Mitch McGovern shed 5kg after gruelling month of training
After he was ordered to get back in shape, Carlton recruit Mitch McGovern says being put through the hardest training he has ever faced was the best thing for him.
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Mitch McGovern has revealed he endured the most difficult training block of his life to reshape his body under orders from the Carlton coaching staff.
The first-year recruit said he had dropped 5kg after he was banished to the gym last month for a gruelling training program under Blues fitness boss Andrew Russell.
The 24-year-old missed four games and returned in Round 22 with a blistering three-goal performance against St Kilda last Saturday at the MCG.
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“It’s good to have my name in the paper for a good reason,” McGovern laughed to the Herald Sun.
“It’s been a challenging few weeks, and to get the reward out the other side … I’ve got to give my thanks to the strength and conditioning boys, Matt Bode … ‘Jack’ Russell. They did a mountain of work with me, and I’m reaping the benefits now.”
McGovern said entering “the cage” under Russell was the most demanding training period he had endured.
“It was a massive training block — no contact, which helped,” he said.
“I recovered from all of the injuries that I had, and pretty much was three gruelling sessions a week to get me in and try and build my fitness base up.
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“I feel so much better than I did five weeks ago and I couldn’t thank the boys enough.
“The loads I did were twice as hard (as I’ve ever endured).
“I reckon when I was by myself — because you’re one-on-one with a conditioning coach, you just get put through your paces.
“It was one of the hardest training blocks that I’ve ever done, because I was by myself — there was no rest. I’m glad to be back playing.”
He said did not have to change what he was eating just the size of his meals.
“I had to really cut back on how much I was eating,” McGovern said.
“That was the biggest trouble. I was overeating a bit, but I’ve got the right system in place now. I’m feeling really good.”
The forward — who has played 15 games in his first season at Ikon Park after three years at Adelaide — expressed his disappointment that only one round remains after a run of four wins out of the last six games under new coach David Teague.
“It is a shame there’s only one game to go, but this leads us into the off-season and if you put your best foot forward in the off-season, your pre-season is so much easier and smoother and you come into Round 1 ready to go,” he said.
“It’s exciting for us.”
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Originally published as Mitch McGovern shed 5kg after gruelling month of training