Journey Through The Wendler 531

On October 21, 2013 I tested my 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in the following barbell exercises: Military Press, Bench Press, Deadlift and Squat.  I had just completed a month long body weight only cycle as I felt pretty beat up from various training methods over the summer.  The reason for testing my 1RM in these big multi-joint compound barbell movements is I wanted to start a cycle of the famous Wendler 531 raw strength program.  I have used the Wendler 531 in the past with my two boys and they both achieved great results, but being teen agers any progressive strength program will make them strong, I was more interested in how the program would affect a 55 year old male.

The results of my 1RM test: Military Press 145, Deadlift 325, Bench Press 200, Squat 230
I have always been relatively strong in the Deadlift and Bench Press, and not so strong in the Military Press and Squat.   My Military Press and Deadlift numbers were good and I attribute this to my routine kettlebell practice.  My Bench Press and Squat numbers were abysmal even after a month long journey of high volume body weight push ups and squats.  But as the football coach from Pittsburgh says, "It is what it is."  So I started the Wendler 531 with true 1RM numbers.

The unique aspect of the program is you base all of your training poundages from 90% of your true 1RM.  You plug that number into the program and it gives you the appropriate training weights for that days session.  Spend the $20.00 and buy the Wendler 531 ebook it is worth every dollar invested and Jim put his entire life into this program, so man up and don't rip off his work.

I chose to do what Jim calls the big but boring method.  I warm up, do the work sets, then perform the appropriate assistance work.  My goal is to complete the entire session in 45 minutes or less.  The big but boring method is just a way to practice that days lift with lighter weight and get in some quality hypertrophy work.  So on squat day, after warm up you do the work sets, then do 5 sets of 10 repetitions with a weight around 50% of your true 1RM.  You may add in some basic movements like dips, chin ups, push ups.  I also like to add in some kettlebell work using swings and get ups for variety when needed. For conditioning work I recommend fast walking or even sprints if you feel up to it 3-4 times a week.

I did three cycles of the Wendler 531, from October 21 until December 24.  I chose a training schedule of 2 days and 1 day of rest, after the third week of the cycle I would do a 4-5 day active rest de-load week.  Initially my diet was not very good, but through the second and third cycle I tightened down my nutrition and started to see some real good results as my strength increased.  I also gained some body weight over this 8 weeks.

During the first cycle I experienced some serious soreness as my body was adapting to the movements and the volume of training.  The second cycle is when I started to see some really strong increases in strength and endurance.  I was still sore at times as I pushed hard during the training sessions but I felt my body adapting to the volume and intensity.  The third cycle is when things started to change, my numbers went up dramatically in the work sets.  I made a couple of mistakes during the training, during the third cycle I decided to add in some extra work on the rest days, I found this was not wise as a couple of the sessions were not as strong as I felt they should have been.  I finished up the third cycle and took a few days rest then retested my true 1 repetition maximum.

Military Press 150, increase of 5 pounds
Bench Press 235, increase of 35 pounds
Deadlift 365, increase of 40 pounds
Squat 265, increase of 35 pounds

I was happy with the increase in the 3 power lifts, and not real happy with the Military Press, although I feel I was probably maxed out and a five pound increase in 8 weeks is progress.

The 3 power lifts, are all close to my recent (within the last 5 years) PR's.  My personal goals for 2014 are 405 Deadlift, 250 Bench Press, 300 Squat, 165 Military Press.  I feel they are all obtainable at a body weight of 195 or lower.  I need to stick with the Wendler 531 plan, use the program for what it supposed to do for you, get you stronger.  I'd eventually like to hit a 1000 pound raw total in the 3 power lifts within the next 2 years.

Getting stronger is a journey, and all journeys start with that first step.  In this case they start with that first cycle and smart programming.

I feel so much better when I am strong.  My nutrition plan this past year has been real cyclical, periods of clean eating, followed by periods of really bad eating and drinking.  I am battling with moderation, and my heart tells me moderation leads to mediocrity.

Al

10 Reasons Why You Should Be Practicing With Kettlebells For Golf Fitness

Kettlebells and Platinum Golf Fitness

Following is a quick list of ten reasons why I think you should be practicing with kettlebells for golf performance. There are many more, but I’m hoping this list will help you come to a better understanding on how to approach utilizing this amazing tool.

1. Efficiency – Kettlebells (in conjunction with a handful of high-tension body weight skills) can provide an intense full-body practice session in an incredibly short period of time. A session of less than 20 minutes in length can have you drenched with sweat and gasping for air. Most “trainers” recommend that you perform lengthy cardio, flexibility and resistance sessions for up to 6 to 8 hours a week for golf fitness.  A week’s worth of kettlebell practice sessions equal only a fraction of that and you will get much better results. And wouldn’t you really want to spend that time working on golf skills?

2. Tension Management – Kettlebells require that you develop a high level of sensitivity in regards to grip strength and tension distribution and redistribution that readily transfers to golf performance. The kettlebell’s displaced center of gravity create grip and forearm strength requirements that cannot be matched by regular free weights or machines. The ability to create and distribute tension is of paramount importance to a golfer.  Not only is it a factor in strength endurance, but also in speed, mobility, stability and golf power as well. Muscles become stronger by learning how to contract them more effectively, explosively, and efficiently. The body as a unit becomes stronger by learning how to instigate a coordinated firing of muscles in a more effective, explosive, and efficient manner.  This tension management increases shot distance, the golfers holy grail.

