Exercise on the Side

[Ole_Tom_Morris]

It had nothing to do with golf.   It started because of riding a bicycle.

First, Bicycling magazine had all those articles talking about "the core" and doing planks including side planks.  Then, I was having trouble getting my leg over the bike when I was tired.  So early this year I started a couple of exercises I never tried before.

First there were leg raises.  You know leg raises, the kind of thing ladies do in a class, lying on their sides on the floor and raising the top leg?  Leg raises, I figured, would help me get on the bicycle better and faster, with no dragging of my leg across the seat,  And done standing on one leg, ought to help my balance.  So I did leg raises, standing and lying down.  When I read in bed, I'd do sets of 50-100 of the things.  Guess what--the whole side of the glutes got hard as a rock.  I never understood how karatekas could throw those side kicks;  when I tried it, my leg felt like it was going to drop off;  no more!

Instead of side planks, I put one hand against the kitchen cabinet, body inclining sideways about 45 degrees, and did crunches, sets of 20-50-100.  Some crunches lower down, hand on a chair seat.  Really put the definition into the muscles to the sides of the six pack.  (O.k., it's more like a 2-pack.)   Why did I ever think sit-ups and crunches were enough for the abs?

And did you guess?   Both those exercises have a lot to do with muscles used in golf.  Swing feels easier and more powerful now.