McIlroy staying away from the gym

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Rory McIlroy admits he has not hit the weights as hard this year, hoping to dodge critics of his hectic gym routine.

The Northern Irishman’s bodily transformation from a wiry lad with the nickname Wee-Mac to a triangular-torsoed-power-hitter has been well documented on social media over the last two years…

Delighted to be on the cover of @menshealthmag! Check out behind-the-scenes footage from my shoot.

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This earned McIlroy some critics, given that he has not won a major since his embarking on his muscle-building journey.

This year, perhaps aided by his rib injury, McIlroy admitted that he has curbed the habit.

“Honestly, I haven’t lifted a weight all year, and it’s tough for me to come out and sort of say I don’t,” the 28-year-old said at a press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship.

“But I literally, the most I’ve lifted in the gym is 15 pounds this year because of my injury,”

“I’m nowhere near as strong as I used to be. I’m not. But I don’t need to be. I feel like physically if I’m stable and I’m strong in the right areas, I’m okay…So at least I can’t be criticized for that this year.”

McIlroy features in a star-studded field at this week’s Travelers Championship, that includes Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and US Open runner-up Brian Harmon.

Rory McIlroy

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