3. Mindfulness – Kettlebell practice requires you to “be in the moment,” allowing you to develop a very high-level of concentration, focus, intensity and body awareness. As in golf, lapses in concentration or body awareness are swiftly punished.  A lack of intensity will not allow you to build the requisite strength and mental toughness needed to distinguish yourself in action. How many people have you seen staring off into space while they were working out on a treadmill for fitness? Don’t even think about doing that while practicing kettlebells unless of course you enjoy sitting in the Emergency Room!  The kettlebell demands attention at all times.

4. Sensitivity – Kettlebells require you to constantly challenge your spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, tension, balance and timing. Once again, these are all skills that will cross over into your golf swing. Think about it.

5. Raw Strength – Kettlebells develop thick, dense, sinewy muscles that deliver when you need them – as opposed to the puffy muscle bound look.  By forcing the muscle to support the KB you end up activating the deeper, harder-to-work, stabilizing and supporting tendons of the muscles. Most golfers who start using kettlebells see a rapid loss of excess body fat and weight. Once the ‘foundation’ phase is over there oftentimes occurs a slight increase in body weight that accompanies a rapid rise in strength. This is when the muscles start becoming denser and the deficient areas of the musculature start suddenly filling in, you are building joint resilience. Your raw strength transfers into raw golf power.

6. Unilateral Strength – Kettlebells require that you develop unilateral skills, coordination and strength. There is no hiding behind your “strong-hand” in kettlebell practice. Weak links in golf power development are filled in as you get stronger and become accustomed to the bracing requirements of kettlebell practice. Plugging power leaks lead to increased shot distance and develop that graceful yet powerful golf swing that all golfers desire.

7. Holistic – Kettlebells combine mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power into every movement. No other tool will challenge you when it comes to developing these attributes that you will be able to apply on the golf course. Kettlebell practice specifically trains all of the physical traits required by the elite golfer and succeed where other golf performance methods fail. In particular, KB practice addresses all of the elements that are going to be required of golfer, you practice whole body movements that carry over to the full golf swing.

8. Mental Hardening – Kettlebell practice develops a high level of mental toughness and an understanding of controlled aggression. You can’t approach a demanding “heavy” kettlebell practice session without an attitude that it is you against the kettlebell.  A golfer who is looking for a “light” practice session can find just that by using kettlebell techniques that will enhance their overall mobility, stability and awareness, for someone who is looking to up their golf performance, the kettlebell is the key that opens the lock. If you have ever done any high-repetition kettlebell practice you know exactly what I’m talking about. That little voice in your head that tells you it’s time to quit has to be taken to the ground and choked out so that you can build the golf strength and power that you desire.

9. Movement – Kettlebell practice requires that you to learn how to move your body efficiently, strongly and with grace and power. Sitting in a machine or lying on a bench is not going to give you the athletic ability to swing a golf club. Learning how to transition from movement to movement without external stabilization, (i.e., a bench or machine) will require you to develop a higher level of strength and mobility that no machine can ever provide. Developing the ability to internally stabilize an external load will give you the sensitivity and control you will need to play golf at a higher level. Kettlebells will expose your physical and functional weaknesses until they become your strengths – and then humble you over and over again building you into a better golf machine.

10. Complete System – Practicing with Kettlebells may be the perfect system for developing golf fitness. Kettlebells allow you to perform all of the basic movement patterns Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, Carry and the Turkish Get-up, safely, efficiently and effectively. I know of no other tool or system out there that can make this claim although many will try – but very few will even come close. Through a unique combination of design, utilization and loading the kettlebell is “efficiently inefficient” in building mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power – something that will serve all golfers - from a weekend recreational golfer to an elite touring professional.

There you have it, 10 reasons why you can increase your golf performance by incorporating kettlebell practice into your weekly routine.  The Platinum Golf Fitness system consists of three 15-minute kettlebell practice sessions a week.  The system is for the completely deconditioned golfer to a golfer that is in extreme physical condition.   The system is progressive and can be used year round.


About the author:  Al Rymniak, is RKC, SFG and CK-FMS certified, he is also the inventor and the patent holder for the IronSolid golf training device and the co-founder of Platinum Golf Fitness.  An avid golfer that resides in Western Pennsylvania, he trains athletes and the general population but he specializes in performance training for the sport of golf. He can be contacted at al@ironsolid.com, his IronSolid web site is www.ironsolid.com he can also be reached at 724-962-1102 or 724-456-7503 (mobile).

5 Fitness Exercises Every Golfer Should Avoid

These common exercises could be holding back your golf performance

1.  Patterned Golf Swing Movements with Heavy Objects

Avoid using medicine balls, flex tubes and heavy clubs to simulate any portion of the golf swing under load.

Loading up the golf swing pattern with heavy loads will actually decrease your club head speed and could rob you of distance if you train your central neural-muscular system to swing slow under tension. The golf swing is a ballistic movement so we never want to pattern that movement in a slow loaded manor. It is simple, force equals mass multiplied by acceleration. F=ma. The mass of the golf club (m) is very small, the acceleration (a) of the golf club is at a very high speed, for a touring professional upwards of 100+ miles per hour. The acceleration of the club head is what has the biggest influence on the force, not the mass of the club. So if you pattern your golf swing with a 10 pound load, you will not be able to move it very fast at all through the swing pattern and you will train the opposite movement pattern that we are trying to achieve. Training a golf swing pattern with a heavy load does not simulate the relaxation and tension pattern that occurs in this high-speed ballistic movement. A much better way to train this acceleration pattern under load is by using over speed eccentric techniques and ballistic movements that are very beneficial to golf swing performance.

2.  Any Type of Isolation Exercises to Strengthen Golf Specific Muscles

Avoid simulating any portion of the backswing or downswing in isolation, or sitting in a strength machine while attempting to train for overall golf performance.

