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Golf Fitness??

bama

bama

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Not sure where to post this..
Our company recently started paying for our military base gym memberships..
Now I have no excuse not to go...
I got a book about 5 months ago called "Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Golf" They give you many options for what you are trying to attain (endurance, strength, maintenance, etc..) and different work schedules (3 or 4 days per week) and different levels (1-casual to -6workout freak)

just wondering what anyone else might be doing??
using a website?? or maybe a different routine from a different book??

At 44 my goal is to increase my overall strength and core while maintaining my flexibility.... Going to the gym 4 days per week (at lunch) also does 2 other things...1) keeps me from going out to eat junk 4x per week and 2) gets me away from the stress of the office....

comments?? thanks
bama
 
Here is a post I made back on 7-7-09 about my exercise program.

Exercise

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This post is some what off topic as for as golf but also relates to ones game. Two years ago I was told by my doctor that I need to loose some weight and to try to get in better shape. I was also diagnose with severe diabetes, the doctor told me I really needed to find at least 30 minutes a day to just do some simple exercise. I told him that with my schedule I did not have an extra 30 minutes which he responded that I had a choice I could find an extra 30 minutes are spend 24 hours a day dead. Well I found that 30 minutes a day and added few onto it, these days I exercise 45 to 50 minutes 4 days a week. I run 2 to 2.5 miles (on a tread mill that I can very the speed and the incline so that I am running up and down hills), spend at least 15-20 minutes on resistance weight machine. Two years ago my weight was 232 pounds today my weight is 167, my diabetes is under control and my A1C test are that of a normal person. One other benefit I have gained from this program is my golf game and I have added distance to my driver, woods, and irons. My driver I have added at least 30 yards, my irons I say at least 15 to 20 yards, so as you see it going back to my opening sentence it does relate to golf in someways.

The main point I am making here is I was one of those people that said they did not have the time to get off the couch or what ever and find a few minutes each day to improve their health. Do not in any way mean for this to sound like a soap box speech I just really proud of what I have accomplish the past two years. BTW I am 62 years old, I'm just old geezer that got in better shape LOL.
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We have an announcement coming soon that we will have an amazing personal trainer and gym owner joining our forum for fitness and golf. They are great guys and will be able to answer everybody's questions as well as put together personal regimens for people.
 
Ive lost a ton of flexibility over the years and thus yardage.
 
JB said:
We have an announcement coming soon that we will have an amazing personal trainer and gym owner joining our forum for fitness and golf. They are great guys and will be able to answer everybody's questions as well as put together personal regimens for people.
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intriguing....how soon is soon?? lol

I know, I know..patience is a virtue
 
Within the next 30 days for sure.
 
IMO, there is no such thing as, "golf fitness". Good fitness is good fitness. Anything you can do to improve your strength, balance and flexibility is going to be good for your golf game.
 
Bakemono said:
IMO, there is no such thing as, "golf fitness". Good fitness is good fitness. Anything you can do to improve your strength, balance and flexibility is going to be good for your golf game.
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That is true.But there are certain things better for the golf swing then others.That's why it's called golf fitness. Dedicated to the fitness of the golf swing.
 
Bakemono said:
IMO, there is no such thing as, "golf fitness". Good fitness is good fitness. Anything you can do to improve your strength, balance and flexibility is going to be good for your golf game.
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BigLeftyinAZ said:
That is true.But there are certain things better for the golf swing then others.That's why it's called golf fitness. Dedicated to the fitness of the golf swing.
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Big Lefty is exactly right. There are tons of drills that work better for the golf game. Our fitness professional joining the site works with tons of golfers on stretching and so many other great things.
 
I am all about keeping one's legs in decent shape. I walk a lot of my golf rounds. I hike in the mountains, with and with out a back pack, where the elevation changes work a few different leg muscle groups. I take one way hikes across the open desert with my dogs. I ride a bike with my grand kids. I figure if you keep your legs in decent shape, the rest of your body won't be too far behind. As for golf, the practice, and the playing keep those muscles needed in the golf swing in shape. My problem is I have to be doing something, while exercising. I just cant go and walk two laps around our our neighborhood, or sit on some machine and work out. I need to be doing something else while exercising. I must be doing something right since I have no back (swing) problems. I have no unexplained leg problems, and my blood pressure stays in the very safe range. :comp:
 
Total body fitness is what I think works the best in golf and in every other sport etc. i.e.-crossfit, p90x, pilates, heck even martial arts/aerobics will help. I am a big believer in a full rounding out of cardio, muscle, endurance etc. Very similiar to the circuit courses/fartleks and other PT you will see in the military and police circles. Stretching and flexibility are KEY too. Typical workouts are pull-up, push-up, sit-up and other body weight excersises intensive.

I rarely even bench etc, while I use free weights occasionally. I personally like crossfit.com's stuff and the trx band system but to each his/her own. I also think you should try to run/walk/hike/something continous for at least 18 min., 3 days a week and throw in some swimming or biking on the off days in between.
 
