Liam Gallagher spotted ‘strengthening quads’ with backward sprints up Parliament Hill
Liam Gallagher. Picture: PA Wire/Ian West. - Credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images
Rock stars don’t generally conform to the established way of doing things and former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is certainly no exception.
Last year, the tabloid press carried reports of an apparently drunken Mr Gallagher attempting to ride on the back of a pet dog in his local watering hole, The Old White Bear, now closed, in Well Road, Hampstead.
More recently, paparazzi have been regularly snapping the 41-year-old pounding Hampstead’s streets in full athletic gear.
But it appears the Beady Eye singer has still managed to inject a non-conventional twist into his new training regime.
Mr Gallagher was recently spotted sprinting backwards up the steepest part of Hampstead Heath’s Parliament Hill, known locally as “Kite Hill”.
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An onlooker, who witnessed Mr Gallagher haring up the hill, told Heathman: “I must say, I thought it was a bit rich for a millionaire rocker who sings to fans about ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ to be taking his fitness that seriously at the crack of dawn.
“Mind you, he did manage to retain the ‘frontman sneer’, even while running backwards.”
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The image of a veteran rock and roll star sprinting manically up a hill in reverse is certainly an amusing one.
However, the act of backwards running, aptly also known as retro running, is well-known for its physical benefits among fitness aficionados.
Jason Doggett, who runs personal training company Muddy Plimsolls, told Heathman: “Running backwards is a common practice amongst athletes and sportspeople. It’s useful for a variety of sports, notably football, that require multi-directional movement.
“Perhaps Liam’s sharpening up his soccer skills?”
Personal trainer Rupert Hambly, who works with a number of clients on the Heath, agreed that Mr Gallagher, an avid Manchester City fan, could be using retro running to sharpen up his football skills.
He said the rocker could also expect to considerably strengthen his quadriceps.
“If you’re running up a hill backwards that’s going to be very hard on the quads,” said Mr Hambly. “I wouldn’t suggest people do it unless they really want to run a lot.”
