Are you one of those golfers that are stretching out before you play or hit balls. Well check out this research that again explains that passive stretching before you play may not be the best thing for you. I always recommend warming up by performing functional movements and of course by hitting balls. And by all means do your stretching on a regular basis after your golf fitness exercise program, but not right before you play. Read the research here on my website.
Core exercises to improve golf performance are very popular these days. However it must be understood that these golf fitness exercise need to be performed without compromising the low back. This exercise focuses on gaining control of the stabilizing muscle through the lumbar spine. I must emphasize the word control. The core musculature is not designed to generate power but to control the forces that occur during violent motions such as the golf swing.
This exercise is called the bird dog, and its purpose is to teach control of the lumbar spine while moving the extremities. Move slowly and focus on control when doing this golf fitness exercise. Good Luck
The key to controlling low back pain in golfers should focus on controlling the stresses that occur at the lumbar spine during the swing. Golf specific exercises are developed to improve the golfers ability to control or stabilize the trunk. This golf fitness exercise shown below is one of the beginning de-rotation exercises I teach. It is important to learn how to control the rotational forces in the low back during the swing and you do it with this exercise. You can build neuromuscular strength and control, as well as endurance in the deep stabilizing muscle of the spine. Make sure to start with light weight and progress slowly.
We are busy these days and it’s often times hard to get those workouts in. So what do you do?
Here’s a nice way to do both strength training and a little cardio together. So let’s say you are doing 4 sets of pull-ups or bench presses. Or one of my favorite exercises, like the curl & press combo. What you do is perform the first set of the curl & press combo then immediately hop on the treadmill or track and do a 1 minute sprint. Then you return to the second set of the strength exercise. Continue alternating until you complete all 4 sets. If you want, then move on to the next strength exercise and repeat the same sequence. This is a fast moving high intensity program that you’re going to love if your short on time. Good luck!
We are always looking for increased power in the golf swing. Supersets are often used to add extra challenge to our workout as well as help in weight loss. This week I’d like to show a superset that helps build leg and core strength.
A superset is when you do 2 exercises back-to-back. Sometimes you have a little rest in-between the 2 exercises and other times you don’t. So what you may want to start with the rest method. In other words perform the first exercise for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds and then perform the second exercise for 30 seconds. Continue in the manner for 4 rounds.
An alternative to this is to perform the first exercise for 30 seconds and immediately perform the second exercise for 30 seconds & then rest for 30 seconds. So the rest is between each superset vs. each exercise. Again perform 4 rounds.
Try the first option first and if it is to easy then go to the second option.
So this superset is a push-up followed by a jump squat. You can see the pictures below & I hope to have videos of my supersets completed soon. For the jump squat you want to squat down as shown then jump up as the arms go down and back (ignore the band around the knees).
So remember to perform in good form and follow one of the above options.
The side plank is an excellent exercise that helps build trunk stability and core strength. Recently I have been utilizing a new technique that comes from the research of Stuart McGill and is also utilized by the Kettlebell expert Pavel Tsatsouline.
I also actually used the technique back in my martial arts days through the practice of breath control and the use of Chi.
Stuart McGill calls it “super stiffness” and Pavel describes it in his book The Naked Warrior (which I highly recommend) as “Zipping Up”. Essentially you develop the ability of isometrically tensing all your muscles while in a certain posture or during a certain exercise. McGill explains that this actually happens unconsciously at impact in the golf swing. Please don’t try to consciously do it, or you may have bad results. However I believe you can train this concept as you perform certain exercises such as the side plank.
As you watch the video below and then perform the exercise, I want you to try tensing your entire body when in the side plank position. From your fist, elbow, shoulder, trunk, hips and legs as you hold the position. This may take some practice, but it will give you great results. To start off, only hold the side plank for 10 seconds, and then switch to the other side. You can start with a few reps and progress up to 8-10 reps of 10 second hods.
Have fun adding super stability to your side plank!
This is a great strength exercise for all golfers, especially women that want to increase strength in their arms. Often times women want to increase the strength in the arms for an improved golf swing as well as a way to make them look better.
This exercise will not only increase strength in the arms, but also in the core, and improve balance. Greater strength and stability is a sure way to make a more powerful golf swing. Give this exercise a try. Good Luck!
You can no longer use lack of time as an excuse for not exercising! The evidence continues to come in regarding the benefits of interval training. Short sessions of daily exercise really works. I have been implementing a 20 minute methodology with many of my clients and it fits right in with their busy lives.
I want to share an article that discusses research on this topic. The interesting thing with this research is that the 20 minutes of exercise doesn’t need to be intense. Go here to read about how short term exercise can benefit your fitness. Good Luck!
I like using the foam roller with my clients for many reasons. The one thing I know for sure is that foam rolling before your stretching, and mobility work, is awesome for improving your flexibility and overall golf swing. Watch this video for a sequence of foam rolling exercises that you should do before you stretch and/or even before you head to the golf course. Good Luck!
