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Golf Fitness
Surely the average club golfer doesn't require a golf fitness program - even those with ambitions of winning their club Championship? After all... Golfers aren't athletes... right?
Make no mistake - golfers (at any level) ARE athletes and the golf swing DOES require a great deal of athleticism.
Strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness, even endurance... they're all physical traits that every consistent golfer (even the fair-weather players) must possess.
The golf industry is littered with gadgets and gimmicks for increasing accuracy and shot distance. Yet for all their claims and guarantees most remain independently unproven. Compare that to a basic golf fitness program...
Make no mistake - golfers (at any level) ARE athletes and the golf swing DOES require a great deal of athleticism.
Strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness, even endurance... they're all physical traits that every consistent golfer (even the fair-weather players) must possess.
The golf industry is littered with gadgets and gimmicks for increasing accuracy and shot distance. Yet for all their claims and guarantees most remain independently unproven. Compare that to a basic golf fitness program...
After 5 weeks of completing 5 minutes of very simple home exercises 5 times a week, golfers increased their clubhead speed by an average of 24% (1). While it could be argued that clubhead speed is only one small facet of a golfer's overall game, it is highly correlated with a player's handicap. In other words, the lower a player's handicap is, the higher their clubhead speed at impact tends to be (2). In fact, a 24% increase relates to a reduction of 4 shots off a golfer's handicap. This is just one of several studies that proves the benefits of conditioning for golf (3,4,5,6).
And the benefits of golf fitness training are not reserved for the young. Golfers aged 55-75 have also benefited from strength and flexibility training - both in terms of general health parameters and their performance on the course (3,4).
For the more serious golfers, conditioning can no longer be seen as an unnecessary add-on to their practise routine. Just as a committed amateur athlete spends time on their technique AND their fitness, so must the golfer who demands to be the best they can. There is a caveat however...
In order to improve performance in any sport, training must be specific to the demands of the game involved. Of the few golfers who do appreciate the importance of physical training, most still make the mistake of following a general fitness routine.
If you want hit every shot consistently further you need to take a different approach. Not a more complicated approach. Not a more time-consuming approach. A more golf-specific approach.
And the benefits of golf fitness training are not reserved for the young. Golfers aged 55-75 have also benefited from strength and flexibility training - both in terms of general health parameters and their performance on the course (3,4).
For the more serious golfers, conditioning can no longer be seen as an unnecessary add-on to their practise routine. Just as a committed amateur athlete spends time on their technique AND their fitness, so must the golfer who demands to be the best they can. There is a caveat however...
In order to improve performance in any sport, training must be specific to the demands of the game involved. Of the few golfers who do appreciate the importance of physical training, most still make the mistake of following a general fitness routine.
If you want hit every shot consistently further you need to take a different approach. Not a more complicated approach. Not a more time-consuming approach. A more golf-specific approach.
Golf Fitness Exercises Made Easy
Golf Fitness Exercise 1: Stair Sprinting
Anybody can lose weight; it’s no big deal. You only have to be careful about the food you eat and to make more effort than you usually do. Dieting doesn’t have to mean food deprivation and money spent on gym subscriptions. You can keep your body in shape with simple exercises that do not require gym equipment or professional advice and supervision.
A simple exercise that anybody can perform at home or the park is called Stair Sprinting. The name is pretty self explanatory. All you have to do is run up and down the stairs between several floors; the more floors, the better off you’ll be.
It’s a good idea to start small, even if you’re in a good physical condition. Run up and down four floors two times. First timers and overweight people are unlikely to manage more than two reps anyway. However, it’s no big deal if you can’t do more than two reps in the beginning. Resistance to effort is built in time. Do the two reps every other day for two weeks.
After two weeks increase the number of reps to either three or four, depending on how you feel. If you can take four reps up and down four flights of stairs, then by all means do so. If you can’t, then stick to three reps. As the weeks go by, you can add even more reps to your routine in order to increase your endurance and to really put the muscles to work.
