One of the best by strength coach Mike Boyle.
Brian July 25th, 2010
I have written about this ad nauseam, but Mike Boyle sums it up nicely here.
Every time someone in a social setting finds out that
I’ve worked with PGA golfers, the response is always
the same. “I guess you guys do light weights and lots
of stretching.” It drives me nuts. One thing I hope to
do over the next few months is tell the truth about
training.
Point 1 – No one ever got better lifting light weights.
Light weight is an oxymoron. A weight should be
appropriate to the goal but, rarely, if ever, intentionally
light. The load should be based on the strength level of
the person. The reality is if you are lifting a weight ten
times, numbers nine and ten should be difficult. If you
can lift a weight 20 times but choose to do only ten,
you are wasting your time. Period.
Point 2 – The essence of effective strength training is
a concept called progressive resistance exercise. This
means that that even if the resistance may be light to
begin with, it should not stay that way.
I go crazy when someone tells me about the routine
they’ve been doing with their eight-lb hand weights.
(P.S. Call them dumbbells. Calling them hand weights is
a dead giveaway that you are clueless.)
My first question is this. How long have you been doing
this? Often, people respond with something like, “I’ve
done this three times a week for three months.” The
doctrine of progressive resistance says that the first two
weeks were beneficial and that 10 weeks were wasted.
It’s no wonder people stop working out.
Point 3 – Once you have passed the first three weeks of
training, you should lift a weight that is heavy but allows
perfect form. Be wary, however, of another all-too-common
mistake. When we say the load should be heavy, people
begin to cheat. We are not encouraging cheating. Strive
for perfect technique in all exercises AND progressively
increase the resistance. SportBlocks, from PowerBlock,
are perfect for this. SportBlocks are a small version of the
popular PowerBlock dumbbells that increase in
three-pound increments. If you don’t want to buy
SportBlocks, get a good selection of dumbbells.
Beginners will need 2.5-, 5-, 7.5-,10- and 12-lb dumbbells
in order to progress.
Point 4 – Work on basic strength in basic exercises. If your
trainer has you practicing your golf swing with a dumbbell
in your hands, get a new trainer. Do not wave dumbbells
around and call it strength training. Learn to bodyweight
squat, learn to do a push-up. Good basic training should
strongly remind you of the calisthenics you used to do in
high school.
Here’s the truth. The secret is, there is no secret. If you
want to hit a golf ball further, you need to get stronger.
You will not get strong lifting a five-pound dumbbell.
Regards,
Mike Boyle