Lifting Weights During Golf Season - Advice needed

[cardoustie]

I’m a full body guy three times a week, right tennis elbow slowing me down a little from some chainsaw work 3 months ago .. I am 56 … still swinging almost 110

 

i do a routine of 5x10 for these exercises at my course’s gym here in Florida 

 

- bicep dumbbell curls .. right arm can only do 20’s vs 40’s on left right now 

- shoulder press

- bench press

- assisted pull ups

- leg press / leg extensions 

- back extensions

- lat pull downs, wide grip

- hip abduction and adduction

- seated torso twists … both left and right 

love to foam roll out the t-spine, 3 spine surgeries 20 yrs ago

I’m 30lbs too heavy but working on it.  Walk the course 4 times weekly 

[BombinJim]

I lift heavy 5 days a week and would suggest not altering your lifting regime but rather focusing on recovery and warmup for your golf workouts. I do alot of lacrosse ball soft tissue work for recovery and some activation/stretching prior to every round if golf. It definitely helps and I’ve gotten used to being relatively sore when I play golf, so I think you’ll get used to it too.

[AmateurAmateur]

On 3/25/2024 at 9:15 AM, bluedot said:

Correct in every respect.

 

One good example of an improved knowledge base about the golf swing and workouts specific to it is the increasing emphasis on relatively slow, controlled eccentric movements; that generally will be less weight and fewer reps, but research shows that the gains are significant.  So, for instance, an inclined single arm dumbbell bench press; fast to the top, a 3-5 count coming down, and a 10 second hold at the bottom; you can’t do that with a lot of weight or a lot of reps, but the shoulder strength gains are very real.  
 

There is a lot of stuff like this; farmers carry with kettlebells for spine stability, various med ball throws like a kneeling two hand chest pass, and so on, and all of it is designed to build on the basic compound lifts.  I’d also add that the specifics of ANY workout for a particular sport are best when they are structured around the needs of the particular athlete; again, college and professional strength coaches have been doing this forever.  So if a particular golfer can only internally rotate his hips 15*, or can only rotate his thoracic spine 65*,  or can’t externally rotate his shoulders to beyond his spine angle, that determines part(s) of his workout.  

.

Edited January 20 by AmateurAmateur

[bluedot]

1 hour ago, AmateurAmateur said:

First and foremost I think it’s important to establish that workouts that have value for athletes that predominately focus on sports that aren’t golf, will also have value for athletes who predominately focus on golf. 
Track athletes with short distance sprints will benefit golfers, as increasing fast twitch muscle fibres is only achieved by moving fast.
If we look at muscle fibre type and their density in certain athletes we know that track athletes and power lifters have a higher density of fast twitch muscle fibres than endurance runners and cyclists. Where does golf fall in that category? Traditional thinking believed golfers were best suited to focus more on endurance training (slow muscle fibres) than the more current thinking of fast twitch muscle fibres. As training methods have developed and stats have become a more influential part of the game (thank you Mark Broadie) competitive golfers focus more on fast twitch than endurance.

Accomplishing a healthy blend of increasing fast twitch, increasing strength, and increasing mobility is the main focus of workouts for nearly every sport. 
Jumping on a decline bench and doing 100 sit-ups to increase core strength is impressive: but it doesn’t offer any practical benefits to the golf game compared to a Pallof Press or a sumo deadlift. 

Without trying to prove anecdotal evidence as a factual conclusion: when I played hockey in college the workouts we did were incredibly similar to the workouts we did on the golf team as well. More plyometric based, but the overlap amongst all exercises was marginal and to anyone who didn’t have a physical copy of the workout plan they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference (outside a couple workouts). 
Hockey being the sport that transfers best to golf is something else I studied and I believe it was TPI that has the most in-depth research on it.

 

The fundamentals of an athletic workout plan are the same amongst most sports: Get stronger, get faster, get more mobile, get more athletic. The specifics of doing that is largely irrelevant as long as it doesn’t cause injury to the athlete. 

