TST Staff Gets "Fit for Golf" (App) With Mike Carroll

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, Shindig said:

Two questions, if you don't mind.

What brand soft medicine ball do you have?  

For substitution, I am on the "enter stats" page (where I see 'substitute') and the menu appears to be everything.  I am looking to substitute for Kettlebell Swing, which is today's exercise... swing produces no results, kettlebell produces a lot with the kettlebell.  Am I doing this wrong? Yes, I was doing this wrong.  Substitutions were in the description!

In any case, I have a kettlebell on order (placed the order this morning) and I should have looked into this substitution before my workout, not during.  

I'm still very pleased that I can do a vast majority of these workouts with equipment I already had (and much of what I'm missing is likely things other people have around already, like the kettlebell).  I hope no one reading views my bunch of questions as anything bad, seeing as how many questions I don't need to ask because I have the equipment and a great video (often with multiple angles) showing me what to do.  One week in, I am very pleased with this app.

I think we got it at Dick’s. My wife is going to check and I’ll get back to you.

[Shindig]

8 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

I think we got it at Dick’s. My wife is going to check and I’ll get back to you.

Thanks.  The ones I find keep either saying they aren't for throwing against walls or aren't for slamming and I'd rather get one that is okay for both.

[Shindig]

I also asked the question about medicine balls to Mike C and heard back.  I've sent a few questions in in the past few days and he's really good about responding to emails, both in content and promptness.  

Apologies to @boogieliciousfor bothering you (and your wife) with this.  In retrospect, of course questions about this should go to Mike C. 

[Shindig]

I have now (well, as of yesterday) completed "In Season Workout"s 1-3, which I believe means I go back to in-season #1 on Tuesday or Wednesday.  The workouts are fantastic, although I did have to do some substitutions while I wait for some supplies to arrive (I have ordered a kettlebell and a slamable medicine ball), so I think the workouts will get better when I am able to do them as intended.  Sometime in the past week, but after the first or second workout, I measured my driver swing speed with two range balls -- 91 and 93 mph, respectively (I hit a third and the radar said 135, which I can assure you is incorrect).   I believe I should measure my 7-iron swing speed too, before too long -- maybe I'll do that today (I can do that at home).   I'll also re-measure the two periodically throughout the next few months. 

I had some soreness after the first two works, which confused me at first -- it wasn't as though I had been neglecting strength exercise already, and I certainly didn't neglect moving around regularly... but it does show I was neglecting some muscles.  Sometimes my workouts prior to having the FFG plan were things like "I feel like doing bench press today" rather than anything planned.  FFG's workouts are much better than this, both for progress and to make sure we get the workout we need.

In any case, I am very happy with this app and will be converting from the one-month plan (which I signed up for initially) to the full year.  I will probably switch to off-season in October, or whenever my schedule gets to the point where practice becomes a lot more common than playing (which, historically, was around October).  

I realize this thread was for TST Staff using the app, so I hope it's okay that I'm posting updates here -- I can move this to a different thread if that's preferred. 

[boogielicious]

Keep posting @Shindig

[Shindig]

I didn't work out for the past six days... in part because I played golf three of the last four.  Of course, I'm doing the in-season workouts, so I should have worked out at least on that day in between.   I mean, the ability to do the workout and play golf the next day is part of the reason for the in-season workouts, I believe (I'll check on that before I write my review). 

Today I did in-season workout #2.  There are three that you rotate, so this was my fifth workout in the system, second time doing this particular one... first time doing it with the right equipment, as I didn't have a kettlebell or a medicine ball that I could throw against a wall.  I have since acquired both... in fact, the medicine ball was needed for supersets 2 & 3, and arrived while I was working on superset 1.  Great timing, FedEx!   

I am really enjoying this system and I think I am getting a lot out of it.  I am able to do everything in my garage, although today was my first time (ever) throwing a medicine ball against a wall and I got a little self conscious wondering if the neighbors could hear and if I was bothering them.  We don't share garage walls (I briefly went outside and threw the ball against the shared wall between our yards for this exercise, then decided I'd use my non-shared garage wall instead, especially since the rest of my exercise equipment, including the television set tuned to Golf Channel, were in there). 

Yesterday, my final hole of the day, I blasted a 254 yard drive right down the middle of the fairway.  I can't say for certain I wouldn't have hit the same thing without six prior workouts from Fit for Golf, but that was one of the ten longest drives of my life.   My push cart even tried to veer off into the trees where I usually hit on that hole, and then to the fairway where I used to hit when I hit it well... but no, my ball was 50 yards closer to the green than that spot .  And sitting pretty in the middle of the fairway, nothing but grass between me and the hole. 