Isolation movements have no purpose in golf fitness unless you are using them for injury rehabilitation or targeting a specific muscle. The golf swing is a highly coordinated linked movement that occurs at a very high rate of speed and generates a tremendous force at impact. This total body movement starts from the ground up, power is generated by the legs and hips, up through the core of your body, transmitted through your shoulders into you arms, then finally into the golf club. There are no isolated movements in any golf swing, so do not train your body in parts or sitting in an exercise machine with the hope of getting stronger for golf performance. The best way to train your body for golf fitness is through holistic movements that are ballistic in nature that work both sides of the performance coin, tension and relaxation. Train your body to generate force from the ground up, linked through your core and transmitted through your shoulders into your arms. These types of movements provide the best carry over effect for a graceful yet powerful golf swing.

3. Balancing on Unstable Devices and Simulating Your Golf Swing

Avoid standing/kneeling on any unstable device, bosu ball, stability ball, balance board while simulating any part of your golf swing.

Training on an unstable surface to increase golf performance makes absolutely no sense. It would be like trying to hit a golf ball while standing on a skateboard, you would not be able to generate much force at all. The best movements for training rate of force development (RFD) for golf is to train movements with both feet rooted into the ground. The power of the golf swing starts from the ground up, you have to be able to apply force to the ground to remain stable through out the entire swing pattern. Standing or even kneeling on any unstable surface trains a pattern that does not create force. Think of it this way, could you jump higher from solid ground in bare feet, or from a cushioned surface in running shoes with 2 inches of foam padding in the sole. Train on firm surfaces, such as grass, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Do movements that train your body to generate tremendous amounts of ground up force and the carry over effect is a much more stable powerful golf swing.

4. Static Stretching

Avoid all traditional stretching movements where you stretch and hold, especially in a simulated swing pattern position.

The stretching that occurs in the golf swing is dynamic, where certain groups of muscle relax, opposing groups of muscles are in tension, this is the nature of the golf swing. The swing is a very rapid relaxation/tension pattern. Relaxation is speed, tension is strength. You need both in the golf swing and it is best to train both sides of this performance dynamic in the same movement. Static stretching does not train your golf muscles to adapt to the relaxation/tension pattern. Static stretching is a stretch and hold technique that may actually put the brakes on your golf swing. Dynamic mobility and flexibility movements are simple to practice and they will release the parking brake from your hips and enable you to generate much more club head speed. This will increase shot distance and take the stress off your lower back region.

5. Long Slow Distance Cardio Exercise to Improve Your Golf Fitness

Avoid long slow distance training on treadmill, exercise bicycles, stair masters, elliptical machines, and recumbent bikes to improve your golf fitness.

Long slow distance cardio exercise has its benefits for general conditioning but has no effect on golf swing performance. The golf swing is a rapid fire highly coordinated linked full body movement that takes place in seconds. You are required to move a very light object, the golf club, very rapidly to create maximum force into the ball at impact, in a very coordinated pattern. You do not have to possess a lot of cardiovascular fitness in order to make that event happen. Train your body to make this explosive ballistic movement, which trains an entirely different type of endurance, and the endurance you need for the golf swing, where you can call upon power when demanded. Unless you are walking every round of golf you play, which is highly unlikely today, you are basically called upon to perform this explosive movement around 50 times a round for an average recreational golfer. So do not spend your time doing long slow distance cardio to try to improve your golf performance, you would be better served spending time on other skills. Spend less than 3 minutes a day doing simple movements that will train your body to generate maximum power for a short period of time, which will have a great effect on your golf performance.

If you are interested in a golf performance program contact me at al@ironsolid.com

Platinum Golf Fitness is systematic approach for training golfers to perform at their best physically, integrating the five key elements of a graceful yet powerful golf swing: mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power.  The system is adaptable to all levels, de-conditioned golfer to extremely fit golfer.

10,000 Swings in January

Mission accomplished!  I was able to complete the 10,000 kettlebell swing challenge in January.

I actually did 11,100 one arm kettlebell swings.  It really wasn't that difficult once I set my mind to the task and took it one swing at a time.  I used a combination of the 16kg and 20kg bell.

I performed swings on 26 of the 31 days, lowest daily total was 150, highest was 1000.

I averaged 426 per day when I did the swings.  Set and rep schemes varied upon the 'bell size and other training I did that day.  With the 20kg 'bell I did sets of 30,40,50 reps, with the 16kg 'bell I did sets of 50,75,100 reps.

A practice session:  20kg bell
30 rep sets.  10R/10L/10H2H or 15R/15L or 5R/5L/10H2H/5R/5L
40 rep sets.  15R/15L/10H2H or 20R/20L or 5R/5L/20H2H/5R/5L
50 rep sets.  15R/15L/20H2H or 25R/25L or 10R/10L/10H2H/10R/10L

I would break the practice session up depending upon the goal for the day, waving between 30,40 and 50 rep schemes.

A practice session: 16kg bell
50 rep sets. 15R/15L/20H2H or 25R/25L or 10R/10L/10H2H/10R/10L
75 rep sets. 20R/20L/30H2H or 15R/15L/15H2H/15R/15L or 10R/10L/30H2H/10R/10L
100 rep sets.  30R/30L/40H2H or 20R/20L/20H2H/20R/20L or 15R/15L/40H2H/15R/15L

When I felt fresh I would do 100 rep sets with the 16kg, but mostly stuck to the 50 rep scheme.

I also used the TV Fitness Challenge on the weekends and did swings using that protocol while watching NCAA basketball and NFL football.  On two days I was able to do 1000 swings.

