Lifting Weights During Golf Season - Advice needed

[bluedot]

12 hours ago, johnrobison said:

Same here. I cut down to 2 days about a year ago and haven't lost any weight or strength. I've gained strength in some moves, in fact. I will add a 3rd day if I want to do a gaining phase, which is really the only time that I "cycle". I also keep it up all year long without a down season, but once or maybe even twice a year I'll increase volume and eat a bit more to try to gain a bit. At 57, the extra recovery days have actually been more beneficial than a constant 3-day routine. At the same time, at 57 it's harder to keep muscle which is why I like a bit of extra focus occasionally on gaining for a month or so here and there.

No “off-season” for me, either.  I lift twice a week year round, and each day is full body.  I’m 72 and have been lifting for 45 years now, but the last 6 years I’ve been a client of Par4Success.  I tend heavily toward being a drone, and they change my workouts every 8 weeks or so, which is great for me in multiple ways.  
 

The only adjustment I make to my workouts is to occasionally cut a set or reduce the reps in the sets if I’m already a little fatigued and I have a tournament the next day, or know that I’m going to be walking 18 holes in the heat two or three days in a row, but I never cut weight.  

[MichMan123]

started this thread about 18 months ago.

Still going to gym lifting super heavy.  

It really really hidered my golf game for a while but I'm finally getting used to it now.

I try not to lift on days before golf. 

I will lift after golf no problem.

 

Down 35 lb with tons of muscle gains. Handicap up 6 but worth it to feel much better.  can walk 18 without a problem and in the best shape ive been in 25 years.

 

So after all that lifting heavy kinda messes with your swing and it did take me a while to get used it but I'm dialing it in now!

 

 

[RSLP]

lift heavy / run fast / stretch + drink some good beer

[Mike_C]

Here's a follow up for me after about 18 months of trying to be lifting 2-3X a week, and playing golf.

 

Fist a summary, dropped close to 40 pounds after 6-8 months with gym/diet, but was seeing limited strength/size gains. Increased calories and started to go a bit heavier and was seeing progress on the muscle front, gained 5+ pounds back, I would say much of it muscle.   However, did injury my shoulder slightly early this year from poor form, which set me back some, didn't seem to bother me for golf though.   

 

But 2 months ago things got worse.   Felt a twinge in my back at the end of a workout, then came home and moved a heavy planter for me wife, bang, my back went out.  And then got worse.  I have a history of a bad back, working out usually makes it better or prevents it, and when it happens it never got worse after a few days, but this time it did.   Ended up getting an MRI, showed a 5mm bulging disc a l5 s1, maybe I've had it for years, who knows.  I was out of commission for several weeks, at first all I could do is lay on the floor.   Slowly got better, after about a month I went back to the gym for light work, limited bending over.   Oddly, the golf swing doesn't seem to really bother me much at all.  I started hitting balls after 5 weeks and played 36 holes over a weekend after 6 weeks.   Sitting for long periods is what aggravates it the most.   I'm still not going as heavy as I was before, and still limiting certain exercises, but I'm 90-95% back I would say.   Now going to the gym 3X week, hitting balls 2-3X during the week and playing on the weekend.   Only other downside is I gained another 5-6 pounds from laying around and doing very little for over a month......

[Rosco1216]

Just keep doing what you’re doing if your body feels fine. 

[Phabs]

I lift 5 days a week and committed to two leg days a week.  Have gotten so used to being sore I hardly even notice it anymore until I stretch.   Usually go Saturday - Wednesday and hit balls / putt / chip Thursday and Friday.  If I have a morning round I go at night and vis versa …. Yep single and won’t ever have nor want kids 🤣

[MichMan123]

a year and a half later.

My golf game is adapting to my new body lol.

 

Heading to gym now and teeing off afterwards at 730.

I lift heavy 4 days ish a week and 5-6 in Winter.

 

1-2 nagging injuries but nothing major and no negatives to report other than stiffness which is my fault for not incorporating enough stretching.

 

This winter I will continue to lift but I will add yoga 2x a week.

 

 

[phizzy30]

On 6/11/2025 at 3:37 AM, MichMan123 said:

started this thread about 18 months ago.

Still going to gym lifting super heavy.  

It really really hidered my golf game for a while but I'm finally getting used to it now.

I try not to lift on days before golf. 

I will lift after golf no problem.

 

Down 35 lb with tons of muscle gains. Handicap up 6 but worth it to feel much better.  can walk 18 without a problem and in the best shape ive been in 25 years.

