Golf-Specific Workout / Nutrition

[broken27]

It's probably been asked before, but I couldn't find it. I'm about to take out a membership at the YMCA's gym (they have a playgroup for my kids while I work out), and I'm looking to focus on specific training to help with golf.

Main target areas are:
Wrists - For a straight guy, I have awfully weak wrists...
Back - Lower and Upper
Shoulders - Walking around carrying the equipment for all rounds by end of season
Legs - See above

Now, for the weird stuff:
I don't know why, but every time I play golf, my butt ends up really sore (no jokes about the wrist stuff above please..... ). I'm assuming it's because I rarely use those muscles for anything other than walking and sitting on. NO IDEA how to work those muscles out.

I also find the fronts of my legs getting quite sore.

I'm thinking that I'll be adding a normal aerobic workout for conditioning (bike, stairs, jogging), so that stuff I think I'm okay on.

As for nutrition:
I have been told that something like trail-mix is better for walking the course than chocolate bars, and yet most clubhouses or beer carts only have the latter. Fresh fruit has also been recommended. I've been told to stay away from coffee, sodas, and other "energy drinks" for some reason...

Anyone know any good golfer diets (likely for gaining weight in my case, not losing it)? Or any good non-vegetarian diets (love my dead animal flesh...)? Just trying to at least improve my physical health now that golf has ruined my mental health...

Is there anyone in this forum who can recommend a good place to get started on the above stuff? I'm too poor to go out and hire a trainer, and have basically enough money to afford golf. Appreciate any help!

Thanks,
Dan

[davevandyk]

as for the food aspect on the golfcourse, definetly stay away from chocolate bars and soda, coffee. These things offer you only a quick burst of energy and you often feel even worse 2 or 3 holes later. I would suggest simply a lot of water and an energy bar such as a Powerbar. What i usually do is eat before the round, then on the golf course i eat half the powerbar around the 6th hole, then eat the other half around the 12th. This usually gives me enough energy to last the round, then grab some food when you get home. The only other suggestion is grab lots of water. Its very important to keep hydrated. If you must drink something with flavour, grab like a gatorade, something with not too much sugar. This will keep you on a more even plane, as opposed to the highs and lows of sugar drinks and foods.

hope this helps

[jvincent]

Not really answering your question, but it might help with some of your fatigue problems.

1. Get a decent double strap, i.e. goes over both shoulders, carry bag. I have found that a carry bag is actually less tiring than a hand cart because you can walk wherever you want and when adjusted properly the weight is carried evenly at a point over your lower back.

2. Get good shoes. Do not underestimate the value of good golf shoes. The better ones tend to be lighter and more flexible. Stiff shoes will cause your feet to strain a lot which will result in sore shins. I really like the Adidas Tour Traxions.

[broken27]

Not really answering your question, but it might help with some of your fatigue problems.

1. Get a decent double strap, i.e. goes over both shoulders, carry bag. I have found that a carry bag is actually less tiring than a hand cart because you can walk wherever you want and when adjusted properly the weight is carried evenly at a point over your lower back.

2. Get good shoes. Do not underestimate the value of good golf shoes. The better ones tend to be lighter and more flexible. Stiff shoes will cause your feet to strain a lot which will result in sore shins. I really like the Adidas Tour Traxions.

Firstly, thanks to both respondents.

Secondly, I think the shoes thing is a very good point, and REALLY is noticeable to me. I had already planned on new shoes, but will now be more discerning. I was thinking of insoles since I tend to play 36 holes per outing, but maybe starting with better shoes would be smarter.

Dan

[GarthM]

Some general points about workouts for golf.

