Do you exercise with golf in mind? Why or why not?

[adamgoodman]

21 hours ago, rehmwa said:

yeah, lots of them, giving hope to middle aged men everywhere that with enough of a bankroll, you too can divorce many hot women - (also considered a form of exercise and a source of unhealthy weight loss)

 

However - the statement one wouldn't say "yeah, that guy definitely puts in the time at the gym."  is a pretty clear indication that people that don't go to the gym have an unrealistic vision of what kind of results you should expect.

Most all these players put an insane amount of time in with weights and gym training.  To me, it's very obvious which ones do and which ones don't.  As you won't get fit just playing golf and eating burgers, the difference really stands out.

My only interjection is that fitness is my profession so I’m well versed in what to expect from regimented exercise/nutrition... It’s just a measuring stick thought as to whether someone is “built”: walking on the street in a well fit shirt, can people tell you work out?

 

Vain, sure, but that just ties back to my question... I work out for what I see in the mirror not for my golf game. 

[Lihu]

36 minutes ago, adamgoodman said:

Vain, sure, but that just ties back to my question... I work out for what I see in the mirror not for my golf game. 

Not necessarily vanity, I exercise to feel good and be more fit for health as well. Guessing that you do that as well even though you are a lot younger. Eating healthy and exercising for golf or not is just plain healthy.

I use golf as exercise by playing and walking. Driving range is more of a "workout" for me because it really builds "tone" for me at least.  I also do hiking and drumming for cardio.

Edited October 7, 2017 by Lihu

[djake]

@adamgoodman thank you for starting this, I was looking at starting something like this and just did not get around to it.  I wanted to hear from members what specific golf work outs they were doing so i could review them to add to my offseason program.

Yes I do a strength and conditioning program that is 100% built around golf.  Why, because a sport specific strength and conditioning will yield superior results then a general overall program.  And you need not run out and get a gym membership or spend lots of money on a at home gym system.  I add items as I went forward over time. With minimal expense.

I started my strength and conditioning program last year because I was having to much muscle fatigue in the later holes of a round and this lead to poor shot making and higher scores plus more lost golf balls.  I noticed in 2016 that around hole16 everything just started to fall apart, Driver swing would be the first to go and then everything else just followed.

Add to the fact that I was starting to see my Driver swing speed eroding and it lit a fire in me to do something about it.

I started to search on the internet for Golf specific strength sets and there is a lot of excellent information out there to study. 

I bought resistance bands and stretch cords, both items that I can pack and travel with to do my exercise program while on the road.  I travel a lot for our company and consistency is important for gain.  I rarely use free weights and when I do nothing over 5 pounds.

I also added 3 golf training items and I enjoy using them as well, the Gold flex, Izzo Smooth Swing and Skilz tempo and golf trainer.

The results from my Golf specific work out program during the off season last year;

Driver Swing speed stopped dropping and went from 106 mph to 111 mph at age 54.

Hitting out of that nasty rough was noticeably easier from a physical stand point

No more late round muscle fatigue thus I was able to finish off a round of golf consistently thus driving my scoring down.

I went from hitting a lifelong fade tand slice to straight with a draw.

Negative I did pick up a massive sway over the winter that this site fixed but that I attribute that to a bad lesson that I got over the winter.  I knew what he was teaching me was not right yet because it was a lesson I stuck with it, my mistake.

I do run an off season work out that is a lot more strenuous then during the golf season.  I found that I had to scale back to a maintenance program during the golf season I would just beat up my body to much.

Sorry for the long reply, I am passionate about sports specific strength and conditioning.  It will make a positive impact on your game. 

This year I want to add yoga.

[uitar9]

I added "no ball" swings and a little yoga the past two years. Together with walking most 18's, I did not feel like a beaten dog near the end of a round this year.

[CT207]

For me it's the other way around... I golf with exercise in mind.

Walking 18 every weekday morning has gotten my high cholesterol level down to a normal level. Yes, I do take a statin every day. On my last MRI I was told my aortic aneurysm has shrunk and I rarely take the Zomig ZMT medicine for migraines. I used to get them a couple times a week now maybe I suffer a couple a year. 

I don't know if it's attributed to all the golf walking but damn, I feel a lot better. At my December physical I'm going to see if I can get off / stop the statin drug. Oh, and I'll be 65 at that point.

I don't use or have any weight training equipment. I do have an inversion table and hang upside down on that doing "twists and turns", etc. Other than that, if I play as a single I'll jog the flat sections of a course pushing my Clicgear cart out in front of me as I go.

[JCrane]

2 hours ago, CT207 said:

For me it's the other way around... I golf with exercise in mind.