This exercise is perfect for the legs and ass. Ladies and gents looking to build shapely asses and strong thighs ought to try stair sprinting. Having to carry your own weight up the stairs instead of flat terrain puts more stress on the muscles and helps the feet gain more endurance. However, be very careful when doing this exercise. Running up and down the stairs makes it very easy to trip or miss a step and splay an ankle. Even more serious injuries might happen if you’re not careful enough.
Anybody can lose weight; it’s no big deal. You only have to be careful about the food you eat and to make more effort than you usually do. Dieting doesn’t have to mean food deprivation and money spent on gym subscriptions. You can keep your body in shape with simple exercises that do not require gym equipment or professional advice and supervision.
A simple exercise that anybody can perform at home or the park is called Stair Sprinting. The name is pretty self explanatory. All you have to do is run up and down the stairs between several floors; the more floors, the better off you’ll be.
It’s a good idea to start small, even if you’re in a good physical condition. Run up and down four floors two times. First timers and overweight people are unlikely to manage more than two reps anyway. However, it’s no big deal if you can’t do more than two reps in the beginning. Resistance to effort is built in time. Do the two reps every other day for two weeks.
After two weeks increase the number of reps to either three or four, depending on how you feel. If you can take four reps up and down four flights of stairs, then by all means do so. If you can’t, then stick to three reps. As the weeks go by, you can add even more reps to your routine in order to increase your endurance and to really put the muscles to work.
This exercise is perfect for the legs and ass. Ladies and gents looking to build shapely asses and strong thighs ought to try stair sprinting. Having to carry your own weight up the stairs instead of flat terrain puts more stress on the muscles and helps the feet gain more endurance. However, be very careful when doing this exercise. Running up and down the stairs makes it very easy to trip or miss a step and splay an ankle. Even more serious injuries might happen if you’re not careful enough.
Golf Fitness Exercise 2: Sit-Ups
Getting up in the morning and going straight to work or other chores can be a bore. There are days when one simply doesn’t feel like getting out of bed. And this is where exercising can actually help you with a kick start. A quick workout session at the beginning of the day can do wonders for your health, especially if you’re also trying to lose weight.
Sit-ups are one of those exercises that can be performed at home. To perform sit-ups you need to lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees at 90 degrees. Then, you have to sit up without moving your legs at all. It is very important not to use your leg muscles to balance the body, compensate or supplement the effort made by the abdominal muscles or you will get no benefit from this exercise.
You may want to perform the exercise on a workout mat or pad in order to make it easier on your back. Some people find it uncomfortable when the lower back bones press into a hardwood floor, which is why mats and pads are recommended. However, if you want sit-ups to be fully effective, you should coupled them with
generic cardio exercises, such as running, which will lower the overall body fat and leave the abs exposed. If you experience lower back pain, you should stop performing sit-ups and settle for crunches or other exercises that do not involve lower back movement.
This exercise will help you get those cool looking abdominals that everybody wants to show off. Today, both men and women are eager to acquire that “tough to the core” look that a well defined six-pack gives. It’s a sign of a body kept well in hand and of a strong will behind it.
Getting up in the morning and going straight to work or other chores can be a bore. There are days when one simply doesn’t feel like getting out of bed. And this is where exercising can actually help you with a kick start. A quick workout session at the beginning of the day can do wonders for your health, especially if you’re also trying to lose weight.
Sit-ups are one of those exercises that can be performed at home. To perform sit-ups you need to lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees at 90 degrees. Then, you have to sit up without moving your legs at all. It is very important not to use your leg muscles to balance the body, compensate or supplement the effort made by the abdominal muscles or you will get no benefit from this exercise.
You may want to perform the exercise on a workout mat or pad in order to make it easier on your back. Some people find it uncomfortable when the lower back bones press into a hardwood floor, which is why mats and pads are recommended. However, if you want sit-ups to be fully effective, you should coupled them with
generic cardio exercises, such as running, which will lower the overall body fat and leave the abs exposed. If you experience lower back pain, you should stop performing sit-ups and settle for crunches or other exercises that do not involve lower back movement.