This challenge was really good for me.  I was able to dial in my swing form as I concentrated on perfecting each rep.  The focus on the reps and the set routine provided a great training affect.

I was also training an Easy Strength protocol.  So my volume was quite high this month.

This challenge got my 2013 off to a very good start.  I am doing a new challenge in February.

Stay tooned!

10,000 Swing Update

Total as of Saturday January 12, 2013  - 5500 one arm swings practiced

One swing at a time.  Averaging about 542 swings per day.  330 swings was the lowest day, 1000 swings was the highest day.  Took two days off January 10 and 11.

                     

Observations:  If you manage the number of reps per set, and schedule it out it really isn't as difficult as it might seem.  In the beginning, started out doing set of 30 reps per set.  It looked like this, 10 left arm swings, 10 right arm swings, 10 hand-to-hand swings, rest.  Then repeat for 5 sets, for a total of 150 swings per session.  Repeat the session three times for 450 swings total for the day. I quickly moved up to 50 reps per set (15L/15R/20H2H).  I used a 20kg bell for the first 6 days.  I then dropped to a 16kg bell and upped the reps to 75 per set (20L/20R/30H2H). I used this routine for 3 days, then took two complete days off.  I then did 1000 swings on the day after the rest days, using a 16kg bell I did 4 sets of 100 reps (30L/30R/40H2H), and 12 sets of 50 reps with a 20kg bell (15L/15R/20H2H) using the newly found TV Fitness Challenge (TFC) routine watching an NCAA basketball game on TV.  The recovery period between sets was around 6-8 minutes on average.

This challenge is all about VOLUME, the volume increases your capacity for work.

Some tips.

• Concentrate on technique for each rep, no sloppy reps allowed.
• Use two 'bell sizes, the snatch size bell and one right below it, in my case I use a 20kg and a 16kg, this allows you to cycle the training capacity.
• The number of reps and bell size should be taxing enough that you have to be mindful of your form and you should finish the set slightly winded and feeling some burn in the muscles of your posterior chain.
• Schedule two or three sessions per day, avoid a one session event.
• Take rest days, preferably 2 consecutive days, every 6-7 days. 
• I am also using the soon to be released TV Fitness Challenge routine to get in some high volume sessions.

Summary:  I am really enjoying this challenge as my endurance is increasing rapidly.  At no time was I ever sore, my back actually feels 100% better than it did when I started.  A bonus, I have to tighten my belt another notch, so that means I am transforming my body.  I do not care about how much I weigh on the scale, but I am losing inches in the area's that matter most.  My regular strength training sessions are better, I am getting strong(er).   The increased work capacity is helping in other area's.  My energy levels are high, I don't feel as tired in the mid afternoon.  I am also sleeping better at night, that is great!

So what does this have to do with GOLF? The kettlbell swing so closely mimics the muscular tension and relaxation pattern of a golf swing that I am training my central nervous system and muscular coordination in high volume to be able to cycle this ballistic pattern.  The abilbity to turn off and turn on muscular tension and relaxtion in a coordinated movement is the difference between an elite and recreational athlete.  The carry over effect, or "what the hell" effect, from the kettlebell swing practice to my golf swing practice will result in increased club head speed which will equate to more shot distance, power on demand, more consistent club control and ball striking. Better golf performance.

I also am training the five elements of what is needed for golf swing performance: mobility, stability, balance, strength and power. The beauty is I am training these five elements with one simple but effective movement, in the privacy of my own home, with one simple tool - the kettlebell.

High volume kettlebell swings is the foundation of the upcoming Platinum Golf Fitness training program.

The first 30 days is the foundation month, next we will incorporate kettlebell swings and dry golf practice swings.  Then we will build overall body strength and incorporate the best golf performance training movement - the Turkish Get Up.  Stay Tooned!

Note:  While writing this article I did 400 one arm swings using a 16kg bell 4 sets of 100 (30L/30R/40H2H). So I am now at 5900 swings for the month.

ONE SWING AT A TIME!  Build a Better Golf Machine!

Getting in 10,000 swings in January

I'm committed!  Probably should be.  In the month of January I am going to do 10,000 swings.

10,000, read that again!  I am getting myself in golf condition.  I am going to perform one arm kettlebell swings with a 20kg kettlebell ~ 45 pounds.

The KB SW so closely mirrors the muscular activation patterns of the golf swing it is almost scary. Both are full body mulit-joint movements that move a relatively light object to a pre stretch loaded position, then the object is smoothly accelerated using a very powerful hip drive, creating tremendous ballistic force, the object reaches an impact point where all the forces are concentrated, then the object is eccentrically brought back to rest.  The kettlebell swing and the golf swing are two of the most explosive movements in all of sport. Both movements use the tension/relaxation performance cycle to create maximal power. Strength and speed make up a powerful kettlebell swing as well as a powerful golf swing.

The hand-to-hand movements practiced with the kettlebell will build outstanding rotational power from the ground up, training the body to take the power generated from the legs, through the core of the body, into the shoulders, down through the arms and into the golf club. There are no better movements that can be done that will carry over to the full golf swing.

My 10,000 swings will be hand-to-hand one arm swings with a 20kg bell.  (H2H 1ASW).

I start with my left arm and perform a swing and transfer the KB to the right hand and perform a right arm KB swing, this is the H2H pattern used to complete the desired number of swings for that set.  I will use sets of 30 1 ASW H2H for the first 2500 swings. Then I will increase it to 35 for the next 2500, and so on.  I want to make sure the SW's are done crisply and as perfect as I can perform them, my mantra is NO SLOPPY SWINGS.

