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Weightlifting's Effect on the Golf Swing


JD616
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First,some background information:

15 years old

5 foot 7

190 lbs

Lift 3-4 times per week

Hit about 500 balls per week

My stepfather thinks that by lifting I am going to lose flexibility in my swing. I told him that as long as I stretch before and after my flexibility will not be hindered, but rather increased as a result.

What I do on days I lift:

Exercise             Weight            Reps                         Sets

Full Squat              275                 7                              4

Bench                   150                  10                            3

Incline                    135                 8                              3

Tricep Pushdown       150             10                              3

Single Arm Ext.        40                15                              4

Dumbbell Press         55                10                             4

Front Squat             185                 8                             3

Core Workout for 15 minutes, then 15 minutes of jump rope

After this I stretch extensively for about 15 minutes.

Anybody think this will hinder my flexibility, and if so what should I change?

Thanks,

Josh

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As long as you work on maintaining your flexibility, weight lifting will not reduce flexibility.

Think of it this way…

Muscle mass does not by itself reduce flexibility; it might hinder your range of motion, but not flexibility. And by range of motion being reduced I’m talking about muscle mass on the scale of pro bodybuilding.

Have you ever seen an inflexible male gymnast? Those guys are jacked and flexible.

"Every man is his own hell" - H.L. Mencken

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Well i would control the muscle gain by intake of protein. your still going to grow in height, so not sure if you'll lean out or bulk up. But i wouldn't want to become huge. If anything, go to circuit training and military style training. Its more using the body weight, and putting cardio and training together.

I would just pace it and see how it goes. But most weight lifting will help the swing with stability. Squats are great for power, as well as core training. I would do complex exercises over isolated exercises..

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Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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  • 3 weeks later...


Originally Posted by saevel25

Well i would control the muscle gain by intake of protein. your still going to grow in height, so not sure if you'll lean out or bulk up. But i wouldn't want to become huge. If anything, go to circuit training and military style training. Its more using the body weight, and putting cardio and training together.

I would just pace it and see how it goes. But most weight lifting will help the swing with stability. Squats are great for power, as well as core training. I would do complex exercises over isolated exercises..


I agree. Circuit training, boot camps, and complex exercises like squats, that work multiple body parts, will build your endurance, overall strength, balance, and mobility.  But if you hit the weights stick with medium to light weight (don't got heavy), with high reps (10-12), slow and controlled.  If you injure yourself in the gym guess how much that will effect your swing.  Don't focus on the amount of weight, focus on the intensity of the effort.

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You can get pretty large without having to worry about loss of flexibility as long as you incorporate stretching, yoga and full range of motion exercises into your workouts.  If you maintain higher reps you will also increase strength and muscle endurance without building alot of mass.  Focus more on properly executing an exercise rather than the number of plates you throw on a bar.

Joe Paradiso

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Originally Posted by Eloh

I agree. Circuit training, boot camps, and complex exercises like squats, that work multiple body parts, will build your endurance, overall strength, balance, and mobility.  But if you hit the weights stick with medium to light weight (don't got heavy), with high reps (10-12), slow and controlled.  If you injure yourself in the gym guess how much that will effect your swing.  Don't focus on the amount of weight, focus on the intensity of the effort.


I don't mean to be tough with this, but please define "heavy" for weight.  If I'm bench pressing, what constitutes going too heavy on weight?  I'm 5'9, 155 lbs, give or take.  Would a 125 lb bench press be too heavy, too light (assuming one can do it), or just about right?

I used to hear "don't go heavy" and stayed under 15 lbs on weights.  I think that's clearly too light.

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Probably the number of reps you can do.  If you can do 12 or more reps probably not heavy weight.  I did notice the posted workout might benefit from some rows or other rotator cuff strengthening.  My explorations seem to indicate doing sets working opposing muscle groups and doing a stretch of the muscle group worked ,while you rest, between sets helps maintain or even increase flexibility.  For example work tricepts, stretch, work bicepts, stretch, repeat.  Strength gains would not be as great, but I think for golf this makes sense.

Originally Posted by Shindig

I don't mean to be tough with this, but please define "heavy" for weight.  If I'm bench pressing, what constitutes going too heavy on weight?  I'm 5'9, 155 lbs, give or take.  Would a 125 lb bench press be too heavy, too light (assuming one can do it), or just about right?

I used to hear "don't go heavy" and stayed under 15 lbs on weights.  I think that's clearly too light.



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Originally Posted by Shindig

I don't mean to be tough with this, but please define "heavy" for weight.  If I'm bench pressing, what constitutes going too heavy on weight?  I'm 5'9, 155 lbs, give or take.  Would a 125 lb bench press be too heavy, too light (assuming one can do it), or just about right?

I used to hear "don't go heavy" and stayed under 15 lbs on weights.  I think that's clearly too light.


With the Bench Press, I would say that heavy weight is something you can only do 6-8 reps with or less.  Around 10 is medium and 12 or more is light. I tend to do my 3 sets Flat, 3 Sets Incline, and another 3 Decline.  But some times I do pyrimids on flat bench which turns out to be atleast 5 sets. Pyrimids involves heavy weight and medium weight so I don't suggest those for you situation.  I suggest 10 reps or higher for your goals with golf. More than 3 sets may be neccessary for light weight.

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I consider heavy weight to be anything you can't lift more than 6 times cleanly.  I also don't subscribe to reps over 10 (12 max) except for some muscles groups like abs.  If you maintain stretching and flexibility routines in your workouts you'll be able to get pretty big and strong without sacrificing flexibility.  Take a look at some of the long drive champions and you'll see some pretty large guys that can hit the ball a ton.

