Karim Benzema just sent a warning message to Real Madrid’s next opponents when he scored a hat-trick in just 6 minutes and 30 seconds in the great win over Real Valladolid last weekend.

Benzema (left) next to fitness expert Atalaya. Photo: Pinterest

Since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club to join Juventus in 2018, Benzema has become the leader of Real Madrid. Last season was the most brilliant season of Benzema’s career when he scored 44 goals in 46 matches, helping Real Madrid win the La Liga and Champions League double, then closed 2022 with the individual Golden Ball title in October. This 35-year-old striker is currently the number two goalscorer of the Royal Spanish team with 345 goals, second only to Ronaldo with 450 goals.

The above impressive achievement is mainly due to Benzema’s mental and physical transformation since joining Real Madrid in 2009. Even coach Carlo Ancelotti was surprised with his student’s physique when he returned. led the club in 2021. Benzema built a toned body through many hours of training in the gym with the support of personal trainer (PT) Javier Atalaya.

Atalaya is a former karate expert who began collaborating with Benzema six years ago through the suggestion of a mutual friend. This PT convinced Benzema to apply his methods for success off the field, including jumpsuits, mysterious slogans and a series of high-intensity exercises. Atalaya’s training program is based on an electro-pulsed bodysuit that causes muscle contractions. Benzema’s daily workouts are quite intense: 30 minutes of training with a PT is not only equivalent to 5 hours of regular training, but also requires using 92% of the body’s muscles at the same time. The jumpsuit is worth about 33,000 USD and weighs less than 3kg depending on the amount of water poured into the shirt. “You have to spray water on the shirt to get it completely wet to create energy throughout the body, otherwise the shirt will be useless,” Atalaya explains. This expensive tracksuit and slogans such as “total darkness” or “let’s go” often appear in weekly posts on Benzema’s Instagram page. Benzema usually practices 2 sessions/week with Atalaya. One muscle-related session 2 or 3 days before the match and the other session after the match to help repair torn muscle fibers.

Mr. Atalaya also played a major role in Benzema’s nutritional regimen. Although the French player has a personal chef at home, he often consults Atalaya about what foods to eat every day. Benzema’s diet usually consists of sushi, protein and pasta, while staying away from foods with too much fat.

Worth mentioning, Benzema is fasting during the day during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Specifically, he only eats before sunrise and does not eat or drink anything, including water, until after sunset. That’s why Benzema just sucked and squirted water in the recent 6-0 win over Real Valladolid.

Thanks to exercises focusing on the upper body, no defender moved Benzema when he jumped in the penalty area. This was clearly seen in the goal that completed the hat-trick when Benzema performed an acrobatic finish with his back turned towards Real Valladolid’s goal.