The beauty of the H2H 1ASW is that it builds tremendous rotational and anti-rotational mobility, stability, balance, strength and power.  There is a counter rotational aspect to the swing on the none KB side.   The carry over effect is insane, as this movement closely mimics the body's muscle activation patterns necessary in a powerful yet graceful golf swing. It is a ballistic rhythmic pattern of tension and relaxation.

There is no better movement than the KB SW for training golf power, and the 1 arm swing, hand-to-hand is as good as it gets.

As of January 3, 2013 the count is 1230. Onward to 10,000 swings in January.

Off Season Golf Fitness

Off Season Golf Fitness - up here in the Ohio Valley area (Western Pennsylvania) the weather has changed over to fall time.  Although yesterday the temperature was in the mid-70's the golf season has pretty much wound down to the few die hards that will play in just about any weather.

The golf clubs usually go into the storage shed, garage or basement at this time of year and the season is over for most recreational golfers.  Most golfers will not touch a golf club until early spring.

As a golfer you are missing out on a 3-4 month period where you can improve your golf performance tremendously.  Invest the time each week you would have played or practiced golf and devote it to a simple but effective golf fitness plan.  If you played one round of golf per week that would be 4 hours of time, invest half that to a golf fitness routine and your game performance will improve once next golf season comes back around.

So what do you concentrate on in a golf fitness routine?  The full golf swing is one of the most explosive movements in all of sports.  You are moving a very light object (the golf club) very quickly from, 0 miles per hour to 80+ miles per hour back to 0 miles per hour, in one fourth of a second. This take a very coordinated effort that puts the body under a tremendous amount of stress.  The golf swing is a very complex full body motion that demands all elements of fitness be present.

The Five Elements of Golf Fitness are: Mobility, Stability, Balance/Body Awareness, Strength and Power.  The elements are sequential and go in the order from M-S-B-St-P.  We must work train in the proper sequence.  It does a golfer no good if we get stronger in our upper body but lack the mobility to make a proper shoulder turn.  Like wise, we can be as flexible as Gumby, but lack the stability to transfer forces efficiently from our lower body through our torso to generate club head speed and power.  Until we can control our balance our strength does us little good in the golf swing. A graceful yet powerful golf swing is the blending of all five of the elements of golf fitness.

We work mobility first, then stability, then balance, then strength and then power......

Before we even start a golf fitness routine it makes sense to set a base line.  We use a functional movement system (FMS) to screen movement patterns then prescribe the proper corrective exercise movements to build a very functional golfer.  The FMS will give us a starting point, it is a simple 7 step movement screen that assess the golfers ability to move in fundamental patterns.  We can determine if any dysfunction or asymmetries exist in the golfer from this screen.  Then we can prescribe the proper correctives.  The beauty is we can re-screen to see if the correctives are accomplishing the goal of removing the dysfunction or asymmetry.  This is not unlike taking golf lessons, the teacher first assesses  your swing and then suggests drills, you work on the drills and re-assess the results, changing where necessary to accomplish the goal.

A lot of times golf instructors tell me they can't fix a persons golf swing because the golfer lacks the physical attributes, such as mobility, to perform the movements necessary.  This were a proper movement screen and a proper golf fitness plan will pay huge dividends for a golfer.

Why You Should Walk

Get rid of the golf cart!  I'm a firm believer that the riding golf cart is the death of golf for me at my age. Golf Cart

I walked a 9 hole round yesterday.  It was the most enjoyable day of golf I have played in years.  The last time I walked was in July of 2011 on the Ocean Course, with a caddie.  Even in the rain it was fun, very wet but fun and on one of the worlds finest golf courses.

Yesterday I carried my own bag, a Sunday golf bag (a Sunday bag is a very light golf bag that is easy to carry).  I took a 3-wood, and 5 irons, and my putter.  I ran off 3 straight pars.....on tough holes, and I finished with a 41 score.  I was in focus.  I was looking around at the beauty of the course.  I took my time and enjoyed the experience. And I hit the golf ball way better.

Golf is a walking sport.  It took me 90 minutes to walk 9 holes, I was walking at a leisurely pace, a stroll. That was the same time it would take to ride in a golf cart.  My tempo in my golf swing matched my walking tempo.  My swing was more relaxed and I felt great.

Riding in a Golf Cart: The Bad and the Ugly

• cost more money to play
• does not reflect your swing tempo
• if you are not driving you could be with a hacker, and that sux
• promotes tight hip flexors and lower back, which put the brakes on golf swing speed
• is just plain lazy

Walking: The Good

• less expensive, the majority of the greens fee is the riding cart
• better pace of play, you set the tempo
• it's healthy, walking is good for you (you know that)
• you will enjoy the course more, see the sights, smell the roses
• it is faster, test it versus riding
• you will play better golf because you are relaxed and loose
• The Pro's walk, that should tell you something right there

Ok, there are some courses where walking is just prohibited or stupid because of the lay out.  I refuse to play those courses. 

I am starting a movement, WALK WHEN YOU PLAY GOLF!

Golf Fitness. (People are Laughing)

I recently asked a professional golf instructor what he was doing for golf fitness at his teaching facility. He started to laugh.  Seriously he laughed at me.  The conversation ended right there.

Here was a professional teaching instructor that was charging his clients high rate lesson fees and he was laughing about golf fitness.  I was shocked and I was turned off.  No matter what type of golf instructor he was, as a student of the game of golf, I could never take him seriously or recommend any recreational or up and coming amateur golfer to receive golf instruction from him.

