Revealed! What Jude Bellingham was actually doing during viral Real Madrid training picture dubbed the 'flying man'

An image of Bellingham in Real Madrid training went viral last week where the England international was seen performing unusual drill. In the photograph posted on Madrid's social media pages, the midfielder can be seen suspended in mid-air, with a purple band around the sole of each boots. He is also seen holding a kettlebell weighing around 14 kilograms.

The photograph of Bellingham created a lot of intrigue among fans across the world. At the same time, it also highlighted the kind of innovative training that the Los Blancos stars undergo behind scenes at Valdebebas.

According to The Athletic, the new training method consists of a unique squat. The rubber band around the feet helps players to perform an elastic muscle contraction as they jump in the air at the same time, producing a plyometric contraction, which helps develop muscle power. The feet are turned outwards in the "Sumo squat" position and that posture leads to greater stimulation as the players work their adductor muscles in their thighs. The elastic band then provides resistance and the weight increases the intensity of the exercise and the effort required. 

The report further adds that the training is not specially designed for Bellingham, but several other Los Blancos stars perform similar drills. Sources at the club further told The Athletic about the drill, describing it as "something very normal, although it may come as a surprise outside."

Madrid underwent major changes in their backroom staff this summer after Carlo Ancelotti and his team's departure in May. Xabi Alonso replaced the veteran Italian coach at the helm and the Spaniard brought a fresh coaching staff with him from Bayer Leverkusen. As part of Alonso's staff, Ismael Camenforte joined Madrid after spending considerable time at their feirce rivals Barcelona and later worked with the Spanish manager in Germany. Camenforte is the mastermind behind formulating new training drills at the club and 'flying man' is also said to be his innovation. 

The Spanish giants suffered a lot with fitness concerns throughout the 2024-25 season, which saw them miss out on every major title going. This led to a friction between Ancelotti, his coaching staff and the then head of physical training Antonio Pintus. The Italian fitness coach is known to have the backing of club president Florentio Perez and he continues to remain at the club as performance manager. However, Pintus' involvedment in day-to-day affairs have significantly reduce with the arrival of Camenforte as he is often seen wearing a suit at the Santiago Bernabeu, instead of tracksuits.  

Bellingham has regularly featured for Alonso's side since making an early return from his surgery last month. However, he has yet to regain full match fitness which has prevented him from playing a full 90 minutes. As evident from the training images at Madrid, the 22-year-old is working hard to get back to his very best for the club. It is also neccesary for him to start playing regularly at  Los Blancos in order to win back Thomas Tuchel's trust and get back into the Three Lions squad, with just months left now before the start of the 2026 World Cup next summer in North America.

For now, Bellingham remains focused on club matches at hand as Alonso's team is all set to take on Juventus in the Champions League this week, followed by the season's first El Clasico fixture against fierce rivals Barcelona at home on October 26.