1. Focus on really good form when doing any free weight exercise. Never sacrifice form for poundage. (this is a general point for any strength training really)
2. For golf you need stamina so work on higher reps with somewhat lower weight. Find a weight you can do 10 reps with easily and do 3 sets of 15. Once 3 sets of 20 has become routine and easy, increase the weight about 10-12% and go back to 15 reps.
3. Stretching is critical and probably why you get stiff in the butt. (oops did I say that????) Seriously do at least 10-15 minutes of stretching a day, especially your back and lower body.
4. Sounds like you need a good lower body workout. Work on your glutes and quads. Leg presses and lunges are good ones for golf muscles. If you don't mind using the "chick" machines then the abductor (sp?) is good for the inside of the thighs.
5. Back and ab muscles are important for your posture while swinging. Work the lower back doing raises and find some "fun" abdomnial exercises you can stick with.
6. Be careful of the shoulders. They are easy to blow out. Keep the poundage to something you can manage and do high reps.
7. Try to use free weights as much as possible instead of the machines. They force you to use stabilizer muscles as well as the target muscle which is important in golf for staying balanced and on plane.
8. Cardio is key as you need to go 18 holes. Take the average course, add in the distance between green and tee and you are walking over 6KM's with 15-20 pounds on your back.

Have fun...

[Golfpeasant]

Garths advice, especially form vs weight, is excellent.

I would advise find SOMEONE, a good friend, whatever, show you proper form. Some exercises, like squats and deadlifts, can cause injury if the legs or back are not in proper position.

My workout, 3 times a week, alternates between chests/arms, and back/legs. Its boring, but squats (and alternatively lunges and leg presses) and deadlifts REALLY help EVERY other activity, and improve things like a sore ass. My routine is suited for me, but depending on what you're trying to achieve (ie: bulking up, or stamina), consult someone.

Always warmup

DAY ONE:
1.5 min rest for first 2; 1 min rest for others
Benchpress (1*10-15; 1*6-8; 2*3-5; 2*6-10)
variation benchpress (1*12-15; 3*8-12;1*12-15)
Arnold press (1*12-15; 3*8-12; 1*12-15)
up-right row (1*15-20; 3*10-15; 1*15-25)
tricep exercise (1*15-20; 2*10-12; 1*15-20)
bicep exercise (1*15-20; 2*10-12; 1*15-20)

DAY TWO:
1.5 min rest for first 2; 1 min rest for others
Squat (1*10-15; 1*6-10; 1-2*3-6; 2*8-12)
Deadlift (1*10-15; 1*6-10; 1-2*3-6; 2*8-12)
chin ups (3*max; 3*8-12)
Bent over row (1*12-15; 2*8-12; 1*12-15)
Cross bench dumbbell pullover (2*15-25)

Abs every 2-3 times a week.

I would also suggest altering the TYPES of exercises, as the body has a way of adjusting and cheating...making you do the minimum necessary.

This is my 2 cents, but I strongly suggest consulting SOMEONE for the first time to show you proper form. I also suggest you determine what you are trying to achieve to design your own routine.

Sorry if that is too much info.

[broken27]

Again thanks! This is exactly the kind of stuff I need before I go see my brother about a specific routine. He knows this stuff pretty well, and should be able to get me started.

Really appreciate the feedback!

Dan

[nice_lag]

Increase endurance as this will surely help you get through your 36 holes with more stamina. Go for long walks or runs (if you feel so energized). An hour of a good walk will get you 7-8 kms.

Work on your core muscles. The golf swing, although not looking so, is a violent motion for your body. It is imperative that your lower back and abs muscles be reinforced. And both are related, weak abs will tend to promote back problems as they work hand in hand.

Someone already mentionned high reps for free weights. This is an excellent advice as you're trying to define your muscles more than bulking up. If you do the latter, it might prevent good form when swinging. And as for every activity, stretch, stretch and stretch. It can prevent a lot of injuries and speeds up recovery.

A good exercise I found to work arms and upper thigh muscles (your butt) while involving some form of cardio, is rowing. If you have access to a rowing machine, try it for 20-25 minutes.

My $.02 worth.