Walking 18 every weekday morning has gotten my high cholesterol level down to a normal level. Yes, I do take a statin every day. On my last MRI I was told my aortic aneurysm has shrunk and I rarely take the Zomig ZMT medicine for migraines. I used to get them a couple times a week now maybe I suffer a couple a year. 

I don't know if it's attributed to all the golf walking but damn, I feel a lot better. At my December physical I'm going to see if I can get off / stop the statin drug. Oh, and I'll be 65 at that point.

I don't use or have any weight training equipment. I do have an inversion table and hang upside down on that doing "twists and turns", etc. Other than that, if I play as a single I'll jog the flat sections of a course pushing my Clicgear cart out in front of me as I go.

congratulations on using the inversion table. I have used one for 20 years. I wish more people understood the benefits

[rehmwa]

On 07/10/2017 at 10:07 AM, djake said:

Yes I do a strength and conditioning program that is 100% built around golf.   Why, because a sport specific strength and conditioning will yield superior results then a general overall program. 

I believe the specificity benefit is minor vs the general gains and benefits.  Particularly for something as low intensity as golf.  (of course, it does depend on the level of workout you consider a baseline fitness routine to entail, if you are active and that baseline is significant, then I'm likely correct, but if your baseline is non-existent, then of course adding a workout for golf will certainly yield gains)

HOWEVER, I firmly believe that tying a workout regimen to a specific goal (or lifestyle outlook) is HUGE for keeping motivation up.  Thus you stick with it, and the results show up anyway.  Having that vision of 'something' getting better is key.

So if golf (or seeing those abs, or playing with the grandkids, or keeping up with so and so, or whatever), gets one more active and healthy - then that's a big win.

good luck  (the original P90X travels well and the YogaX is actually very intense for beginners)

Edited October 9, 2017 by rehmwa

[No Mulligans]

My exercise is designed for my age and golf, I'm 59.  Golf helps motivate me to exercise.

[klineka]

On 10/7/2017 at 8:13 AM, adamgoodman said:

My only interjection is that fitness is my profession so I’m well versed in what to expect from regimented exercise/nutrition... It’s just a measuring stick thought as to whether someone is “built”: walking on the street in a well fit shirt, can people tell you work out?

I'm pretty sure you'd be able to tell that Brooks Koepka, Tiger in his prime, Rory, Jason Day, etc. all work out if they were in a well fit shirt walking down the street.

[adamgoodman]

7 hours ago, klineka said:

I'm pretty sure you'd be able to tell that Brooks Koepka, Tiger in his prime, Rory, Jason Day, etc. all work out if they were in a well fit shirt walking down the street.

I always saw Tiger’s physique as vastly overrated in terms of build... Koepka is maybe on his way there... Rory and JDay are just slim guys wearing a size too small... Especially Jason Day... I guess by “work out” I actually mean “lift weights”. 

But obviously we all perceive these guys through different lenses. 

[JonMA1]

I exercise to try and stay ahead of aging, not to help my game. That said, the type of weightlifting I do can't possibly hurt any other sport or activity.

[billchao]

I don't. My exercise currently consists of carrying around ladders and then climbing them.

Been thinking about getting back into a routine and I won't do anything with golf in mind, just overall health and strength. Need to do more cardio (I hate running) and body weight type of stuff. Might do some light weights if I ever get around to cleaning the basement.

[Buckeyebowman]

I don't work out, and never have! Other than the work I do around the house like yard work, garden work, upkeep work, and the like. Work is exercise! Back in the day I played multiple sports. They were my workout.

What I have done is pay a little closer attention to my diet. I've dropped from about 185 to around 165. Yes, I was a chubby little rascal! I'm 5'9", and 165 is my college weight. I'm also 65 years old, and have begun hitting golf shots quite a bit farther than I have in a while. But, this has nothing to do with working out, it has to do with paying more attention to my golf swing.

Just the other day we played a course with on cart GPS. At the tee it read 399 yards, par 4. I had been hitting pretty good tee balls all day, but this was something special. I smashed one out there with just a hint of draw. When I drove to my ball the GPS read 100 yards!

So, I'm supposed to believe I hit that drive 299?! But the shot remaining looked like 100, a nearby sprinkler confirmed it, and an easy PW got it there! So maybe I did. If so, that's the longest drive I have hit in many a year!

FWIW, I believe in staying active. Staying out there, doing whatever it is you do. Hunting , fishing, golfing, hiking, whatever.

My Mom asked me when I was in my mid-50's if I shouldn't start slowing down and taking it easy. I told her that I had seen far too many men die early by doing exactly that! You get old and fat by doing that,

[JCrane]

35 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I don't work out, and never have! Other than the work I do around the house like yard work, garden work, upkeep work, and the like. Work is exercise! Back in the day I played multiple sports. They were my workout.

