Team Murray hails transformation of the lightweight who became a winner

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/27/murray-musclesin-on-heavyweights

Version 0 of 1.

At 7.30am, breakfast begins with a protein shake, yoghurt and a bagel with peanut butter. During the rest of the day, it's sushi if possible, as well as red meat, pasta and rice, spread over six meals in a 6,000-calories-a-day diet washed down with at least six litres of water. No alcohol, processed foods or sugar.

Welcome to the world of the uber-fit Andy Murray, who is contesting his third grand slam final on the trot against Novak Djokovic in Sunday's Australian Open. Not so long ago Murray was sometimes dismissed as callow, temperamental and, when mixing it with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, just a bit of a lightweight. No longer. Emotional maturity has been accompanied by a winning physique.

A 90-minute Bikram yoga morning session, in almost unbearable heat, precedes hours at the gym combining stretches, conditioning and intense weight training. An ice bath and a massage round off the day. It is a regime that has turned Murray into a 6ft 3in, 13½ stone tennis powerhouse who's coming ever closer to dominating the men's game.

With several of the world's top 20 missing in Melbourne due to injury, today's final is further evidence that the brutal intensity of Murray's routine is paying off for the Scot, who is certainly acting on his former coach Brad Gilbert's belief that top tennis players need to perform "like an ironman in a triathlon". His team say he is approaching his physiological peak and reaping the rewards.

It is a far cry from Roland Garros seven years ago. "Murray's fragile teenage body lets him down again," ran the headlines as the then 18-year-old crashed out to Gaël Monfils in the first round of the French Open. As his ankles gave way, the young Scot sloped off home to watch Nadal, 11 months his elder, rampage to his second successive title. But as Nadal sits out yet another major with rumours that his tendinitis-ravaged knees may cause him to retire after 11 grand slam tournament wins, Murray marches on.

He will be cheered on by Team Murray – the quartet who have transformed the promising teenager into one of the world's toughest athletes. After becoming his coach a year ago, former world No 1 Ivan Lendl had the sense to leave in place Murray's supporting cast.

Trainers Matt Little and Jez Green hone Murray's strength and conditioning while physiotherapist Andy Ireland's comprehensive knowledge of Murray's body ensures recovery time is minimised and healing rates maximised. Murray's friend and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu completes the squad. The team has compiled a programme that makes many of Murray's rivals sweat just studying it. And Murray knows the result of their six-year regime has made him almost unbeatable. He has lost just three grand slam matches in his past 31.

Little works on Murray's stretching routine and preventing injury while monitoring nutrition. Green takes over at the gym and has doubled Murray's weekly weight-training sessions, adding three more pounds of muscle.

Murray, a big boxing fan, joked in his Open column for The Australian about returning some of the treatment his team dish out to him, saying he would like to take Little on in a boxing match one day: "A fan asked me whether I could ever see myself doing something like Andrew Flintoff has done. 'Freddie' won his first fight a month ago, but I read recently that he hurt his shoulder while training, so I'm not sure whether he will lace up the gloves again. There is no way I would ever consider doing something like that on a professional basis, but when it comes to jumping into the ring against a couple of my team, that is a different matter."

Murray knows his team has turned him into a tennis monster, and the US Open champion will need to call on his powers of recovery again today, after enduring a tough four-hour match against Federer in Friday's semi-final. Djokovic destroyed David Ferrer in just one hour 29 minutes a day earlier.

Murray's close friend Jamie Baker also acknowledged the benefits of sharing winter training facilities in Florida each year, and the improvement it brings to his performances. "We train differently but if we went up against each other he'd probably beat me in everything," Baker said last week. "Look at him, he's like a tank. The difference is that he has had six or seven years of a regular diet of that volume of training. When he first started working with Jez and Matt he was still training hard, so he's got to a point now where he can cope with anything that's thrown at him."

As Robin Soderling, John Isner and Mardy Fish joined Nadal in not making Melbourne, and Janko Tipsaveric and Juan Monaco retired injured, Murray is living proof that good things do come to those who weight.

MURRAY'S DAY

6.30am Beach running – if he is at his Miami training camp.

7.30am Breakfast of protein shake, yoghurt and bagel with peanut butter.

9.30am Hitting practice on court with friend Dani Vallverdu.

11am Snack of protein bars and shakes.

11.30am 90-minute Bikram yoga session to build strength and stamina.

1pm Two hours before matches, he loads up on pasta and chicken.

3pm While away from tournaments, Jez Green puts Murray through a gym routine of strength and cardio workouts, including a series of 400m sprint and recovery sessions.

4pm After a match Murray will have fruit and yoghurt and top that up with protein bars and shakes.

7pm Murray wolfs down 50 pieces of sushi.