[LobWedge]

as for the food aspect on the golfcourse, definetly stay away from chocolate bars and soda, coffee. These things offer you only a quick burst of energy and you often feel even worse 2 or 3 holes later. I would suggest simply a lot of water and an energy bar such as a Powerbar. What i usually do is eat before the round, then on the golf course i eat half the powerbar around the 6th hole, then eat the other half around the 12th. This usually gives me enough energy to last the round, then grab some food when you get home. The only other suggestion is grab lots of water. Its very important to keep hydrated. If you must drink something with flavour, grab like a gatorade, something with not too much sugar. This will keep you on a more even plane, as opposed to the highs and lows of sugar drinks and foods.

hope this helps

The only thing I would add here is a word about caffeine, whether you take it in coffee or soda form. If coffee is part of your normal morning routine, don't change that on golf days.

I'm not saying have an extra-large-triple-triple, because you'll be whizzing on every tree you can find. Have a medium instead. But don't make the mistake of cutting it completely. Your body is used to this stimulant. It's going to look for it at some point during the day. If it's not there, you'll start to crash. Don't break the normal morning routine.

As far as conditioning goes. If you have a mountain bike, use it. Find some reasonable off-road trails that will get your butt off the saddle. A great combination of cardio and toning. When you ride on uneven terrain, all your muscle groups have to work to help you maintain your balance, so you get muscle tone at the same time. Flat surface riding won't give you that.

[mberube]

Dan,

Try this site :

http://www.golf-trainer.com/

It’s about 100$ for the basic package. This guy trains some Pros on tour. I was on this program a few years back and it gave me great feedback. This site will teach you everything you need to know about the mental, physical and health aspect for golf. Specific programs are setup for you.

Somewhere on the site there is a free physical test you can do at home to see where you fit in the program.

Read on!

Mike

[Agent99]

As for nutrition:
Anyone know any good golfer diets (likely for gaining weight in my case, not losing it)?

I believe protein-packed nuts are the best thing to eat when we want to increase our muscle size. Almonds, walnuts, Brazil, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans (mmm, pecan pie), peanuts, good peanut butter...and they go so well with many of our favourite drinks too!

Berries are great to eat when we want to decrease the size of our fat cells. Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, good jams…The nutrient-packed fluid and fiber in these and most other fruits, with the exception of bananas and maybe apples too, all help wash away unnecessary matter out of our system. What’s really nice is fresh fruit is about as convenient as food gets. Wash it, pack it and away you go. A food and drink in one.

So yah, because trail mix has both nuts and berries (sans water) I would agree it’s a great light-weight, tidy snack to carry around. I’d just add more nuts to your mix for now…and fluids…

If I may, all I would say about drinks is do drink (and drive the ball) in moderation, that is moderation in terms of fluid temperature. Avoid drinks that are either extremely cold or hot as they may draw energy away from our swinging parts (extremities) to warm or cool our core back to ~98.6*. Think ‘cool’ or ‘warm’ or room temperature even for less surprise to the system. You might also want to consider taking a thermos of tea sweetened with honey and taking some protein-packed hard boiled eggs you’ve made the night before. I would simply leave them in the shell, wrap them in foil and place them in an old plastic container for the bag. They’re healthy, filling, inexpensive and good for muscles.

Gah, I made myself hungry!

[treewood]

Unfortunately for me one of the best forms of nutrition on a golf course is a banana(I'm allergic). Due to the potasium, it reduces the lactic acids that forms in muscles. The three guys I golf with are like gorillas, everytime I see them they have bananas in their hands. For me personally I found these energy bars that work great, I take one on my way to the course and normally have one between 9s. In the summer I sweat out more fluids than I can guzzle down, so I always have 2-3 bottles of water and a satchel of salt to prevent dehydration. I have also heard that too much sports drink consumption can/may cause kidney stones, so I stick with water.

[Golfpeasant]

Bananas also unfortunately attract blackflies.