What I have done is pay a little closer attention to my diet. I've dropped from about 185 to around 165. Yes, I was a chubby little rascal! I'm 5'9", and 165 is my college weight. I'm also 65 years old, and have begun hitting golf shots quite a bit farther than I have in a while. But, this has nothing to do with working out, it has to do with paying more attention to my golf swing.

Just the other day we played a course with on cart GPS. At the tee it read 399 yards, par 4. I had been hitting pretty good tee balls all day, but this was something special. I smashed one out there with just a hint of draw. When I drove to my ball the GPS read 100 yards!

So, I'm supposed to believe I hit that drive 299?! But the shot remaining looked like 100, a nearby sprinkler confirmed it, and an easy PW got it there! So maybe I did. If so, that's the longest drive I have hit in many a year!

FWIW, I believe in staying active. Staying out there, doing whatever it is you do. Hunting , fishing, golfing, hiking, whatever.

My Mom asked me when I was in my mid-50's if I shouldn't start slowing down and taking it easy. I told her that I had seen far too many men die early by doing exactly that! You get old and fat by doing that,

Great advise keep up the good work.

[klineka]

13 hours ago, adamgoodman said:

I always saw Tiger’s physique as vastly overrated in terms of build... Koepka is maybe on his way there... Rory and JDay are just slim guys wearing a size too small... Especially Jason Day... I guess by “work out” I actually mean “lift weights”. 

But obviously we all perceive these guys through different lenses. 

265lb squat for 3x3 and 225 for 3x10 are respectable numbers for McIlroy... There have been articles from DJ as well stating he goes up into the 255-275 range for squats as well...

You said Rory and JDay are just slim guys, I'm not quite sure what you're expecting to see? They arent physique competitors, bodybuilders, or powerlifters and none of them claim to be. Functional strength around the legs, core, and back will translate much better into the golf swing (where they make their living) than being able to bust out a 225 bench press for 15 reps or have 20+ " arm muscles. These guys arent going to have a perfect "fitness build" of sub 10% body fat with a barrel chest and bulging arms. They dont need it. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-3451920/Rory-McIlroy-doesn-t-problem-lifting-weights-helps-better-golfer-is.html

http://www.mensfitness.com/sports/golf/how-dustin-johnson-became-fittest-man-golf

 

[Lihu]

45 minutes ago, klineka said:

265lb squat for 3x3 and 225 for 3x10 are respectable numbers for McIlroy... There have been articles from DJ as well stating he goes up into the 255-275 range for squats as well...

You said Rory and JDay are just slim guys, I'm not quite sure what you're expecting to see? They arent physique competitors, bodybuilders, or powerlifters and none of them claim to be. Functional strength around the legs, core, and back will translate much better into the golf swing (where they make their living) than being able to bust out a 225 bench press for 15 reps or have 20+ " arm muscles. These guys arent going to have a perfect "fitness build" of sub 10% body fat with a barrel chest and bulging arms. They dont need it. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-3451920/Rory-McIlroy-doesn-t-problem-lifting-weights-helps-better-golfer-is.html

http://www.mensfitness.com/sports/golf/how-dustin-johnson-became-fittest-man-golf

I wonder if this could change someday when tour players are driving 380+ yards?

It's not clear to me that driving much more than they do today would be that much of an advantage or not, but it sure would be cool watching the players overshoot 380 yard greens then have to hit back to hole it.

[rehmwa]

12 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

My Mom asked me when I was in my mid-50's if I shouldn't start slowing down and taking it easy. I told her that I had seen far too many men die early by doing exactly that! You get old and fat by doing that,

People mean well with those types of comments - it's amazing how so many can be 180 degrees wrong on the subject......

16 hours ago, adamgoodman said:

.. I guess by “work out” I actually mean “lift weights”.

every one of those guys lifts weights, some to a very fanatical degree

I'm not quite sure what type of expectations you have for weight lifting.  It's not the same as committed body building - that's an entirely different lifestyle

[adamgoodman]

13 hours ago, klineka said:

You said Rory and JDay are just slim guys, I'm not quite sure what you're expecting to see? They arent physique competitors, bodybuilders, or powerlifters and none of them claim to be. Functional strength around the legs, core, and back will translate much better into the golf swing (where they make their living) than being able to bust out a 225 bench press for 15 reps or have 20+ " arm muscles. These guys arent going to have a perfect "fitness build" of sub 10% body fat with a barrel chest and bulging arms. They dont need it. 

I feel like this is more or less my original idea.  IMO these guys can be at best described as "built for golf" and I'm yet to see a Tour pro who is objectively muscular/built, regardless of how functionally fit or athletic they are.  That's pretty much why I posed the question whether people who have a passion for golf draw a line in the sand between their fitness goals and golf game (like I do) or try and have them work together.