to work hard. You still need to train on recovery days, look after your body, and stick to a structured plan. You don’t skip the work. You earn the rest.

The difference now is that when I do relax, I actually let myself relax , because I know the work has been done.

Football is a long game. If you want longevity, you need to train smart, not just hard. Structure, recovery, and balance will take you further than burnout ever will.

1 month ago | [YT] | 122

Antony Papadopoulos

What if improving as a footballer wasn’t just about training harder but understanding yourself better?

This past week gave me a moment to step back and reflect on what life as a professional footballer actually looks like beyond the 90 minutes.

The preparation.
The routines.
The recovery.

The mental battles that no one really talks about.

In my latest video, I take you through a week in my life as a pro footballer — from training and match preparation to recovery, mindset, and the work I’m doing off the pitch building my training platform for other players.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, or you’re a player trying to understand what it really takes to stay consistent and perform week after week, this one will resonate.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 8

Antony Papadopoulos

One of the questions I’ve been asked the most over the years is:
“If you’re a footballer, why do you post so much on social media?”

And honestly… the answer has always been the same: why not?

Football is my job, my passion, and always the priority. I’ve been playing professionally for years and that will always come first. But during lockdown, when football stopped, I picked up my phone, went into the garden, and started making content just for fun.

No plan, no strategy.
Just enjoying myself.

Fast forward five years and it’s become a massive part of my life. Creating content has opened doors, built relationships, and given me opportunities that simply wouldn’t have happened by “just playing football.”

Through the process I've learned about training properly, nutrition, mindset, and everything that goes into performing at a high level, from real experience with top coaches, physios, analysts, and players I've worked with.

So I started sharing it.

And that eventually led me to build my own football training app… something I’m genuinely proud of. It’s become a place where I can put all the things I wish I knew as a young player, gym work, drills, nutrition, game understanding, all in one spot for players who want to improve.

And yes — I still play professionally alongside it.
Yes — I still train every day.
Yes — football always comes first.
But I’ve realised something important:

You’re allowed more than one passion.
You’re allowed to try things outside your “main identity.”
You’re allowed to build something for yourself.

People will always have opinions, especially when you do something different.
Some will support it.
Some won’t understand it.

But the truth is: the people who tell you not to do something are usually not in a position you want to be in anyway.

So whether you play football, run a business, study, or create content...If you enjoy it, if it adds to your life, if it gives you purpose… keep going.
Don’t shrink your ambitions to make someone else comfortable.

I’m going to keep playing, keep creating, keep building my app, and keep enjoying the process. Because you never know where something can take you unless you give it a proper chance.

— Antony

2 months ago | [YT] | 74