Getting Started with the McGregor Idea
Alright, so I saw some pictures of Conor McGregor, you know, when he was looking really ripped, especially around fight times. And I thought, man, I wouldn’t mind looking something like that. Not necessarily to fight, just that lean, athletic look. Seemed like a solid goal to aim for.
Figuring Out What He Actually Does
First thing, I obviously had to figure out what the heck he does. Spent a good few evenings just searching online. Lots of articles, interviews, stuff like that. Found out he does a mix of things – boxing, kicking, jiu-jitsu, obviously, but also a lot of bodyweight stuff, movement training, and some weights. It wasn’t just lifting heavy things all day, which was interesting.
He talked a lot about flexibility, mobility, and dynamic movement. Things like animal flow, yoga-type stretches. Seemed different from the usual bodybuilding routines you see everywhere.
My Attempt at the Workout Plan
So, I tried piecing together a routine based on what I found. It was kinda messy at first. I decided to focus on a few key areas I saw mentioned often:
- Bodyweight circuits: Push-ups, pull-ups (or attempts at them!), squats, lunges, burpees. Did these in circuits, trying to keep rest short. Man, that was tough.
- Movement stuff: I tried incorporating some of those animal flow movements I saw online. Looked kinda silly doing bear crawls and crab walks in my living room, but hey, I was giving it a shot. Also added stretching and basic yoga poses for flexibility.
- Some weights: Didn’t go crazy heavy. Focused on compound lifts like deadlifts and overhead presses, but maybe only a couple of times a week. McGregor seemed more about functional strength than pure bulk.
- Cardio: Some running, some hitting a makeshift heavy bag I rigged up. Tried to mimic the high-intensity bursts of a fight.
I aimed for working out maybe 5-6 days a week. Some days were longer sessions, others were shorter, focusing on mobility or just some light cardio.
The Diet… Oh, the Diet
This was probably the hardest part. From what I read, McGregor is super strict, especially leading up to a fight. Clean eating, basically. Lean meats, fish, good carbs like sweet potatoes and rice, loads of greens and veggies. Cut out the junk food, sugary drinks, most processed stuff.
My changes involved:
- Trying to eat clean most of the time. Focused on chicken breast, fish, eggs, oats, rice, sweet potatoes, and lots of salads.
- Cutting way back on snacks, sweets, and takeaways. This was a killer on weekends.
- Drinking a ton of water. Like, way more than usual.
Sticking to this consistently was really, really hard. There were days I definitely slipped up. Felt like I was constantly hungry at the beginning.
Challenges and What Happened
Keeping the intensity up day after day was tough. Some mornings, dragging myself out of bed for a workout felt impossible. The bodyweight circuits left me wiped out initially. And the diet required serious willpower, especially during social events.
Consistency was the biggest hurdle. Life gets in the way, you know? Had a few weeks where I was spot on, then a week where work got crazy or I got sick, and things fell apart a bit.
Did I end up looking exactly like Conor McGregor? Absolutely not. Let’s be real, the guy’s a world-class athlete with genetics and resources I just don’t have. But, did I see changes? Yeah, definitely. I leaned out quite a bit, felt stronger, more flexible, and had way more energy. My endurance improved noticeably from all the circuit training and cardio.
So, while I didn’t get the exact “McGregor physique,” trying to follow those principles definitely pushed me and got me in much better shape than before I started. It was a grind, but a worthwhile experiment for sure. Learned a lot about discipline, that’s for sure.