We probably agree on more stuff than we disagree about; I could have written your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraphs.  Later today when I go to the weight room, I'll be doing not only Pallofs (kneeling with a 10 second hold at full extension) as well as deadlifts.  We also agree completely about the similarities between hockey and the golf swing, fwiw, and I don't think it's much of a stretch at all to think that the workouts would look pretty similar.  I know teaching pros consider teaching hockey players to play golf is like stealing; there are WAY more similarities between a slap shot and hitting a driver than almost any other two movements in different sports, including baseball.

 

That said, I think it's safe to say that the strength coach(s) where you played college hockey have continued to read current research and tweak workouts for both hockey players and golfers continually; if they don't, they need to have their resumes updated and ready to send out.  That doesn't mean that there aren't still many more similarities that differences, but I think you're actually arguing FOR sport specific workouts, including golf, rather than against them, when you mention the similarities between the workouts for these two sports, as well as the benefits of things like Pallofs and deadlifts vs things like situps. 

 

And my greater point, I think, is that a good workout is also tailored to the particular individual and their strengths/deficiencies; this only becomes more true as we age.  So I do a TON of hip mobility stuff when I work out; I didn't need to do that stuff when I was a college tennis player in the early 70's, but as a golfer in MY early 70's, it's critical.

[MichMan123]

Ive been lifting almost every day... Ive played 5-6 rounds.

ZERO Effect on my swing or golf game.

 

I feel great lifting ... I will not stop during the season.  Probably will not lift on golf days but that leaves 4-5 days a week to lift.

 

I'm hooked.

 

[phizzy30]

7 minutes ago, tigerfan23 said:

Ive been lifting almost every day... Ive played 5-6 rounds.

ZERO Effect on my swing or golf game.

 

I feel great lifting ... I will not stop during the season.  Probably will not lift on golf days but that leaves 4-5 days a week to lift.

 

I'm hooked.

 

Good to hear.  Just remember to take breaks every now and then to give your body and CNS time to heal/rest.  I'd recommend 7-10 day breaks for every 10-12 weeks you lift. 

[MichMan123]

21 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Good to hear.  Just remember to take breaks every now and then to give your body and CNS time to heal/rest.  I'd recommend 7-10 day breaks for every 10-12 weeks you lift. 

 

Just took a 6 day break went to the masters.  But walked 25k steps a day golfed 4 times and drank a bottle of Burbon a day so it wasn't much of a break lol.

 

 

[MichMan123]

so ive been lifting now consistently since new years.

 

Ive lost 30 lb ish and feel great.  But this has done a number on my golf game.... Timing is Wayyyy off.  Finally getting used to being a bit lighter.  The Weighlifting (45 min almost every AM) Has no bearing on my game.  I can lift heavy and head straight to the course and don't feel stiff / sore.

 

Best decisions ive made in a while was to head back to gym.

 

Just finished 18 (carted) and ill rest 20 min then had to gym for 20 min eliptical and back / bis workout!

 

 

[Mike_C]

I've been lifting weights since January, and, for the first time really ever, plan on going all year round.  I used to only lift during the winter as I didn't want to impact my golf  (old habits die hard), but so far, I must say this year I haven't noticed any negative impact, no real stiffness or tightness once I got past the first couple of weeks.   

 

I try to get a full body workout, I do a lot with cables and rotation, shoulders and pull-downs, and a lot of triceps work, some bench presses, leg presses/abduction/adduction, I also try to work in Bulgarian squats with rotation, which are killers to me.   I have had some tendinitis in both elbows and find that I need to get my arms stronger, which helps relieve the stress on my elbows from golf.   I always stretch afterwards, and I feel quite good swinging the club the day after my workout days, which usually are after work hours......  I'm sure I'm doing something wrong and should be working with a trainer, but I try not to push it too hard....but definitely seeing results this year. 

 

 

 

[TUCKITIN]

I lift 3 or 4 days a week and walk 4 or 5 days. I find as long as your lifting consistently and don't have DOMS or anything you should be good to go.

