THE ALL-IRELAND final will be played out at Croke Park this September, of course. But championships are won far from GAA HQ.

GAA professionals may be amateur in name but they prepare as professionally as any of the world’s top athletes. Here’s how you can workout like a top intercounty player.

1. Hit the road

Davy Fitz had the Clare hurlers out running at 5am in the build-up to their All-Ireland-winning season last year. And look where their journey ultimately ended.

2. Head down the ball alley with a buddy

You get a workout, some fresh air and get your eye in ahead of a hurling game and — if you’re pal is Donal Óg Cusack, you get some psychology on the hoof too.

3. Try a bit of fighting

All-Ireland winning skipper Kieran McGeeney is now a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And the Armagh native was scary enough already. Other panels — like Cork — have tried out boxing sessions to build core strength. And it’s no harm knowing how to take a punch.

4. Eat right

You are what you eat — and that means healthy choices and getting the right balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) in every meal you eat.

Michael D Macauley / Twitter Michael D Macauley / Twitter / Twitter

5. Have a go at the bikram yoga like Anna Geary

The Cork camogie player nearly broke the internet when this played out on TV. Roy Keane admitted he did ‘a bit of yoga’ in his time and now lots of us are trying pilates and other classes in between more traditional training sessions. It’s all about being flexible:

6. On yer bike

Whether it’s building yourself up with some no-impact exercise after an injury or a recovery spin, cycling is more and more popular amongst all of us… including GAA stars.

7. Cryotherapy

We don’t all have cryotherapy chambers in our local gyms, right? But the cutting-edge technology is increasingly used amongst panels throughout the country. If you can handle the cold, it’s great for tissue damage.

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