Anyway, I am going to do two more workouts -- #3 on Tuesday and #1 on Thursday or Friday, and then I'm going to write a review.  I have some notes already, but I want to have done the main in-season workouts each with the right equipment before I do so, since, as much as I liked the ones when I was doing substitutions, I wanted to review the main suggestions and didn't want this to be like some recipes we see online where a review says "I didn't have chicken broth, so I substituted Gatorade and it didn't taste good."  

Except these workouts were good even with substitutions (and the substitutions were far more appropriate than the recipe comparison from the previous paragraph), such as swinging a dumbbell instead of a kettlebell.  So those are good for anyone considering it but who might not have a full gym at home, or who might not want to try a golf-focused routine at a commercial gym. 

[Shindig]

I did in-season #3 today, my second time on that one... which is also the second time I've done it with all the equipment (it didn't require anything I didn't already have).   I made the poor decision to have a snack during the workout of two hard-boiled eggs and had to sit down for a bit, but I re-warmed up and continued.  

Friday I will do in-season #1 with all the equipment and I will be writing a review shortly thereafter.

[boogielicious]

4 minutes ago, Shindig said:

I did in-season #3 today, my second time on that one... which is also the second time I've done it with all the equipment (it didn't require anything I didn't already have).   I made the poor decision to have a snack during the workout of two hard-boiled eggs and had to sit down for a bit, but I re-warmed up and continued.  

Friday I will do in-season #1 with all the equipment and I will be writing a review shortly thereafter.

Check out Mobility 1 and Mobility Golf Flex too. They are quick routines.

[Shindig]

4 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Check out Mobility 1 and Mobility Golf Flex too. They are quick routines.

For days off in between or in addition on workout days?

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Shindig said:

For days off in between or in addition on workout days?

Both. They’re short, maybe 10 minutes. I’ve done them before practice and playing and after. Mobility 1 is a compilation of some of the other warmup stretches. GolfFlex is more specific to your swing.

[Shindig]

3 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Both. They’re short, maybe 10 minutes. I’ve done them before practice and playing and after. Mobility 1 is a compilation of some of the other warmup stretches. GolfFlex is more specific to your swing.

Thank you, I'll check them out.

[Shindig]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:47 PM, Shindig said:

Friday I will do in-season #1 with all the equipment and I will be writing a review shortly thereafter.

I am really enjoying these, and did finish this today.  I am also getting these done quicker as I get used to the exercises (and I spend less time watching the video, although I do still go through them with my workout, especially the warm-ups). 

In the past two rounds, I have had three drives that are in my lifetime top ten distance wise (two of which hit the fairway more than 240 out, the third was first cut at 266 yards out but led to a birdie).  There are a few factors in play.  I'm not saying two and a half weeks of Fit for Golf will help you with these drives, but I bet they had a part in the improvement.  8

[Shindig]

My plan was to watch the British Open in my garage while doing the workout, but I planted on the couch through the whole thing.  

As soon as Cam had his official ceremony on the green, I went into the garage and did in-season workout choice #2.  

During the tournament (but not during my workout, obviously) I wrote more of my review, which I'd say is 80-90% written at this point, and I have notes for the rest.  

@iacas, would you prefer I post it here when I'm done or would you prefer this goes into a Member Review?  I figure conceptually this fits into the latter, but I think that forum is more for sponsored or official reviews.

[Shindig]

In season workout choice #3.   This one is an interesting place for me -- the main bar exercises in this are two things I hadn't heard of before FFG, and are now among my favorite bar exercises. 

[boogielicious]

I did In Season 2 yesterday followed by Mobility 1 and GolfFlex. The later two routines are a good cool down two and take 15 minutes.

[boogielicious]

Mike added a new series of In-Season workouts. I did In-Season Phase 1 workout A. Lighter load with power/speed exercises and only two sets per grouping. He also came up with a new warmup mobility group he recommends to do everyday. I did it a couple of days ago and as the warmup for this session.

[Shindig]

I meant to do the In Season Phase 2 this morning (I assume Phase 1 is what I have been doing, but I didn't check).  However, a combination of late start and having to follow a new warm-up routine meant I didn't get past the warm-up (it was a really late start).  Oops.  I'll get there.

On the bright side, I now know what @boogieliciouswas referencing about the warm-up Mike (not me) does every morning.  I enjoyed that warm-up and may adapt it as a daily thing.  It doesn't take that long (once you know what to do) and doesn't require any equipment.  

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Shindig said:

I meant to do the In Season Phase 2 this morning (I assume Phase 1 is what I have been doing, but I didn't check).  However, a combination of late start and having to follow a new warm-up routine meant I didn't get past the warm-up (it was a really late start).  Oops.  I'll get there.

On the bright side, I now know what @boogieliciouswas referencing about the warm-up Mike (not me) does every morning.  I enjoyed that warm-up and may adapt it as a daily thing.  It doesn't take that long (once you know what to do) and doesn't require any equipment.  

He changed the whole In-Season protocol. It’s less heavy lifting and more speed and power.