[Jdudley13]

Getting in the gym is one of the best things you can do for your golf game, and your general health. It doesn’t matter what your level of fitness is, doing SOMETHING vs nothing will help. You have to build up gradually but as your body acclimates you will be surprised what you are capable of and it will help tremendously with injury prevention. I’m 40 and workout pretty hard every morning with cardiovascular work and Olympic lifting (squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, cleans, snatch etc) and practice or play most afternoons. I have no kids so this is a little easier for me than for others. I take Thursday as a light recovery day and either run or do a peloton workout and Sunday is only golf. You have to listen to your body, if you are really sore some days, do short game or putting work. I’m a big fan of general lifting, building muscle will do wonders for your golf game as long as you do it the right way and continue to maintain flexibility. 

[MichMan123]

Seasons Just about over.

Lifted weights almost every Weekday AM at 6am.

 

I am in the best shape Ive been in 20 years but i destroyed my golf game.  My timing was off. HC went up 6.

 

I lost distance.  I was always sore.  I also broke my Hand in Sept last year and took almost a year to fully heal.

Took me a few months.  Starting in Sept I was a bit better.   Im playing much better now.  Most of my distance is back.

 

I will continue to lift all winter and next season but starting in new years will switch to a lighter more reps / tone program.  

 

I think it will be worth it and plan on having a great season next year.

 

 

[Ty_Guy]

On 3/23/2024 at 7:42 AM, MichMan123 said:

...

I don't think its realistic to do heavy bench press then go play 18... I'm looking for a WEIGHTS ONLY golf specific workout.

 

Any suggestions??? Should I just keep doing what I'm doing and maybe incorperate some stretching?

 

 

Assuming the majority of your 18 hole golf days are on the weekend, lift heavy early in the week (Mon, Tue, Wed if you lift 5 days per week). Any split you like that is able to target your entire body over those initial workouts. Heavy barbell days with whatever accessories you enjoy.

 

Second half of the week (Thursday and Friday if 5 lifting days per week) are hypertrophy focused. Reps in the 12-15 range with lower weights. Whole body targeted. A Push/pull or upper/lower or single full body day that will hit everything you want. These sessions are great for adding in more dynamic, golf focused work too. Things like med ball throws, sand bags, core rotational work.

 

All you need to make a good strength-building workout is to work each muscle group in each movement direction once or twice a week, depending on intensity. Movement direction means each way a muscle(group) pulls i.e. chest would be a horizontal press, inward fly, upwards press, and downwards press. Back would be pulling vertically up, vertically down, and horizontally. Fill in whatever exercises you enjoy that meet the above criteria.

 

Athletic workouts to build golf skill are going to be your more dynamic full-body movements that are always on your feet (never seated).

 

Lift after golf, if doing both on the same day. Main focus always first. Range/practice days, order doesn't matter.

 

A basic workout outline:

Monday - Legs & Arms (Squat & walking lunges, whatever curls and tricep extensions) core work

Tuesday - Posterior Chain (Deadlift, hamstring/glute accessory, Barbell Row, Lat Pulldown, Face Pull) core work

Wednesday - Chest & Shoulders (Bench, Flys, Incline Dumbell press, Overhead Press, shoulder accessory) core work

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Full Body (Sled push/pulls, sand bag throws, farmer carries, any additional arm and core work)

 

Five workout days allow the full body Thurs/Fri to be a bit more individualized.

 

Some great golf focused movements:

• Single arm lat band pull downs
• woodchoppers
• suitcase carries
• box jumps
• banded decline chest press
• sand bag/med ball throws

Edited October 28, 2024 by Ty_Guy

[FormerBigDaddy]

You should lift weights all year!  Why lose your gains?  Your body will adapt and soreness really won't be an issue if you schedule your week correctly.  

[bluedot]

1 hour ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

You should lift weights all year!  Why lose your gains?  Your body will adapt and soreness really won't be an issue if you schedule your week correctly. 

Agreed, 100%! 

