As I highlighted in the video above, all of us have to consider how our lifestyle relates to our fitness and dietary practices. Tiger Woods is a high profile, very visible example of what can go wrong when your goals do not match up with what you are doing on a daily basis with your workout program.
Golf is a sport that calls for a balance between finesse and
technique. Historically the golfer who
hits the ball the farthest is not the one who wins the most tournaments. A proper golf swing involves a delicate
balance in combining the inertia generated through the torque force created by
the hips and lower body in conjunction with the angled swinging motion
generated by stabilized operation in which the head, neck, shoulders, elbows
and wrists are all involved. There are
physiological and technical reasons why some people are better at driving a
ball off the tee compared to putting the ball on the green. Golf reminds me a lot of playing Billiards:
there is a lot of physical and mathematical science behind the execution within
the confines of the game.
When you understand the sport science involved in golf you
see how it relates to Tiger Woods. Tiger
is arguably one of the most fit and athletic golfers to ever play. He also has one of the most violent swings in
the history of the PGA Tour. Tiger’s
workout regimen over the years is comparable to that of a two-sport college
athlete who plays football in the fall and baseball in the spring. His physique is comparable to Florida State
University Quarterback and Pitcher Jameis Winston.
The biggest
difference between Winston and Woods is their age. Tiger is so driven, a perfectionist, that he
keeps hitting the weights like he is still a younger man. The body can only take so much “abuse”. To have a physique like Woods, the individual
spends at least 66 percent of their workout building and developing slow twitch
muscle fibers. The problem with this is
that if you do not incorporate other forms of strength building exercises
(cross training, flexibility training, balance training, etc.) when you go to
execute athlete feats that involve the torch, balance and technique found in
golf, the body is not built to respond fluidly to those actions. Without enough diversity in an exercise program
the individual limits the ability to maximize their physical potential and can
potential hurt themselves.
Bruce Lee wrote in his books 50 years ago about
understanding the difference between “Functional Strength” and “Visual Strength”. A major example of this difference has to do
with our Core Muscles. The human core
muscles is a group of muscles that stretch from the bottom of the hip complex
at the top of the Quadriceps and extends up to the Diaphragm just below the Pectorals’
Muscles. In order to “Strengthen your
Core” you must strength more than just Abs, it also includes your lower and
middle back. Bruce Lee wrote about how
many athletes only work on the top level of their Abdominal muscles and neglect
the interior abdominal muscles along with the back muscles that are crucial for
stability and protecting your organs.
Sometimes you see Models and Actors/Actress on TV with “Sexy Abs” yet if
those same people with “Sexy Abs” get punched in the gut, they drop to the
ground gasping for air just like a person who has a “flabby gut”. Having Functional Muscle means your Core is
Strong, Stable, Flexible and Sustainable for life.
When you see on the news Tiger Woods having “back problems”,
“back spasms”, etc. and then they show on TV him swing the club followed by
Woods immediately grabbing his back; this is a sign that Woods lacks the
fluidity and flexibility to sustain his high torque golf swing. In order to be able to execute and sustain
such a golf swing, Tiger should cut back on the upper body resistance workouts
and transition to more Flexibility and Core Synergistic Training. Exercise routines found in Yoga and Pilates
are general examples of Flexibility and Balance training.
The same goes for all of us concerning how our workouts
affect us. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What are your fitness/health goals? How does it relate to my exercise program and
nutritional habits?
-These questions are very important because there is no
generic, “cookie cutter” program out there that works for everyone. If you are skinny and trying to build muscle,
you should not exercise and eat the way someone who is trying to lose weight
and tone their body would do. Some
people have faster/slower metabolisms; some people are naturally athletic while
others athletic achievements happened in middle school during Recess. The reality is that in order to reach your
goals you must understand what your body can handle and what you really want
from your fitness program.
You have to take into account how what you are doing relates
to your body and your goals by taking into consideration your lifestyle. Do you sit frequently at your job? If so, try to avoid the stationary bike at
the gym. Sitting for long periods of
time puts pressure on your lower back and hips causing back spasms and relative
flexibility which can lead to injury.
Instead of the stationary bike, switch to the Elliptical. Are you a parent with kids? Then you need to do workouts that enhance
your ability to keep up with your kids and their activities. What’s the point of working out if you are
too sore to pick up your 6 year old? Understand how what you do daily impacts
your fitness and health goals and Vice Versa.
2. What are your physical and metabolic strengths and
weaknesses?
-This is very often overlooked by many people, even those in
the fitness community. Let’s use myself
as an example. My “Physical Strengths” are
muscles such as biceps, abs, pectorals, quadriceps, and hamstrings. My “Physical Weaknesses” include a history of
knee, shoulder, and back problems. I
have to consider my strengths and weakness with my workout program. Usually I plan the days I work on back and
legs in the days right after my rest day so I can let my body reset before I go
after muscle groups that can give me problems.
Also some cardio programs I have to modify because my knee lacks the
stability to do certain explosive movements.
I have to take into consideration what my body can handle.
Similarly, my “metabolic Weaknesses” include Lactose
Intolerance. In the Nutrition and
Supplement world many people and companies push the use of Whey and Casein
Protein. Whey and Casein Protein are derived
from lactose proteins in Milk. So, I
have to watch the foods and supplements I ingest so I do not have an allergic
reaction. I substitute the use of
dairy-based protein by increasing my consumption during the week of Beef. It may sound very simple but think about it:
Whey/Casein comes from Milk proteins, milk comes from cows, and beef is cow
meat. Lean Beef is an excellent source
of protein and has all the nutrients my body needs without having to put a
bunch of extra powders in my smoothies.
So before you start a new fitness or nutrition program
consider these two important questions.
Improving your health and fitness is supposed to be a positive process, a
journey towards a better overall standard of living. It should not be a pathway to injuries or new
health problems. If you can discuss your
options with a Personal Trainer, Health or Fitness Professional you can
trust.
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