Rory McIlroy has made huge changes to his diet and gym routine in recent years to ensure that he is in peak physical condition and that has paid off with back-to-back Masters
Rory McIlroy has transformed his diet and gym routine (Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy has cut two particular foods from his diet in an effort to sharpen his performance on the golf course. The Northern Irish golfer has become just the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters after Sunday’s success.
The 36-year-old is riding high after following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Mcllroy looked set to coast to victory after establishing a six-shot lead at the end of Friday but gradually saw his rivals gain ground over the weekend.
In the final round, McIlroy kept his cool to score one-under-par and earn the coveted Green Jacket, edging out Scottie Scheffler by one shot. His recent successes can be partly attributed to his natural ability, though he has also put considerable work into his diet and fitness routines to remain at the very top of his game.
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The world number two realised some time ago that while he possessed plenty of flexibility, he lacked the physical strength to control his swing properly, resulting in hyper-extension. To address this, he dramatically boosted his protein intake.
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Speaking to Golf.com three years ago, McIlroy said: “I had to up my protein intake quite a bit. I’d eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. I still do that, 170 grams per day of protein.”
He subsequently cut out pork and eggs – widely recognised sources of protein. Explaining his gluten-free diet, he added: “It just doesn’t agree with my body. Those are more of a personal thing that’s unique to my body.”
His change in eating habits also meant cutting back on two much-loved treats: chocolate and ice cream, which he now only enjoys on rare occasions.
“I don’t think you want to demonise food,” he commented. “It’s about being able to fit it into your diet so you can have it every once in a while and feel good about it and not feel guilty.
“There’s so much guilt associated with eating. If you can break that mental barrier, you’ll be better off.”
The star is well known for his commitment to a gruelling gym regime to maintain his physique, which has become increasingly evident since his early days on the professional circuit. His workout kicks off with a vigorous warm-up of light jogging, lunges and rotational squat jumps.
McIlroy’s thorough fitness routine incorporates deadlifts, pull-ups, planks, plus dumbbells and further lunges. A rotational exercise involving throwing and catching a medicine ball while twisting helps him improve his flexibility.
Every element of his training session is performed three times, while the rotation drill is carried out ten times on each side.
To prevent stiffness and reduce the risk of injury, he rounds off his routine with a series of stretches as part of his cool-down.
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