TJ Reid knew after encountering Cork powerhouses Diarmuid 'The Rock' O'Sullivan and Sean Og O hAilpin in the early years of his career that he needed to bulk up.

Nearly a decade on and Reid is regarded as the complete hurler. Speaking to the Irish Independent ahead of Sunday's Leinster SHC final against Galway, the Herbalife ambassador explained: "I'm with Kilkenny maybe 10 years and starting off (strength and conditioning) probably wasn't as clued in as it is now.

"You have teams wearing GPS going around the hurling field and so on. Lads' condition is more monitored now. Body fat tests are being done but for myself it is only the last five years I suppose.

"It helps of course. Nutrition and conditioning helps anyone. I said to myself a few years ago that my hurling was there and my ability to hurl was there but mentally and physically maybe I wasn't there.

"Going back it was a man's game and if you were a young lad going out against the likes of 'The Rock' and Sean Og O hAilpin, they were strong men. The game has changed now in that you need speed now more so than physicality.

"For myself I concentrated on conditioning and nutrition and I think it has helped. You can't always say to yourself it's working. You have to keep working. I had a good year last year and I'm looking to improve things from last year.

"I got into the habit of going to the gym. Maybe I wasn't consistent enough back then but that's the past and the present is now and we have Galway coming up in a Leinster final."

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