This exercise will help you get those cool looking abdominals that everybody wants to show off. Today, both men and women are eager to acquire that “tough to the core” look that a well defined six-pack gives. It’s a sign of a body kept well in hand and of a strong will behind it.
Golf Fitness Exercise 3: Push-Ups
Everybody understands push ups and sit-ups. They’re simple, straightforward exercises. But to get a shapely and fit looking body you need to get beyond the simpler exercises and put more muscles to work. Dieting can only take you half way through to your goal. The rest has to come from exercises that burn out fat and build stronger muscles.
So, one good exercise that can be easily performed at home by anyone is the squat thrusts. In order to perform squat thrusts, you have to put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the legs stretched, just like in the
normal push up position. From this position, you must bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending the knees and thrusting forward. The third step is to return your legs to the original position with the same quick,
powerful movements.
The exercise can be performed by bringing the right leg forward, in a position that resembles that of a runner at the start line. Then, thrust both legs simultaneously, the right leg going back and the left leg coming forward to replace the right one. And thrust again, bringing the right leg forward and pushing the left leg back.
This exercise is meant to work out the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, with some benefits for the triceps. Be careful not to trip and fall and make sure your hands are firmly keeping the whole body in the correct position.
Perform some 15-20 reps every workout session and you’ll be showing some great legs to anyone who cares to look. Ladies are impressed by men with muscular legs and asses and you don’t need me to tell you how men feel about women with good-looking legs.
Remember that exercises must be helped by keeping a close eye on the food intake. Junk food, sodas and snacks have to go and fruits, vegetables and other nutritional and healthy foods must take their place.
Everybody understands push ups and sit-ups. They’re simple, straightforward exercises. But to get a shapely and fit looking body you need to get beyond the simpler exercises and put more muscles to work. Dieting can only take you half way through to your goal. The rest has to come from exercises that burn out fat and build stronger muscles.
So, one good exercise that can be easily performed at home by anyone is the squat thrusts. In order to perform squat thrusts, you have to put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the legs stretched, just like in the
normal push up position. From this position, you must bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending the knees and thrusting forward. The third step is to return your legs to the original position with the same quick,
powerful movements.
The exercise can be performed by bringing the right leg forward, in a position that resembles that of a runner at the start line. Then, thrust both legs simultaneously, the right leg going back and the left leg coming forward to replace the right one. And thrust again, bringing the right leg forward and pushing the left leg back.
This exercise is meant to work out the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, with some benefits for the triceps. Be careful not to trip and fall and make sure your hands are firmly keeping the whole body in the correct position.
Perform some 15-20 reps every workout session and you’ll be showing some great legs to anyone who cares to look. Ladies are impressed by men with muscular legs and asses and you don’t need me to tell you how men feel about women with good-looking legs.
Remember that exercises must be helped by keeping a close eye on the food intake. Junk food, sodas and snacks have to go and fruits, vegetables and other nutritional and healthy foods must take their place.
Golf Fitness Exercise 4: Squat Thrusts
Everybody understands push ups and sit-ups. They’re simple, straightforward exercises. But to get a shapely and fit looking body you need to get beyond the simpler exercises and put more muscles to work. Dieting can only take you half way through to your goal. The rest has to come from exercises that burn out fat and build stronger muscles.
So, one good exercise that can be easily performed at home by anyone is the squat thrusts. In order to perform squat thrusts, you have to put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the legs stretched, just like in the normal push up position. From this position, you must bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending the knees and thrusting forward. The third step is to return your legs to the original position with the same quick, powerful movements.
The exercise can be performed by bringing the right leg forward, in a position that resembles that of a runner at the start line. Then, thrust both legs simultaneously, the right leg going back and the left leg coming forward to replace the right one. And thrust again, bringing the right leg forward and pushing the left leg back.
