How Many Times Do You Hit the Gym for Strength Training?

[DoGolf Jonathan]

Setting cardio aside, I'm just curious to know how many days a week you golfers out there hit the gym regularlyand for strength training/weight lifting.  Is such a thing as going to the gym too much that it affects your swing because your muscles are fatigued. What are some of your thoughts and stats?  For me:

Age: 30

Weightlifting/StrengthTraining: 4-5 times a week

THANKS!

[uttexas]

For a competitive golfer, a golf specific exercise program, heavy weightlifting/strength training 5 days per week is too much. However, for a recreational golfer and overall fitness 5 days a week of lifting/strength training is good for you--as long as you are giving muscle groups days off.

[DoGolf Jonathan]

Great - I would consider myself a recreational golf, so I'm okay.  Also, I am definitely giving myself different muscles rest and rotating them.

[Zeph]

Age: 25 Weightlifting 3 times a week Don't do it for the golf, though it probably won't hurt.

[Yukari]

I lift 3 days/wk and cardio 4 days/wk.  I NEVER on the day I am playing golf.  Screws up my swing.

[DoGolf Jonathan]

Yukari, I completely agree - I NEVER on golf days unless it is after the round.  But by then, I'm just knocked out from the 18 holes.

Originally Posted by Yukari

I lift 3 days/wk and cardio 4 days/wk.  I NEVER on the day I am playing golf.  Screws up my swing.

[Zeph]

I prefer training on the same day as I play golf. Never had problems with being too worn out after a workout. The good thing about it is that I can let the body rest on the following day. Playing 18 holes the day before a workout will often affect my results.

[Beukes]

If I carry my own bag on any of my two days of competitive golf per week, I will spent only 60 minutes in the gym before the round. If I take a caddie on one or both those two rounds, I will do my normal 90 minute workout - I have never felt too tired afterwards to swing properly. Actually, it is the other way around - my muscles feel supple and ready to go after a proper workout. Carrying one's own bag after a workout does take a toll though - that's why only 60 minutes if that is the case.

I do the normal 90 minute workout after my weekly practice round, which is early morning, when the course is empty and one can have a solid practice round over 18 holes in under 3 and a half hours.

I do all five basic muscle groups (legs, chest, arms [biceps & triceps], lats and abs), 4 x 15 reps, 70 percent power, five days per week. I only do two cardio sessions per week, on the two remaining days, normally per super circuit.

Bulky muscles don't work for golf, so I work on toning, suppleness and moderate strength, rather than straight power.

I make time for at least 10 minutes proper stretching after a workout, especially on quads, hamstrings, calves and lats.

So, basically I go to gym every day of the week, but I cut back slightly on my two days of competitive golf.

[saevel25]

I do circtuit training 3 days a week with free weights. I run two days a week..

[bunkerputt]

I've been hitting weights for 24 years now.  I'm 34.  I get to the gym 3 times a week and do golf specific stretching/yoga-like movements, planks and some light core on off days.  When I'm at the gym, I mix it up.  I don't want to get bulky anymore.  Several years ago, I was 240 with 19.5 inch arms.  Now I'm around 220 with a little over 17 inch arms....much easier to swing around your body than those salamis I used to have.  Back is stronger, legs are much much stronger.  Core is firm.  Mobility is way better.  All much better for golf.  It means that when I do curls, I don't grab the 75's for 9 reps.  I get the 35's or lighter, balance on a swiss ball, and do 25-30 focusing on maintaining good posture.  I still hit it hard, just hard in a different way.  When I was pushing up around 9 reps with heavy weight, I was too exhausted and lacked the endurance required to play golf.  My workouts and golf game tended to fight each other a lot.  Now they compliment quite nicely.  I also changed the way that I lift the weights.  I used to explode a lot, now I focus more on starting off slowly and accelerating gradually, feeling the weight as I press it.  That has helped my game tremendously by keeping my muscles healthy and training my mind to not over-exert force too quickly, which is disaster in golf.

[The_Pharaoh]

Age: 37. 3-4 times a week. 30 mins on the treadmill every day building up speed, then 45-60 mins weights Mon and Thurs upper body, Tues and Fri lower body. Wed and weekends off to recuperate.

I always go to the gym AFTER a round, never before. It completely throws my swing off. Any other time I'm fine as I continue to play and hit balls.

If only I was as disciplined with the diet. Need to lose between 40-50 lbs.

[saevel25]

See i like working out before golfing, because it loosens up my body..

[slabm7]

Age 31 Lift heavy 3 times a week in the offseason. I don't lift much during the summer golf season but come October I start working out. I currently weight 205 and am not worried about getting to bulky for golf. As long as I use proper form and a full range of motion on my lifts then it will help with flexibility and explosive power. If you look at Tiger and Camillo, both are relatively decent sized guys and have obviously lifted for size in he past and it doesn't seem to be affecting them.

[Zeph]

Age 31 If you look at Tiger and Camillo, both are relatively decent sized guys and have obviously lifted for size in he past and it doesn't seem to be affecting them.

Judging by the performance of both the last couple of years, it might do. :-P

[glock35ipsc]

Age 41.

Lift 3x a week, nothing golf specific.  No cardio needed In the spring and fall, and on cooler summer evenings, I do my workouts outside.  I have various strongman-type implements like a climbing rope, farmers walk bars, t-handles, various size kegs, a t-bar rowing bar, chinning and dipping bars, etc.

When it' cold and snowy, we (wife and I) workout in our basement gym.  We hardly ever used the 1000 sq/ft family room down there, so we turned it into a well equipped gym.  No excuse to miss a workout ever!

[WUTiger]

About three weeks ago I completed Workout #18 (final) of my first batch of Titleist Performance Institute workouts.

I got a TPI swing and fitness analysis, and began the workouts in late August. The TPI workouts took about 2.5 hours each just for the scheduled routines (plus warm-up before and then cool-down). Routines were a mix of strength training, stability, pilates, and physical therapy moves. Workout schedule varied day to day.

Age 61: I got in about two TPI workouts a week, plus one more either normal strength + cardio, or just cardio. TPI workouts were really tiring.

My particular TPI workouts targeted core stability, and increasing lower back flexibility - I have trouble keeping spine angle on downswing, tend to OTT drives right, or pull low left.

I'm up for TPI re-eval now.

Downside: I got in a lot more exercising than golfing. Only about two rounda a month from July on. Too much other life stuff going on; got two big things out of the way, hopefully can have a full season in 2012.

[Shot 1]

Age 58 ...220lbs....5'11" home gym 3-4 times a week with no more than 50lbs . Do 16 reps per exercise( mostly upper body with some lower twist pulls) for about 60 minutes. Really going for the range of motion more than the bulk ....but was surprised when i started gaining weight due to fat to muscle change.

I do some cardio on an elliptical machine but to much and my knees swell.  It's hell gettin old !   Golden years my a** !

I stretch out on days that i play, using the weight resistance.

Happy Holidays

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by Shot 1

....but was surprised when i started gaining weight due to fat to muscle change.

Just FYI.... fat doesn't "change" into muscle.  You can lose fat and gain muscle, or vice versa, but the fat to muscle conversion thing is just a myth.