Preseason Tips and Tricks: Discover How Fernando Belasteguin Prepares for the Demanding Padel Season

Learn more about how Bela, 16-year world number 1 in padel, approaches his preseason preparation.

The professional padel season is long and demanding, and it is crucial for players to come prepared, both physically and mentally, so they can achieve their goals. The way they train during the preseason is so important and can influence their results later on. Keep reading to learn how Fernando Belasteguín, 16-year world #1 in padel, approaches his preseason preparation.

What is the Padel Preseason?

The padel preseason refers to the period prior to the competition where players work on their physical fitness to ensure they are ready to begin tournament play against high-level competitors.

Typically, the preseason is about two months before tournaments begin, and players meet with their trainers to create a fitness plan. This plan usually involves goal setting and areas the player must improve on, such as endurance, strength, and speed.

The preseason is extremely important because being in a physically fit shape will help as the season progresses. To offer a clear vision of how high-level players prepare, we met with Fernando Belasteguín (Bela) and his coach, Toni Martínez. Keep reading to learn the keys to his training, watch one of his sessions on and off the court, and discover Bela's personal tips for anyone who wants to get started in this sport.

Preseason Training with Bela

Toni Martinez, Bela's physical trainer, tells us that since his player came from vacation after a very demanding year of competition, they started working on preventive work for a few weeks.

Then, they gradually introduced strength and endurance exercises to prepare Bela for the hard work that was to come. He stressed that it is important to begin small and work your way up to more challenging exercises.

Next, the most demanding work lasted about four weeks, in which Bela endured all of the exercises planned out in his original meetings. During this time, he worked on speed, agility, strength, and reaction.

As noted by the trainer, strength is a vital part of the preseason, and it can be broken down into two parts: strength and explosivity. Strength refers to increasing power and intensity, whereas explosivity refers to quick reactions that are crucial on the padel court.

In short, the preseason focuses on reaching peak shape so that fitness does not hold Bela back during tournament play. During the season, the focus is more on maintaining the shape achieved.

If you want to see what a training day of Fernando Belasteguín during the preseason preparation is like, check out the video we recorded during one of his sessions with Toni.

In an interview with Bela, he explains that the professional padel player must not only be fast and agile, but also coordinated, explosive, and long-lasting. He believes he continues to compete at a high level, despite his older age, because of his focus on his physical condition at all times during the year.

High-Level Competition Tips: Physical Preparation, Nutrition, and Rest

Below is a snippet of an interview with Bela on how he prepares in the preseason.

Wilson: What kind of training do you do in the preseason and what material do you use?

Bela: Padel is a very complete sport, and you have to do preventive work of the whole body. Not every day because there are many parts of the body and you have to divide them throughout the week. We use all kinds of material: cones, a bosu, medicine balls, free weights... absolutely everything.

Wilson: How long are the sessions and where do you train?

Bela: The training is more or less an hour and a half of padel and an hour and a half of physical training, plus half an hour of stretching. I train in the gym and on the court, but also at home, where in the afternoons I usually put on the roller, put on my boots, and do all the recovery work.

Wilson: What exercises do you like the most and the least?

Bela: I like all the exercises because I think the coach gives me what I need to perform as well as possible on the court.

Wilson: How do you prepare yourself mentally, and emotionally?

Bela: Mentally I think you prepare yourself day by day by going to train every day as if it were the last day of your professional career. That's what makes you mentally prepared.

Wilson: And as for your diet, does it change a lot at this time of the year?

Bela: Yes, in the competition season we put in a lot more carbohydrates so that the deposits are full. In addition, I take a lot of supplements, especially antioxidants, because due to my genetic characteristics, I oxidize a lot and I must take care of that aspect.

Wilson: Rest is also important, isn't it?

Bela: Of course, I try to sleep 7 to 8 hours at night and whenever I can, I take an hour's nap after eating. I also go to the physio every week, it's important to maintain good physical health.

Wilson: What do you recommend to anyone who wants to start playing padel, should they do a previous physical preparation?

Bela: Yes, I think it is very important for the amateur to take some exercises before playing and after. More than anything, if you find leisure in padel, the more prevention you do, the less risk of injury you have and the more time you can do your leisure.

Now that you know how to prepare for a professional padel preseason, maybe consider adding a few new exercises to your routine. This could help you reach your fitness goals and add excitement to your typical workout.

Also, visit wilson.com to shop Bela's collection of padel rackets, clothing, and accessories. To learn more about our sport, follow @wilsonpadel on social networks.