Golfer Weight Training – Part 1

Building strength and muscle tone is important for activity in any sport, and golf is no exception. Endurance training for stamina, like aerobic exercise, is important to be able to perform your best right up until the last hole on the course. But, another aspect that is just as important is training with weights to strengthen muscles. Golfer weight training targets different muscles than other programs, so it is necessary to learn the specific muscles that are going to be worked on with a golf training regime.

The golf swing puts tremendous pressure on the muscles and joints in the shoulder, elbow and wrists and also produces high forces on the lower back and structures in the hip. As you work through a weight training program that focuses on these areas, you will be able to produce more power in your swing with less of an effort, which will put less stress on these muscles.

Since your muscles have the natural ability to lengthen and relax, when you perform exercises designed to focus on particular muscles groups, they will be able to increase the lengthening capacity. This helps to improve joint flexibility and range of movement for the muscles.

Weight training is designed to focus on muscles using external forces like weights and resistance forcing these muscles to contract in response to the workout. There are exercises that can help with resistance training and special equipment that can be used, but many exercises can be adapted with any kind of weight or external force.

Resources:

Sports Fitness Advisor: A Powerful Golf Weight Training Exercise Guaranteed to Increase Your Shot Distance

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/golf-weight-training.html

Shark.com: Strength for Maximum Distance and Control (Greg Norman)

http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/fitness/fitness17.php

BodyBuilding.com: Trunk Training for Golf

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/nsca3.htm

BodyBuilding.com: What is the Best Golf Training Routine

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/a_totw18.htm

GolfDigest: Strength Training

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf/strength-training

Fitness Blender: Golf Strength Training Workout