Elliptical first thing every morning, weight machines at the gym every other day. The brand name my gym has is Strive, but there must be others. There's an eccentric cam that you can set to reach maximum stress at different places in the rotation. Supposedly, you can do three sets at different points with no rest in between. I can get through 13 machines plus my situps in about 45 minutes. There just isn't time for serious free weights any more.
 
I use my ellipitcal, stationary bike & my treadmill. But I still get pretty winded walking up some of the bigger hills, but then I remind myself it's only been 4 1/2 months since surgery & I feel better about it.

That elliptical really kicks my butt too, a lot harder than it looks to do for more than 10-15 minutes.
 
I lift a lot, mostly heavier free weights and at the beginning of the season it really effects my game. Cardio is essential, work your legs. I don't mean heavy squats or dead lifts, but put more than a token couple of minutes on the treadmill or bike. At the beginning of our season here, right around the end of March, I incorporate a ton more stretching. Throw a broom stick over your shoulders and simulate golf movements, for me that is usually pretending I am looking in the weeds for my ball or grabbing some type of beverage. I golf league on Thursdays so I don't lift then, so Wednesdays are some back and shoulders with about the same amount of time stretching my back and shoulders. I am not a good player by any means, but this seems to work for me.
 
I do standard compound lifts twice a week (barbell squats, flat bb bench, bb rows one day and bb squats, bb bicep curls and bb military press on another day + 20 minutes of cardion on those lifting days. On non-lifting days I'll do either 60 minutes of elliptical or 30 minutes elliptical/30 minutes stationary bike. I'll hit the gym 5-6 days a week. I've been on this regimen for about a year (until I tore my RC) and I've gotten a lot stronger. I used to do just isolation exercises without seeing gains in strength, but the compound lifts have really worked well for me. Nowadays, I just do bb squats, bb bicep curls, tricep presses, abs crunch (via machine) and back extension (via machine).
 
What muscle group, if there is such a thing, would most dramatically add distance to your game? I fatigue on the back nine but I've started walking to get the legs in shape. I just need about 20 more yards a stick and right now I think I have reached all the distance I'm going to get unless I find some fitness program that can help me.
 
Blue Arc said:
What muscle group, if there is such a thing, would most dramatically add distance to your game? I fatigue on the back nine but I've started walking to get the legs in shape. I just need about 20 more yards a stick and right now I think I have reached all the distance I'm going to get unless I find some fitness program that can help me.
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In my most humble of non-personal training experience, I would say it's not necessarily muscle groups but flexibility that adddistance. If you can maintain a loose, comfortable swing you will have improved distance over someone who is 'built' but has no flexibility.
 
thanks1974 said:
In my most humble of non-personal training experience, I would say it's not necessarily muscle groups but flexibility that adddistance. If you can maintain a loose, comfortable swing you will have improved distance over someone who is 'built' but has no flexibility.
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I would agree with you 100% on that. I'm no expert either but 2 years ago when I started my program I was stiff and and had lost a lot of flexibility. I feel that the exercise program I have has help me a lot in the area of flexibility and has added yards on to my clubs. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. It will be interesting to hear what the fitness expert that is joining the forum has to say.
 
Flexibility is extremely important.One of the most important areas of the golf swing will be the core area. The core supports spine angle and maintaining your posture through out you entire round.

The golf swing works from the ground up.Power comes from the legs and hips turning.We can only hit so far with upper body strength.Don't forget to incorporate the legs into the swing.
 
bama said:
I got a book about 5 months ago called "Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Golf" They give you many options for what you are trying to attain (endurance, strength, maintenance, etc..) and different work schedules (3 or 4 days per week) and different levels (1-casual to -6workout freak)
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Sounds cool...where did you get the book I like to check it out.
bama said:
just wondering what anyone else might be doing??
using a website?? or maybe a different routine from a different book??
Click to expand...

You might want to check out TPI (Titelist Performance Institute) at My TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) - Your Source for Golf Fitness, Exercises and Health . They have a lot of different golf specific exercises and there are also workouts designed for specific problems you might have in your game. I recently went to a physical trainer who was TPI certified. She did an "eleven point" test on me to see where my body was in relation to the golf swing. I think I have a bad hip and her findings supported that as my strength and flexibility was pretty good but my stability had issues and especially in my left hip (need to go get an MRI)...anyway she gave me a few TPI exercises that I have employed into my current work-out regiment and they seem to be helping...hope this info helps and keep it up because as you know "there is no instant gratification in the gym" and over time I am sure any program you are doing will help your game...:thumb:
 
I played with a friend the other day and she was hitting the ball further than she had all Summer. I commented on it and she responded that in the Summer she plays golf in all of her free time, but now that it gets darker earlier she goes to the gym and only plays on the weekend. Seems a bit backwards to me, but then again, I never go to the gym.
 
I turned 50 back in February and have tried to work more on flexability. I have felt like I has tightening up over the last couple of years so I workedon it. The days of hopping out of the car and teeing it up are gone. Even being more limber, I have to warm to be at my "best". :D
 
I'm not great about exercising, but I try to work on flexibility too. I agree - it's difficult to run to the first tee and swing.
 
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