West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo has placed a formal ban on winger Adama Traore lifting weights at the club’s Rush Green training ground, arguing that the Spaniard’s extraordinary muscular build is entirely natural and that adding further mass would only hinder rather than help him.
“It’s incredible, it’s genetics,” Nuno told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Monday. “His genetics has been like this for some time now and he should avoid the gym. I’ve told him to stay out of the gym. It’s one of the things that I think he needs to realise. It’s enough weight that he carries.”
Under the new arrangement, Traore will focus entirely on flexibility and injury prevention work rather than resistance or strength training, a bespoke approach that reflects the club’s policy of tailoring physical programmes to each player’s individual needs. Nuno contrasted his treatment of the 30-year-old with younger players at the club, pointing out that an 18-year-old in the under-21 squad is actively encouraged to spend long hours in the gym building the bulk Traore already carries naturally.
The ban carries an ironic twist. Traore had previously insisted he did not lift weights, but teammate Crysencio Summerville recently posted a video on social media showing him bench-pressing 145 kilograms at Rush Green, effectively debunking the claim. Nuno’s public directive now removes any ambiguity.
Traore joined West Ham from Fulham in January for a reported fee of around £2 million, reuniting with Nuno after their successful spell together at Wolverhampton Wanderers. His impact at the London Stadium has so far been measured, with his most viral moment coming during an away fixture at Chelsea, when he physically lifted Marc Cucurella off the ground in a one-on-one duel, a clip that spread rapidly across social media and was described by former England striker Ian Wright as the moment of the season.
His only start for the club came in the FA Cup victory over Burton Albion, with all his Premier League appearances arriving from the bench against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Nuno acknowledges that the path to regular minutes is a competitive one. “Ahead of him he has two players at the top of their game in Jarrod Bowen and Summerville,” the manager said, adding that Traore is patient enough to wait for his opportunity.
West Ham remain in the relegation zone heading into Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Fulham, with a win potentially lifting them out of the bottom three if results elsewhere go their way. For Traore, the next few weeks represent a chance to show that his pace and power in one-on-one situations can be a decisive weapon in the Hammers’ fight for survival.