 

You can always alter a workout according to your schedule and how your body feels; cut reps and sets while maintaining weight.  But there is simply no scenario where prolonged periods of not working out is beneficial.

[bluedot]

2 hours ago, Ty_Guy said:

Assuming the majority of your 18 hole golf days are on the weekend, lift heavy early in the week (Mon, Tue, Wed if you lift 5 days per week). Any split you like that is able to target your entire body over those initial workouts. Heavy barbell days with whatever accessories you enjoy.

 

Second half of the week (Thursday and Friday if 5 lifting days per week) are hypertrophy focused. Reps in the 12-15 range with lower weights. Whole body targeted. A Push/pull or upper/lower or single full body day that will hit everything you want. These sessions are great for adding in more dynamic, golf focused work too. Things like med ball throws, sand bags, core rotational work.

 

All you need to make a good strength-building workout is to work each muscle group in each movement direction once or twice a week, depending on intensity. Movement direction means each way a muscle(group) pulls i.e. chest would be a horizontal press, inward fly, upwards press, and downwards press. Back would be pulling vertically up, vertically down, and horizontally. Fill in whatever exercises you enjoy that meet the above criteria.

 

Athletic workouts to build golf skill are going to be your more dynamic full-body movements that are always on your feet (never seated).

 

Lift after golf, if doing both on the same day. Main focus always first. Range/practice days, order doesn't matter.

 

A basic workout outline:

Monday - Legs & Arms (Squat & walking lunges, whatever curls and tricep extensions) core work

Tuesday - Posterior Chain (Deadlift, hamstring/glute accessory, Barbell Row, Lat Pulldown, Face Pull) core work

Wednesday - Chest & Shoulders (Bench, Flys, Incline Dumbell press, Overhead Press, shoulder accessory) core work

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Full Body (Sled push/pulls, sand bag throws, farmer carries, any additional arm and core work)

 

Five workout days allow the full body Thurs/Fri to be a bit more individualized.

 

Some great golf focused movements:

• Single arm lat band pull downs
• woodchoppers
• suitcase carries
• box jumps
• banded decline chest press
• sand bag/med ball throws

I'd add to this that if you want to make a "weights only" workout more beneficial to your golf swing, focus on slow eccentric movements, then fast back to the start position.

[johnrobison]

2 hours ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

You should lift weights all year!  Why lose your gains?  Your body will adapt and soreness really won't be an issue if you schedule your week correctly.  

 

1 hour ago, bluedot said:

Agreed, 100%! 

 

You can always alter a workout according to your schedule and how your body feels; cut reps and sets while maintaining weight.  But there is simply no scenario where prolonged periods of not working out is beneficial.

 

Yep. Unless you're a serious bodybuilder, there's really no reason you can't workout all the time. Perhaps the broken hand had more to do with the decline than the workouts did. I workout all week, every week and lift to failure at the 8-12 rep range and it never interferes with my game.

[Mike_C]

I will follow up my post from July.

 

This has been the first year I have every lifted during the summer.  I'm 63 now, so I'm not going at it like a bodybuilder, but go 2-3 times during the week after work, full body workout upper/lower body, play on the weekends, hit some balls maybe a couple of times during the week.

 

I can't say it has cost me any distance, might have gained just a bit actually.  I am not really sore at all after I lift, might have been the first few weeks this year, but in general have felt really good after.   In fact, I do about 15 minutes of stretching after the workout, and the next day if I play or go hit range balls, I actually feel more loose than if I don't lift weights for several days....

 

I clearly have built some muscle, not as much as I would have if I was doing this in my 20s but its noticeable.   I dropped about 40 pounds from the first of the year by the end of August through diet and exercise, since then I have raised my calorie intake to see what happens, and I'm eating 40-50% more calories than I did in my weight loss phase and still haven't put on any fat, and in fact it might have helped me build a bit more muscle....  Don't know why I haven't been doing this all these years, but that was not the way people trained for golf back in the "old days"......