 

So after all that lifting heavy kinda messes with your swing and it did take me a while to get used it but I'm dialing it in now!

 

 

Be careful lifting super heavy.  It will tax your joints and CNS if that's all you do.  I say this as a personal trainer who trains high level ams and pro athletes in that you need to vary volume so you don't burn out or get injured from lifting heavy all the time.  I recommend having weeks where you drop the weights a bit and hit 10-15 reps for like 2-3 weeks straight then go back to heavy weights.  You'll thank me later.  

Edited July 23 by phizzy30

[BTE0816]

I do a 3 on 1 off depending on how I am feeling and the schedule with a toddler, I may lift 6 days in a row then take one off. I'm less than a month out from 40 so my goals have changed, I'm no longer chasing 1RMs and probably haven't tried for one in at least two years. At this point I strive for consistency. I usually stay at a top weight for 2-3 weeks, and still much lower than my all time highs, before I increase 5-10lb. The only thing I try to avoid is deadlifts after golf. My split looks like:

 

Squat, RDL, Walking Dumbbell Lunge, Dumbbell Glute Bridge, Leg Extensions

Bench, Incline Dumbbell Bench, OHP, Side Raises, Front Raises, Incline Dumbbell Curl

Deadlift, Pull up, Ring Row, Tricep Pushdown, EZ Bar Curl

[MichMan123]

Ive been doing 

5 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Be careful lifting super heavy.  It will tax your joints and CNS if that's all you do.  I say this as a personal trainer who trains high level ams and pro athletes in that you need to vary volume so you don't burn out or get injured from lifting heavy all the time.  I recommend having weeks where you drop the weights a bit and hit 10-15 reps for like 2-3 weeks straight then go back to heavy weights.  You'll thank me later.  

 

 

I know.  You are correct.  I have been lucky but there are days where I know I'm pushing my luck.

 

My routine is something like this:

10-20 Min on eliptical to warm up 

 

Chest / Back / Shoulders / Arms / Legs 5 day split try to hit 5 days a week Could be Monday - Friday could be M-Thursday Plus Sat or Sunday whatever.

 

14-16 sets. 4 Exercises 4 sets ish each

 

Reps are generally 15 10 8 15 ish per exercise 

 

Today was Shoulders -

Seated Barbell press 4 sets

Shoulder Press Machine 4 sets

Front Dumbell extensions 3 sets

Shoulder Fly 3 sets

 

10 Min in Sauna (Almost after every workout I hit the Sauna for 10 min. It's a game changer I haven't been sick for 18 months)

 

 

 

 

 

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

Ive been doing 

 

 

I know.  You are correct.  I have been lucky but there are days where I know I'm pushing my luck.

 

My routine is something like this:

10-20 Min on eliptical to warm up 

 

Chest / Back / Shoulders / Arms / Legs 5 day split try to hit 5 days a week Could be Monday - Friday could be M-Thursday Plus Sat or Sunday whatever.

 

14-16 sets. 4 Exercises 4 sets ish each

 

Reps are generally 15 10 8 15 ish per exercise 

 

Today was Shoulders -

Seated Barbell press 4 sets

Shoulder Press Machine 4 sets

Front Dumbell extensions 3 sets

Shoulder Fly 3 sets

 

10 Min in Sauna (Almost after every workout I hit the Sauna for 10 min. It's a game changer I haven't been sick for 18 months)

 

 

 

 

 

When you said super heavy, I thought you were exclusively in the 1-6 rep range.  Your rep range looks fine.  High volume training where you're hitting each muscle group once a week is how I train as well so keep doing your thing.  Take 7-14 days off for every 8-10 weeks you train just to let any injuries heal up and for your CNS as well.  

[BeTheBall_]

I just run CrossFit Linchpin nowadays.

 

Loads of variety, never gets boring and programmed by people a lot smarter than me so I never second guess my training which often happens when I'm programming for myself.

 

Lots of crossover for athletic performance and just general physical preparedness. Multiple options for scaling and those with limited or no equipment. 

 

Also BTWB is by far the best training companion app I've used.

 

[BeTheBall_]

15 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Be careful lifting super heavy.  It will tax your joints and CNS if that's all you do.  I say this as a personal trainer who trains high level ams and pro athletes in that you need to vary volume so you don't burn out or get injured from lifting heavy all the time.  I recommend having weeks where you drop the weights a bit and hit 10-15 reps for like 2-3 weeks straight then go back to heavy weights.  You'll thank me later.  

 

Yeah I battered my CNS years ago chasing big numbers, wasn't fun and took months to recover properly.