Joe Paradiso

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If you want a workout that kicks your ass

20 seconds on

15 seconds off

20 seconds on

15 seconds off

20 seconds on

As many reps as you can. Do things like, squats with lateral raises, chest flies while balancing on one leg. Lat pullovers while doing glut raises.

Get about 10 exercises there, and you will be crying for it to be over. It puts your body through so much of a workout, balancing, resistance, endurance. It kicks the crap out of normal weight lifting. I will never go back to the typical weightlifting, its just weak compared to what i do now. I feel more in balance, more functional strength than i ever did.

When you can swing a golf club, and your back foot slips due to it being weigh out and you can balance on your left leg and complete the swing. With a 115 mph driver swing. the results show.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
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I think its called Tabata training, its mixes the cardio into the weightlifting since you are trying to do as many reps as possible..

Though sometimes is hard just to throw in some smooth reps in there, like pushups as steady as possible, just to change it up.. But mostly this is as many as possible..

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
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Originally Posted by newtogolf

I consider heavy weight to be anything you can't lift more than 6 times cleanly.  I also don't subscribe to reps over 10 (12 max) except for some muscles groups like abs.  If you maintain stretching and flexibility routines in your workouts you'll be able to get pretty big and strong without sacrificing flexibility.  Take a look at some of the long drive champions and you'll see some pretty large guys that can hit the ball a ton.



I don't agree with this you seem to be equating reps of six or less as heavy weight?  I think the consensus is that lower weights with more reps increases indurance more, strength less, and is less likely to impair flexibility. Most  research encourages reps of 8-12 to maximize strength, 12-16 for toning and indurance.  Body builders may only do 3-6, which maximizes muscle size but does not maximize strength and is more likely to impair flexibility.

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Originally Posted by allin

I don't agree with this you seem to be equating reps of six or less as heavy weight?  I think the consensus is that lower weights with more reps increases indurance more, strength less, and is less likely to impair flexibility. Most  research encourages reps of 8-12 to maximize strength, 12-16 for toning and indurance.  Body builders may only do 3-6, which maximizes muscle size but does not maximize strength and is more likely to impair flexibility.

We can agree to disagree, but look at workout routines for powerlifters you'll see most don't exceed 6 reps.  Also, if you're actually increasing muscle size, you're increasing strength (one doesn't happen without the other).  Most body builders do mass movements designed to increase mass, and isolation exercises designed to hit specific muscles and muscle areas - two different purposes.  For example, they might do barball EZ Curls with high weight and low reps to increase the overall size of their biceps but also do concentration curls or preacher curls to help their bicep peak or split.

I don't know what research you use, but as a former certified personal trainer, I can tell you first hand that if you want maximum strength gains keep your reps to less than 8, I prefer 6.  As for flexibility, until you get to massive proportions, large muscles to not impair flexibility, lack of proper stretching does.  There are 260+ pound body builders that can do a split, there are some that can barely turn their head, it all depends on how much effort they put into maintaining flexibility.    Many bodybuilders now incorporate yoga into their workouts to maintain their flexibility.  Male gymnasts are typically pretty musclular guys, and the most flexible you'll see, so not sure where you're getting your information from.

Joe Paradiso

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Wow!!    Everyone is not the same.  Here is a test that you can do to determine your muscle fiber type.  This is simplified so you would have to do some searching to determine which lifts are the ones you would need to do the test with

Quote:
Determine your one repetition maximum (1RM) on an exercise
Rest for 15 minutes
Perform as many repetitions as possible with 85% of your 1RM

Analysis
Less than 5 repetitions - fast twitch (FT) dominant
5 repetitions - mixed fibre type
more than 5 repetitions - slow twitch (ST) dominant

If you are FT dominant, then you should use heavier loads and lower repetitions predominantly in your training. ST dominant individuals, on the other hand, will respond better to lighter loads and higher repetition

And your muscles won't grow if you aren't getting stronger....come on people.  If you are building size your strength is going up.  How many of the monsters at your gym, the ones that everyone eyes as they walk around, only bench 125?

As to the original question, just work in stretching and flexibility work as already mentioned and you will be fine.

Bryan A
"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same"

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Yes they build size, but alot of people wont see the bulk as fat goes away as well. It took me a year to see deinition in my arms when i flexed them. I am finally getting to see some resemblence of abs. I still got ways to go on loosing fat though. But my body size hasn't increase much at all. But i know i am stronger...

So its hard to tell, best way is to get a body compisition, if your muscle mass increased you gained muscle.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
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Originally Posted by saevel25

Yes they build size, but alot of people wont see the bulk as fat goes away as well. It took me a year to see deinition in my arms when i flexed them. I am finally getting to see some resemblence of abs. I still got ways to go on loosing fat though. But my body size hasn't increase much at all. But i know i am stronger...

So its hard to tell, best way is to get a body compisition, if your muscle mass increased you gained muscle.


I see what you are saying....but if you are getting stronger, you are building muscle...there is no way around it.

Bryan A
"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same"

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I was a pro-fighter and even though I'm just teaching now, I still regularly go to the gym and lift heavy weights + cardio to maintain my shape.

I find that I don't lose my flexibility, if anything, I'm still getting stronger.

And now that my swing and ball striking is at a lvl that I'm quite happy with... for now... it shows how much my muscles really help me with long distance shots.

If anything, I think that stamina is more important. At least for me right now.

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