 

I did pull a muscle in my side in the spring playing golf, I'm sure it was related to the weight training as I may have tightened some muscles that I don't use that much.  But it was while taking a really hard swing while trying to loft a 9 iron straight up in the air to clear a tree.  It set me back a few weeks, but I was back playing and training pretty soon after and haven't had any problems since then.... 

[biker74]

I’m 62.And I use an all dumbell workout.Can curl the 50 lbs on both arms.And incline bench max is 70 lbs, flat bench is 90.Always believe a strong back and chest are vital for a long life.Never forget leg day.Working triceps gets your arms bigger 

Edited October 30, 2024 by Dunk89

[MichMan123]

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

[GoGoErky]

34 minutes ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

You can try a 4 day upper/lower

 

you could do push/pull/legs

 

 

[Mike_C]

1 hour ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

Similar boat here.  Want to change things up after the first of the year.  I have been refocusing on what I'm doing.  First part of this year for me it was weight loss, I got to where I wanted to be by the middle of the summer.  But I found while on a restricted calorie diet, I just couldn't build muscle or gain any strength.  As I picked up the calories into the fall I started to see results.  I was eating a lot, and not always the best, but I went from really weak legs and plateauing on the upper body, to definitely gaining  a bit of size and strength the last three months.   I probably gained 5 pounds from my low, but I know some of that is muscle, as my pants don't really feel any different.

 

I want to focus more on explosive type muscles more, especially with the lower body.  The guy who runs the gym I go to is not tall or  huge but is really solid looking, especially in his lower body.  I think he is an ex-baseball player.  He plays golf too, I have played with him several times and he hits the ball a mile. He is always harping on me to work on my legs.   I want to do more speed training/plyometric type stuff in the next year, that is if my knees can take it......

[Jtgavigan]

2 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

I just started kettlebell and heavy club work. I have been getting most of my workout ideas from the YouTube channels Lebe Stark (KB only) and Mark Wildman (both, but stumbled onto one of his KB workouts first).

 

I needed a cardio portion of my workout. I have been lifting weights for almost 4 years now after a herniated disc sidelined me. I used to run quite a bit, but have had some weird knee issues. So, I have been looking at cardio options and these seemed good and the rotational aspect of the heavy club seems like it would be helpful. Just started a few weeks ago and will report back.

 

I feel like the weight lifting has either helped or had no effect on my game, but my shoulders don't hurt anymore. 

[MK7Golf21]

2 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

 

have you ever done a circuit before? Years ago I had some workout plans made for me by top coaches and it included a few circuits. They combine very low weight, body weight and cardio type movements, you complete the circuit before resting and doing it again. The problem is you need some space to do them.

[Pnwpingi210]

4 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

Do you have defined offseason from golf (meaning courses are cold and or it’s too cold for you to play much?)

 

if you so you could implement some block periodization  programming with a goal of building up in the off season and maintaining your gains in season and then repeating.

 

i found once I got in my 40s had to do this as my recovery from from some either too much volume or too much high intensity strength work in the gym had a big impact on my golf game and potential for injury.

[johnrobison]

6 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

Full disclosure: I’m not a proponent of “golf specific workouts”. A good full-body workout regimen that includes core stability, rotational strength, etc is sufficient.

 

Why not just continue with your current programming? Is there another goal or result that you’re trying to achieve that requires a new protocol? If you’re looking to train for speed (and I don’t mean swing speed), you can always incorporate a few explosive movements into the routine. Box jumps, plyo push-ups, and myriad other moves that add a bit of speed to the strength gains. Looking lean and athletic requires muscle mass - it’s the single biggest contributor to fat burning. Lighter weights would be going in the opposite direction.

 

I’ll link back to my earlier post on an efficient and effective protocol:

 

[Albatross Dreamer]

31 minutes ago, johnrobison said:

Full disclosure: I’m not a proponent of “golf specific workouts”. A good full-body workout regimen that includes core stability, rotational strength, etc is sufficient.

