Foundational Strength: Your First Golf Strength Training Program

GolfFitPro · May 3, 2006

This an a great article from a true expert in conditioning for golf, Bill Hartman. Bill, a physical therapist and sports performance coach, has a website called YourGolfFitnessCoach.com.

Foundational Strength: Your First Golf Strength Training Program

One of the biggest mistakes golfers (and many other athletes) make is attempting to train too "specifically" for their sport when they lack even the most basic levels of conditioning. Just as you begin building a skyscraper by laying the foundation, so do you begin your golf-fitness program by establishing a level of foundational strength.
Developing adequate foundational strength is necessary allow you to tolerate more intensive golf-specific fitness training programs that will take your physical abilities to new levels and really impact your golf game.
The exercises should be very basic and involve the larger muscles of the torso, hips, and legs. You won't need any fancy equipment. A simple barbell will do. Give these five exercises a try:

Deadlift

Take
a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip with the feet under the bar
at about shoulders width. Squat down into the start position. The
back should be set in extension-never rounded forward-and the hips will
be slightly above knee level.

Drive the bar from the floor by "pushing the feet through the
floor". As the bar comes off the floor, the spine angle will remain as
in the starting position. When the bar reaches a point above the
knees, fully extend the spine into an upright posture in the finish
position.

Lunge

From a standing position, take a large stride forward with one leg and
lower yourself into the lunge position under control. In the lunge
position, the front knee should be bent to approximately 90 degrees and
the posture should be upright. To return to the start position, push
explosively into the floor with the front leg and return to start
without any extra steps. If you have a history of knee problems, do
not allow the knee to extend beyond the toes.

Barbell Bent-over Row

Assume a bent-over position with the spine in a neutral or slightly
extended position-never rounded forward-and the knees slightly bent.

With the barbell hanging at arms length, pull the barbell upward to
the upper portion of the abdominal region while squeezing the shoulder
blades back and together. Return to the starting position under
control.

Push Press

With the bar resting on the shoulders, inhale, elevate the chest and tuck the chin.

Keeping the feet flat on the floor, bend the knees and drive the bar
upward to full extension with the arms while simultaneously extending
the knees violently. Lower the bar to the chest and then reset before
performing the next repetition.

Side Bridge

Lie
down on your side with the body in a straight line from shoulder to
ankle and propped up on one elbow. Raise the hip off the floor by pushing into the floor with the elbow and tightening the abdominals. Hold for a 5 second count and return to
the starting position. If this version of the side bridge is too difficult, perform it with the knees bent.

Perform each exercise for 1-3 sets of 6-8 repetitions with a
weight with which you could do 8-10 reps. It is not necessary to work
to maximum effort. Your goal is to learn the basic movements
prescribed and get accommodated to performing regular strength
training. Perform a strength training workout about every 3rd or 4th
day.
After about one month (8-12 workouts), you may
increase the intensity of effort by regularly increasing the weights in
small increments and working to within 1 or 2 repetitions of you best
effort.
To minimize delayed-onset muscle soreness, limit the
number of sets until you're able to tolerate more exercise. For
instance, for you first training session, perform only one set of each
exercise. If there is minimal soreness over the next 48 hours, you may
then increase the total sets per exercise to 2 and so on up to the
maximum number of sets recommended.