The number one frustration for golf instructors is their students can not physically perform the swing changes they are trying to accomplish, do to poor or lacking golf fitness. 

"But I workout at the gym" is heard many times when I ask golfers if they are doing anything for the physical side of their golf game.  That's admirable but golf fitness is a very complex niche.

I'll call it a "niche", even though there are over 28 million golfers in North America.  I can think of no other recreational demographic that has that kind of participation that does not take physical training seriously.  There are very young golfers (some say too young) and there are very old golfers, and a bunch in between.  They come in all sizes and shapes and all with different degrees of athletic backgrounds, yet very few of them can tell you that they practice golf fitness that is specific to helping them enjoy and perform better.

One of the most amazing contrasts in sport is witnessing a golfer that is 5'10" tall and weighs less than 160lbs, hit a golf ball off the tee with a driver over 300 yards in distance with accuracy. Then you take a ex-strength sport athlete, like a football player, that is 6'4" tall and weighs 240lbs and he struggles to generate enough clubhead speed to hit the ball 225 yards in distance and lacks any consistency, but can bench press over 300lbs.   What makes the small statured golfer more explosive than the large ex-football player?  Strength? Skill?

Golf fitness is unique, hitting a golf ball is a highly coordinated skill that blends mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power. We call those the five absolutes of golf fitness.  Sure it is a skill, and it requires hand eye coordination, but hitting a golf ball is a skill.  The act itself is no more difficult than ping-pong when it comes to hand eye coordination.  The blending of the five absolutes of golf fitness is the key for a powerful yet graceful golfer and this is where golf fitness get's chaotic. 

How do you practice golf fitness, and still maintain the high level skill.  Traditional golf fitness includes strength training, flexibility training, and some conditioning training.  This is your basic strength and conditioning approach.   As golf equipment has went through modern technology changes, golf fitness has remained stagnant.  Better athletes are playing golf, even recreational golf.  Your body is the most expensive and the most tunable piece of golf equipment you will ever possess, yet golfers will neglect their fitness in lieu of purchasing the latest and greatest technology in the search for more distance or a better game.  The golf game improvement equipment market is huge.  The golf fitness market is almost non existent.  Why?

One of my favorite quotes in all of sports was made by Ted Williams,  "It's the Indian, not the Arrow" was his reply when asked about the size of the bat he used.  What Ted was eluding too was the bat size really didn't matter if you didn't have the physical attributes to handle it, nor the skill to use it effectively.

With Platinum Golf Fitness we have reverse engineered what is needed to build a better golf machine.  The system is a blend of mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power practice using body weight and light to moderate kettlebell movements, that can be practiced daily by any level of golfer.  The results are tremendous, we have seen increase in shot distance by 15-20% in a very short time.  Golfers now can get into the the correct swing positions easily and generate more clubhead speed.  Golfers are playing pain free for the first time in years and enjoying and loving their game again.

So what are you doing for golf fitness?  Don't laugh.  You could build yourself into a better golf machine.

Stability - What does it mean for a Golfer?

Stability - the body's capability to transfer generated force from one body segment to the next efficiently.


Force in the golf swing is generated from the ground up.  The force is transferred from the powerful lower body muscles, which are the largest muscles and prime movers in the body, through the hip joints, into the midsection up through the spinal region, through the shoulder joints, down through the arms, which is the only connection to the golf club.  Stability in the golf swing is the body's capability to transfer this tremendous force through the entire kinetic chain efficiently to generate maximum club head speed at the moment of impact.


Most golfers think of stability as holding positions while introducing an unbalanced condition, like a stability ball.  While this is one type of stability it is not the type of stability we are talking about practicing in the full golf swing.  Holding positions is more of an isometric stability, or static tension, an example would be a holding a side plank, or balancing on a unstable surface while holding a push up position to strengthen the core.  While these might be beneficial for producing strength through isometric tension, they do not train your neural-muscular system to properly transfer generated force efficiently from one body segment to another.


In Platinum Golf Fitness we train your body to "fire" the appropriate stabilization sequence in a full body, multi joint, highly coordinated movement.  We use body weight and kettlebell loaded movement patterns where your joint mobility/stability impacts the body's ability to perform the movement pattern efficiently.  It is the joints capability to fire in the correct sequence as the force is generated from the prime movers that constitutes the stability we are training for the full golf swing. 

In a powerful golf swing the large muscles of the lower body generate the ground force.  This force moves up through the lower leg joints, through hip joint and pelvic girdle, through spinal joint regions, through the shoulder joints, through arm joints, into the only connection we have to the golf club, our hands.  Lack of joint mobility/stability in this sequence will result in a inefficient transfer of force, leading to a loss of power and club head speed.  Think of your golf stability as the links of a kinetic chain, as the force moves from one end of the chain to the other, we want the joints to to fire in correct sequence in order to get the maximum transfer of energy.  If one link of the connecting chain fires out of sequence there is a power leak, if two links fire out of sequence we have a compounded effect and a tremendous loss of power that was generated intitally.


There is a reason in Platinum Golf Fitness that mobility is trained before stability.  In the efficient golf swing as the force is transferred from the ground up, joints are either mobile or stable, it is the sequencing or the timing that produce a very powerful yet graceful looking full golf swing.