 

Why not just continue with your current programming? Is there another goal or result that you’re trying to achieve that requires a new protocol? If you’re looking to train for speed (and I don’t mean swing speed), you can always incorporate a few explosive movements into the routine. Box jumps, plyo push-ups, and myriad other moves that add a bit of speed to the strength gains. Looking lean and athletic requires muscle mass - it’s the single biggest contributor to fat burning. Lighter weights would be going in the opposite direction.

You don’t need heavy weights to build muscle, it’s since been shown the amount of weight needed to build muscle is lower than we used to think. In fact, going lighter can be better due to being easier on joints, less chance of injury, etc. Of course we still have to push ourselves regardless of the weight and you can’t go “pink DB light”.

 

To me “golf specific” just means training the attributes needed in golf. I agree people get WAY carried away with it though in trying to make things look too “like golf”. So I guess I agree with telling people not to worry about it too much (even if my program is “golf specific”). 😂. 
 

Also agree OP could prob make simple tweaks to get what they want.

[bilbry57]

6 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

I'm 67 and for me when I lift heavier doing chest (bench reps 3- 5) and shoulders  I get tighter and my golf game suffers.  I have been adding mobility work on true stretch cage so maybe that will help with tightness but I haven't tried lifting heavier again yet.

 Based on your post you could experiment with more reps lighter weights with upper body exercises. Then after a couple weeks see how that affects your golf swing.  I do reps 10-12 range normal WO days and also do a day of body weight stuff Pull-ups , dips , pushups and light hex bar dead lifts.  Works for me but I would try a few different programs and see what works for you.  If your looking for an inexpensive option give Mike Carroll's fit for golf a try he has a free trial and great app that gives you different programs based on your goals

Edited December 29, 2024 by bilbry57

[Albatross Dreamer]

6 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

OP here.

Started this in March.  
I have been lifting weights all of 2024 and had amazing results. 
Lost a ton of weight. About 6 inches in pant size and down to my goal weight.

 

A few problems though.  MY golf game went to s***.  I was sore and stiff during the season.  I developed the shanks, .... 

 

In the end it was all worth it and my game actually came around nicely in Sept / oct.

 

I have 2 more workouts for the year then taking a week off.  Jan 6th I'm going to start a new workout.

Im looking for something more golf specific.  Lighter weights possibly more athletic moves something different than the traditional chest / back / shouders / arms / legs split ive been doing all year.

 

I've been looking for a month for something I think I'd enjoy and haven't had much luck.

Any suggestions?

I want to still lift weights but I'm looking to try to get a leaner / more athletic body.  I'm in my mid 40s but feel great and have no physical limitations right now.

 

 

 

First off, props to you for sticking with it the whole year even when your golf game sucked for a bit!

 

I can’t help with a program recommendation as I’m not sure exactly what you’re wanting and I design all my own workouts anyways.

 

I’ll fluctuate my workouts throughout the year depending on the goal and what I’m wanting. Right now I have little to no “traditional” strength training this phase and will add some back in. But I don’t think it needs quite as much time as many give it. With the caveat many of us like to do more so nothing wrong with it!
 

But for a well rounded program can set it up similar to:

Warm up

Explosive/Plyo/Med ball stuff

Main strength move(s)

Accessory strength

Core/extra stuff

Cardio

 

Depending how many days per week you’re doing could do Total body, upper/lower, Hi/low (neural demand), etc

[bluedot]

Fwiw, what makes a workout “golf specific” looks nothing at all like the golf swing.  I’ve been lifting regularly for almost 50 years, and doing “golf specific” workout for 5 years now; I doubt anyone could watch my workout and be certain that I was training for any particular sport, much less golf.  In that regard, golf is catching up to sports like track and field; track athletes have been doing workouts for decades that don’t look anything like their event(s).

 

In short, if you think that a golf specific workout is a bunch of stuff that mimics the golf swing, except with weights, forget it; that’s just not true.  And much of what is done in a golf specific program would also be done by any person involved in serious weight training, or who is training for most other sports.