Conor McGregor has trumped for cycling over running for his cardio training, saying it benefits him more.
The rise in cycling in recent years has seen tens of thousands of people never before involved in the sport getting into the saddle and giving it a go.
And among those new to the game is the UFC fighter Conor McGregor.
The Notorious has been working with former Irish road cycling champion Julian Dalby; now a well known doctor on the UFC scene.
Dalby hasn’t raced for many years, but since hanging up his wheels he’s become involved in power lifting; a discipline he now holds a world record in.
And while in McGregor’s corner with his medical skills and strength and conditioning techniques, Dalby has also helped the Dublin fighter introduce cycling into his training regime.
Advertisement
In the first video below, McGregor says he was determined to examine his training to see how it could improve, and Dalby getting him on the bike has been part of that process.
“I’ve been doing a lot of endurance work on the rowing machine, sprints on the treadmill; I’m doing everything cardio-related,” he said of his work in ensuring he stays strong over the full length of a UFC fight.
“I’ve been supplementing my rounds on rounds with cardio work. And this is one of them,” he added as he headed out on the bike with Dalby on a highway through the Nevada desert near his Las Vegas base.
Dalby, left, has become a key person in the McGregor camp of late.
Related News
The ride the camera followed McGregor and Dalby on was a 50-minute spin some seven days before his fight against Nate Diaz in Las Vegas, this Saturday, August 20th.
“We do a specific heart rate at a specific wattage. For endurance it’s good because you’re not pounding the roads,” McGregor, who has had knee injuries in the past, said of cycling.
“If I was to run; you’re pounding the roads and it’s not good for the body.
"So I do the sprints on the treadmill and on the rowing machine. And then I do my endurance on the bike.”
McGregor added the ride seen in the first clip below was not an intense effort because he was now so close to his fight.
“That’s the last of my cardio training now so I’m very happy with it. It’s just a cruise; you flush out the legs and get a bit of endurance work.
“And it’s not bad on the body; it doesn’t damage the body at all. So I’m happy with it. I’m having a laugh out there to be honest; having a little buzz.”
The first clip below is one released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on YouTube.
It features training footage with a number of fighters but if you only want to see McGregor discuss his nutrition and his cycling training, watch from 4:10 into the film.
The second clip below has been released on McGregor’s own TheMacLife YouTube channel and features lengthier cycling footage.
McGregor on running Vs cycling
McGregor and Dalby on their bikes
Topics