Most golf stability programs focus on stability in isolation to enhance performance and decrease the incidence of injury.  While this may enhance the golfers performance, they are all done essentially in singular plane aspect, but golf requires the golfer during practice/competition to utilize their body in all three planes of motion at the same time. This means the golfer needs to have the motor units of the rotary and angular/diagonal muscles ready to assist the prime movers as they function in a near-maximal or maximal state and are ready to function when called upon.  An example of this is as follows:  a golfer can power lift 100 lbs for 5 reps.  A very good weight for anyone.  However, when it comes time to hit the ball as hard and with as much finesse as he can, he is not able to transfer all that added strength to hitting the golf ball.  Why?  In this example, his prime mover muscles are strong, but his rotary and angular/diagonal muscles are not as functional.  When it came time to utilize his new strength, there was a loss of power transfer to the ball since his trunk stabilizers and movers were not as strong, thereby not allowing the prime movers of his body to put forth all of their power.  If these trunk stabilizers and movers were stronger and more functional, there would be less power loss during transfer of the energy created by the prime movers to the rotary and angular/diagonal muscles, thereby creating a more powerful golf shot! 

We start our stability training using kettlebell carries, where we simple carry a kettlebell in one of three positions, suitcase, rack, overhead, either by marching in place or by walking a prescribed distance.  We can make this as challenging as you can imagine, but the goal is to train stabilization sequencing with dynamic movement, in this case walking.  Next we move to lightly loaded ground based movements, and a full body movement where we sequence and pattern mobility/stability using the seven steps of the Get Up.  Finally we train high speed stabilization sequencing using rotary and angular/diagonal trunk strengthening patterns with hand to hand kettlebell practice.

In a very short time PGF stability practice can have a very dramatic effect on your golf performance, the effectiveness of the system is we train mobility first, then the mobility/stability sequencing.  Nothing is done in isolation, so the carry over effect is rapid. Once we are mobile and stabile, we are ready for balance and strength practice.

Platinum Golf Fitness: Build a Better Golf Machine! Stability

Mobility, What does it mean for a Golfer?

Mobility – the body’s ability to create specific angles and movement patterns, range of motion.

Creating the proper angles and movement patterns that optimize the biomechanics of the two-pendulum motion that make up the full golf swing is the mobility that we are trying to achieve with the Platinum Golf Fitness system.  The majority of recreational golfers lack the required range of motion to complete a full golf swing, and this can be addressed and resolved fairly quickly. Increased club head speed can be achieved after a few sessions of proper mobility practice.

One of the biggest frustrations for a recreational golfer is not being physically able to obtain the correct angle and positions needed to perform a powerful and graceful golf swing.  The golf swing should "flow" and seem effortless even though it is one of the most explosive movements in all of sports.

Mobility is the base of the PGF system pyramid.  Mobility is quite simply your ability to move through a desired range of motion.  As simple as that sounds most golfers do not "move" very well.  Mobility is different than flexibility, and here is the "why" behind the difference.  Flexibility is your ability to stretch or lengthen a muscle in a static position.  Mobility is dynamic movement.  While it may seem like working on flexibility is the correct path to take in order to build a better golf swing, we find that by performing the correct mobility practice, your flexibility will also increase. 

At PGF we have found increasing the range of motion in the hips, thoracic spine and the shoulders to be the best starting point.  We use simple but effective body weight and some lightly loaded movement patterns to increase our mobility.  Some of these patterns could be considered "stretching" exercise but we prefer to call them mobility patterns when it relates to the golf swing.  We work from the ground up and increase hip mobility first.  Then thoracic spine and shoulder mobility.  Most lower back injuries and pain with recreational golfers can be attributed to lack of proper hip mobility.  The lower back compensates for the golfers lack of hip mobility, and this is not a desirable state. Increasing mobility through out the core area leads to the desired ability to disassociate the lower and upper body in the golf swing motion to create the best possible angles in which to bring the club head to the golf ball.

First we start off by opening up the hips, we use a "frog" stretch, that includes dynamic rocking.  This movement is quite effective and should be practiced on a daily basis.  Next we take the brakes off the swing by gently and effectively stretching out the hip flexors by using a "cobra" movement position while also adding in some thoracic spine extension as we "pry" through the movement.

Next we lay flat on our stomachs, arms stretched out overhead, keeping the right arm and right leg in a straight line, we bring our left knee above the waist line and turn your upper torso counter clockwise while extending the left arm skyward.  This is the "arm bar" position.  With the left arm extended we reach back mobilizing the shoulder and thoracic spine areas.  Slide your left knee down and try to "pry" your left hip towards the ground while maintaining an extended left arm bar position.  Repeat on the left side.  From here we go into the classic child's pose to mobilize our spine with some flexion.  

This is a mobility "flow" warm up that should be practiced daily.  You should easily be able to move through this flow in less than 2-3 minutes.  Spend about 10-15 seconds on each movement pattern for mobility.  Work through your range of motion with proper breathing, we do not hold our breathe in any of these positions.

Mobility is the foundation for platinum golf fitness, once we work through this mobility flow as a warm up we go into some more hip, thoracic spine, and shoulder mobility patterning that fortifies the movement needed for a powerful golf swing and prepares us for stability, balance and strength practice.

Our sedentary lifestyles (sitting or laying down most of our time) and the use of a riding golf cart while playing demand that we practice mobility every single day.  Our golf performance will increase with better range of motion. 

Platinum Golf Fitness: Build a Better Golf Machine!  Mobility

Golf Fitness Revolution

Golfers are athletes. The young players on the PGA Tour are athletes.  Tiger Woods started the golf fitness craze when he was dominating the tour in his 20's.  The young players today are all way better athletes than the older generation golfers.  Golf fitness has exploded.  Almost every young tour player and some of your older tour players will state that they are training to augment or help them be a better performing golfer.

Titleist even has a Performance Institute that is built around physical conditioning for the golfer.  I firmly believe all golfers should practice a fitness routine to compliment their golf skills practice.  

