Footy players go viral as glamorous trainer gives them a simple Pilates workout that leaves them absolutely humbled

A top Sydney soccer team have gone viral for struggling to get through a pilates class, even grabbing the attention Premier League champions Manchester City.

Players from Hurstville Zagreb FC, who are based in the Sydney suburb of St George, have been doing weekly Reformer pilates with instructor Sami McDonald for a month and are reaping the benefits despite struggling badly with the new exercises.

Reformer Pilates is a full-body workout that combines the traditional principles and movements of mat Pilates with a bed-like Reformer machine

‘Soccer players are very heavy on their ankles and their feet with kicking, so I’ve prioritised ankle stability and support, for example, we do a lot of stuff on their toes where they lift and lower their heels,’ McDonald told News Corp.

‘I think their flexibility and mobility has improved; the biggest benefit for men generally is improved mobility in their hip region, which is not as naturally loose as women’s.’

Players from Sydney club Hurstville Zagreb FC have been doing weekly Reformer Pilates classes with instructor Sami McDonald – and they are completely out of their element

McDonald’s workouts have been so popular that players are telling other club members to also give it a try, with McDonald planning to get more space to exercise.

‘My reformer studio is limited to six beds at the moment, so I’ve got plans in the works to set up a mat class so I can fit everyone in because they are really keen to join their teammates,’ she said.

Thousands of people have commented on McDonald’s social media post of the players – with even English Premier League champions Manchester City chiming in.

‘Never underestimate pilates,’ the club wrote on its official Instagram page.

‘Can we make a Netflix series out of this please?’ said another commenter.

‘They have no idea how much pain they will be in tomorrow,’ wrote a third. 

World-class footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish have incorporated Pilates into their training in recent years, with more men generally willing to give the exercise a go. 

McDonald says she has seen a big increase in men attending her classes in just the three years she has been teaching.

Sami McDonald (pictured) says the biggest benefit from the exercise for men generally is improved mobility in their hip region

Sami says she has prioritised ankle stability and support with the soccer players, who sometimes struggle badly with the new routines she has introduced them to

The instructor believes more men have been discovering the exercise in recent years

‘In my general classes I have at least two men who come regularly every week,’ she said.

‘Recently I’ve seen an increase in younger men doing Pilates, whereas when I started it was more middle-age men, but both can benefit of course.’

McDonald said from her experience, women and men treat their bodies differently.

‘If men get an injury they tend to just ignore it and that is not what you’re meant to do,’ she said.

‘That’s why increasing men’s awareness of the benefits of Pilates is so important, for them to understand you know it was initially made for physiotherapy, that it is not just this girly exercise.’