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Conor McGregor has been the topic of a lot of controversy in the last week or so BUT we are not here to discuss that. What we are here to understand is, why Conor McGregor ditched the running shoes in place of the spandex bibshorts for his training. 

Conor has been working with former Irish road cycling champion Julian Dalby whom is now part of the medical staff. Whilst 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. 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.

“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.”

“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."

Even though running burns more calories per minute than cycling in general, cycling is a non impact sport which is more forgiving on the knees and other joints. It is a great way of training to maximum capacity whilst lowering the impact on your joints. 

When you see a pro triathlete on the run, its hard to imagine that they have completed a swim or cycle already. 

So what is it that makes a pro triathlete look so smooth and effortless?

Work on your ground contact time.

The ground contact time is the time that your foot spends in contact with the ground between each stride. It is your ability to apply force quickly and efficiently. There are a couple of things that can help improve your efficiencies in ground contact time; 

- Incorporate plyometric training into your training programme. (Plyometric training is quick, powerful movement that starts with an eccentric action followed by a concentric action.)

- Add some fast intervals / sprints at the end of your training session. 

Focus on Posture

Running after the bike can tighten the hips and effect posture when running. You should focus on aligning the head, shoulders, hips and legs to keep you tall and balanced.

Focus on Where Your Foot Lands

If you look to shorten your stride with your feet landing beneath your hips this can help you run in a more efficient and streamlined position. Obviously if you are shortening your stride slightly you will need to increase your cadence to keep the pacing up.

Run with a slight forward lean 

You need to focus on a slight lean from the ankles and not the hips - this can be developed with core strength exercises. If you are not sure how to strengthen the core take a look at our Core workout here. You do not want to be slouching the shoulder forward but a slight lean forward will help you propel forward. 

If you are running with tension in your shoulders it can restrict your breathing and prove to be uncomfortable causing too much of a lean forward . Relax your fingers, drop your shoulders and try not to tense up and this will help your posture. 

If you have any other tips then let us know. 

There are a number of factors that will help you improve your swim time. The most notable and obvious is spending more hours in the pool. However if you find that your times have plateaued, now might be the time to incorporate some more strength based exercises into your routine. 

Working on developing strength in the chest, core and shoulders will all pay dividends in increasing the power in the water thus improving your swimming time. 

We have showcased the top 5 exercises you should be incorporating into your shoulder workout as a swimmer or triathlete. 

 - Shoulder Press

- Upright Row

- Front Raise

- Side Raise

- Arnie Press

If you are short on time, hate the gym, or too tired to exercise after work then we have you covered. 

We have created a series of 10 minute workouts to try at home. None of these workouts require any equipment and only take 10 minute of your time but give you a great sweat on. 

Check the workout here; 

10 Exercises;

45 Seconds Work - 15 seconds Rest

1) 2 x Press up + 8 x Floor Run

2) High Knee's

3) V-Sits

4) Tricep Dips

5) Heel Flicks

6) Crunch - Knee's to Elbow

7) Shoulder Press Up's

8) Scissors

9) High Knee's to Elbows

10) Press Up's

Are you ready to get active this summer!?

Here's 5 reasons why you should workout;

1) Working out can reduce blood pressure - Chronic hypertension is the number one form of heart disease. The causes of hypertension include the increased plaque in the arteries that builds up from consuming a high-fat diet. Exercise helps reduce your blood pressure, in part, by attacking the plaque in your arteries