Golf Fitness
GOLF FITNESS
The Right Approach
By Jason Cerniglia
T
he sport of golf has gone through a transition over the past 10 or so years. One of the most prominent realizations of this transition is the fact that fitness is a major factor in the game of golf. Years ago, your only requirement to being a good golfer was to have the necessary skill-set to swing a club effectively. In today's world of golf, the best golfers are also some of the most inshape golfers. The game is more competitive now than it has ever been. While the basic golf skills have not evolved that much, two other areas continue to change every day in the golf world: technology and fitness levels. Technology is ever changing and improving, as is nutrition and exercise. Golfers are finding that they can reach their limits on their mechanics and skills, so the only way to improve after that is to improve their strength, flexibility and stamina. As golfers get in better shape, they hit the ball farther, have more energy, make fewer mistakes due to fatigue and hit the ball with more accuracy. The problem lies in the approach to exercise. (A statement familiar to golfers!) Golfers have to be open-minded when they think about exercising to improve their golf game. The thoughts of "weight training will make me too big and ruin my flexibility" are long gone. They have been proven false. Just look at Tiger Woods! There are many different ways for golfers to work out. The problem that I see with a lot of "golf" workouts is that they focus
Jason Cerniglia too much on the golf-specific exercises. The golfer never really develops appropriate strength through traditional regular exercises. Sometimes golfers are scared to do traditional exercises because they fear that they will get too big or lose their flexibility. That is not the case. If you never get stronger, the specific golf exercises will not help. My golf workouts include regular traditional exercises and golf-specific movements. I use the traditional exercises for the golfer to get in better shape and gain strength, and I use the golf-specific exercises to help specifically with golf movements. Take a look at the most inshape golfers on tour today. These golfers work out a lot harder than you would think, and do a lot more traditional exercises than you would think. Don't limit yourself to one 30
training style. Be open-minded and train complete. Improved nutrition, along with the improved exercise, will help golfers improve their game as well. Your food is fuel for your body, so get in the habit of putting good food into your body so you will have the appropriate fuel to make it through a round as effectively as possible. Good complex carbohydrates, like cereal or oatmeal or granola are good before a round of golf. Stay away from a sausage biscuit before your round, it can affect your game more than yfou know it. Grab a turkey sandwich or a granola bar at the turn for a mid-round fuel supply. Also remember to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. The more water that you have in your body, the better your muscles will function. You will also cramp less and keep your flexibility longer. Approach golf differently than before and realize that you can improve your game by improving your fitness level. Lift weights, stretch, do cardiovascular exercise (like running), drink water, and eat better and your golf game will thank you! Jason Cerniglia is a Certified Golf Conditioning Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Sports Nutritionist. A fitness professional for over 15 years, he is the owner of Hoover Fitness in Hoover and is the author of the book, Look Great. Feel Great. And Still Eat Pizza! He can be reached at info@hooverfitness.com