This exercise is meant to work out the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, with some benefits for the triceps. Be careful not to trip and fall and make sure your hands are firmly keeping the whole body in the correct position.
Perform some 15-20 reps every workout session and you’ll be showing some great legs to anyone who cares to look. Ladies are impressed by men with muscular legs and asses and you don’t need me to tell you how men feel about women with good-looking legs.
Remember that exercises must be helped by keeping a close eye on the food intake. Junk food, sodas and snacks have to go and fruits, vegetables and other nutritional and healthy foods must take their place.
Everybody understands push ups and sit-ups. They’re simple, straightforward exercises. But to get a shapely and fit looking body you need to get beyond the simpler exercises and put more muscles to work. Dieting can only take you half way through to your goal. The rest has to come from exercises that burn out fat and build stronger muscles.
So, one good exercise that can be easily performed at home by anyone is the squat thrusts. In order to perform squat thrusts, you have to put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the legs stretched, just like in the normal push up position. From this position, you must bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending the knees and thrusting forward. The third step is to return your legs to the original position with the same quick, powerful movements.
The exercise can be performed by bringing the right leg forward, in a position that resembles that of a runner at the start line. Then, thrust both legs simultaneously, the right leg going back and the left leg coming forward to replace the right one. And thrust again, bringing the right leg forward and pushing the left leg back.
This exercise is meant to work out the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, with some benefits for the triceps. Be careful not to trip and fall and make sure your hands are firmly keeping the whole body in the correct position.
Perform some 15-20 reps every workout session and you’ll be showing some great legs to anyone who cares to look. Ladies are impressed by men with muscular legs and asses and you don’t need me to tell you how men feel about women with good-looking legs.
Remember that exercises must be helped by keeping a close eye on the food intake. Junk food, sodas and snacks have to go and fruits, vegetables and other nutritional and healthy foods must take their place.
References
1) Fradkin AJ, Sherman CA, Finch CF. Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme. Br J Sports Med. 2004 Dec;38(6):762-5
2) Fradkin AJ, Sherman CA, Finch CF. How well does club head speed correlate with golf handicaps? J Sci Med Sport. 2004 Dec;7(4):465-72
3) Hetu FE, Christie CA, Faigenbaum AD. Effects of conditioning on physical fitness and club head speed in mature golfers. Percept Mot Skills. 1998 Jun;86(3 Pt 1):811-5
4) Thompson CJ, Osness WH. Effects of an 8-week multimodal exercise program on strength, flexibility, and golf performance in 55- to 79-year-old men. J Aging Phys Act. 2004 Apr;12(2):144-56
5) Fletcher IM, Hartwell M. Effect of an 8-week combined weights and plyometrics training program on golf drive performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Feb;18(1):59-62
6) Doan BK, Newton RU, Kwon YH, Kraemer WJ. Effects of physical conditioning on intercollegiate golfer performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Feb;20(1):62-72
1) Fradkin AJ, Sherman CA, Finch CF. Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme. Br J Sports Med. 2004 Dec;38(6):762-5
2) Fradkin AJ, Sherman CA, Finch CF. How well does club head speed correlate with golf handicaps? J Sci Med Sport. 2004 Dec;7(4):465-72
3) Hetu FE, Christie CA, Faigenbaum AD. Effects of conditioning on physical fitness and club head speed in mature golfers. Percept Mot Skills. 1998 Jun;86(3 Pt 1):811-5
4) Thompson CJ, Osness WH. Effects of an 8-week multimodal exercise program on strength, flexibility, and golf performance in 55- to 79-year-old men. J Aging Phys Act. 2004 Apr;12(2):144-56
5) Fletcher IM, Hartwell M. Effect of an 8-week combined weights and plyometrics training program on golf drive performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Feb;18(1):59-62
6) Doan BK, Newton RU, Kwon YH, Kraemer WJ. Effects of physical conditioning on intercollegiate golfer performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Feb;20(1):62-72
