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How Conor McGregor Is Training for His Next Big Fight

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Conor McGregor


The past year has been a rough one for Conor McGregor, the most famous MMA fighter on the planet. The pandemic, a scheduling spat with UFC head Dana White, and an early “retirement” all contributed to that. But the biggest speed bump came in January at UFC 257, when Dustin Poirier—a fighter McGregor had previously dispatched with a knockout in 2014—defeated him in a stunning upset. On Saturday, July 10 at UFC 264, McGregor will face Poirier for the third time. It’s his chance to set the record straight—and he’s not sweating it.

“I don’t focus on my opponent,” McGregor tells Men’s Journal. “I focus on myself.”

 

 

 

That doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy fight. Poirier is No. 1 in the UFC lightweight rankings (McGregor is fifth) and No. 6 in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings. On top of that, Poirier has been on a roll, winning six of his last seven fights, while McGregor’s lost three of his last seven.

We meant what we said: Despite the odds, none of this has ruffled McGregor. He’s famously confident (and not afraid to talk trash), but that confidence has to come from somewhere. Take a peek inside his camp, however, and it’s clear his brash attitude comes from intense, focused training.

The training McGregor utilizes today was actually born out of an earlier career crisis—his loss to Nate Diaz in 2016. By the end of the two-round fight, he was exhausted. After that defeat, McGregor joined forces with Julian Darby, a medical doctor and exercise physiologist, and a team of experts to analyze his training and improve it. They came up with Fighter Aerobic/Anaerobic System of Training, or FAST, a holistic system that leverages performance data to help him train smarter and get more insight into his body.

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Instead of simply plowing through endless rounds of sparring and conditioning workouts, McGregor and his team broke down the movements and fitness demands of MMA to determine what he needed to work on. Then, they used metrics like heart rate, running speed, movement tracking, and power output to see exactly how his body was performing—and how to take it to the next level.

It worked. For his next bout, McGregor faced Diaz again and beat him by decision.

“We’ve evolved a lot,” says Darby. “We’ve gathered a huge amount of data on Conor and built a very complete picture of him.”

Training camp revolves around two-a-day sessions, says Darby. McGregor will start out his day with a skills-focused session, which, for a multidisciplinary sport like MMA, is seriously wide ranging. One day could be devoted to Brazilian jiu jitsu, and the next could involve sparring, pad work, or hitting the heavy bag.

Opponent analysis also plays a big role in skills training. “We’ll analyze everything Dustin Poirier does,” Darby says, in order to find effective strategies for countering those moves. Fortunately, that’s something McGregor excels at. “Conor is a genius. Every time they throw a shot and make a move, he’s plotting that, he’s building a picture.”

The second half of the day is devoted to conditioning, and this is where the data analysis used in FAST really shines. Like the skills training, there’s lots of variety (sprint workouts, spinning on an exercise bike, or hitting the rowing machine) but by tracking McGregor’s heart rate, speed, and effort, Darby is able to see exactly how he’s performing.

 

 

The conditioning is divided into zones: green for endurance-focused work, yellow for high-intensity exercises, and red for extreme, everything-you’ve-got workouts. By alternating between these zones, McGregor can push himself to the limit one day and recover the next, all while steadily building up his fitness and endurance. No burnouts, no guesswork—just lots of hard work backed by hard numbers.

“We have real data we can use to compare his performance,” Darby says, “so we can make changes, implement them, and progress faster.”

The emphasis on data also helps McGregor learn about his body, so he knows what his limits feel like. That’s an invaluable asset to have in a fight. Through FAST, he’s learned how to pace himself and choose the right moves at the right time in order to have sustained energy through multiple rounds.

Conor McGregor
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FAST training puts McGregor through the wringer, and that’s by design. MMA demands well-rounded athletes who bring a deep skillset into every fight. In training, McGregor and Darby work to keep those skills sharp.

“I love putting in the work, feeling like I’m getting better, more dangerous, more prepared every single day,” McGregor says. “It’s tough but rewarding.”

It’s also a program that anyone can try. FAST is available as a subscription-based app, and signing up gets you access to hundreds of workouts (the same ones that McGregor himself uses) and multi-week fitness programs. And because it’s designed to create a holistic athlete, it’s useful for just about anybody, beginners and experts alike.

“Even if you don’t do combat sports yourself,” says Darby, “it’s one of the most complete forms of training you can do.”

Will FAST training be enough for McGregor to polish his legacy and put Poirier in his place? It’ll certainly help. But if you measure by the metric of confidence, he’s ready to reclaim his crown.

“Three fights against me is an early grave for any man,” he says. “I will be victorious.”

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10 Best Porters to Drink Right Now

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A bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter




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Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

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Barbell Back Squat


The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.

“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.

If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.

Directions

Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.

Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

Circuit 1

Marius Bugge

A. Barbell Back Squat

Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts renegade row
Marius Bugge

B. Renegade Row

Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side

Circuit 2

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing renegade row Dumbbell Bentover Row in gym
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bentover Row

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 
Marius Bugge

B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 

Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 3

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat

Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Marius Bugge

B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Circuit 4

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing pullup
Marius Bugge

A. Pullup

Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Marius Bugge

B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press

Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 5

A. Dumbbell Pushup

Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps

B. Biceps Curl

Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps


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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout

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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout




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