I would not be playing golf today if I didn't luckily discover a golf fitness routine myself.  I was injured and playing in pain sapped all the enjoyment and love I had for the game of golf.  I was faced with a decision to quit playing the game for a long period of time and quite possibly forever.  It is said that golf is a game you can play well into your senior years. I believe that is true as long as you are physically able to play and to play without pain.  The full golf swing is a very explosive movement, and it is a full body movement that is very taxing if you are not physically prepared to play the game.  A lot of shoulder and low back injuries occur in recreational golfers. These injuries are difficult to play around.

Unless you are enjoying the game it becomes way too frustrating to invest the resources, financially and emotionally, and the time into playing even on a weekly basis.  Even though golf equipment technology has improved dramatically over the past decade, the handicap index for all golfers has actually not improved at all.  So what is the problem.  Golfers do not practice their golf skills as much, and golfers today live more of a sedentary lifestyle than in the past.  The majority of golf is played using a riding golf cart.  Very few golfers walk when they play golf today. Physically golfers are not at a optimal level.

The need for a golf fitness routine is at an all time high based upon the modern golfers lifestyle and the use of a riding golf cart when playing.  So what do you look for in a golf fitness routine?

The five Absolute Elements that are needed to increase your level of golf fitness and golf performance:  Mobility, Stability, Balance, Strength, Power.

But more importantly we need a routine that we can practice that does not take a long time investment.

When I ask golfers about golf fitness or fitness in general, they all believe that if they were in better condition and stronger that they would improve their game, but the number one factor on why they do not practice a golf fitness routine is - time.

When asked what an "ideal" golf fitness practice would be, here is the consensus:

• No gym or fitness facility needed, home based
• Less than 20 minutes a practice session
• Very little equipment needed, something that is portable and travels easily
• A practice routine that covers all five of the absolute golf performance elements

Platinum Golf Fitness was designed to achieve all of the above. With one simple tool, a kettlebell, and the correct practice sessions performed in less than 20 minutes a session 3 to 4 times a weeks, you can build your self into a better golfing machine.

Your body is the most tunable piece of golf equipment you will ever own, you have these five tunable aspects Mobility, Stability, Balance, Strength, Power.  PGF starts with mobility, then moves you through stability and balance, then you get stronger, and then add in the dynamic aspect to help you build golfing power.  In a very short time you will "feel" the difference in your golf performance and in your every day activities. 

This is a revolutionary approach to the game of golf using a very old school method. PGF is not a conventional fitness system of cardio, strength, flexibility worked in isolation.   We use practice movements that work the entire body in all five elements simultaneously and the carry over effect to golf performance is unprecedented.

The program is in it's final stages and will shorty be released to the golfing public.  If you have an interest please contact me at al@ironsolid.com and I will put you on the list to be notified for the initial offering at a special discounted purchase price, along with some bonus gifts for being part of the new golf fitness revolution.

Hit it Solid!  Platinum Golf Fitness. Build a Better Golf Machine!

Foundation Kettlebell Movements for the Platinum Golf Fitness System

The Kettlebell swing is the center of the universe, it is a full body ballistic movement that will train mobility, stability, balance, strength and power, click here to see a demonstration Kettlebell Swing


The Turkish Get Up is another full body movement, this movement trains, mobility, stability, balance and strength, click here to see a demonstration Turkish Get Up


The upper body windmill is a great movement for training mobility, stability, balance and strength, click here to see a demonstration Windmill


There are progressions for each movement that you will practice before attempting the final skill.

The FMS is a requirement for Platinum Golf Fitness

Mobility, Stability, Balance, Strength and Power are the five elements that make up the golf performance pyramid.  Mobility and Stability are the bottom two layers of the base of that pyramid.  Build those solid and maintain those and Balance, Strength and Power will be optimized.  Before we start working with the Platinum Golf Fitness system we need a baseline, we use the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) as the way to establish that baseline.  Read on to better understand the FMS.

The FMS is designed for all healthy, active people and for healthy, inactive people who want to increase physical activity. It is designed for those that do not have pain or injury. 

The FMS itself is a series of seven different movement patterns and three clearing tests that are combined into a movement screen. By screen, this does not mean it’s a diagnostic tool. The FMS is not diagnostic at all. It is a proven tool that looks objectively at quality of movement patterns. It is extremely objective, reliable, and reproducible. It used by a wide range of fitness and health care professionals.

The seven movement patterns require a balance of mobility and stability. Mobility and stability are the essential elements of the movement patterns in the FMS. If there are limitations in either, the FMS will reveal them.

The purpose of this information is not to go into the details of each of the seven movement patterns, but to explain the practical application and utility in the athletic and recreational exercise population. With the increased desire to be fitter, stronger, and more athletic, people need to realize the importance of having fundamental movements before advancing into higher-level activities. What often happens is people are putting exercise and performance on top of dysfunctional movement patterns, which can impair performance and cause injuries.  

There is a saying that “something is only as strong as its weakest link.” The FMS strives to identify the weak links and then correct them if present. The FMS looks at fundamental movement patterns, which are the foundation for fitness and performance.  Once the FMS has revealed a dysfunction, if there is one, an appropriate exercise strategy can be implemented to correct the problem. This is part of the magic of the FMS and corrective exercise system.  

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT? HOW TO GET A SCREEN

I highly recommend getting an FMS for the reasons I mention. The screen may score completely “normal” and that’s a great thing if it does. If it does not, that’s not bad either, as the next step is in building an appropriate corrective exercise strategy, which is easily built into your program to correct the underlying dysfunction.

If you’d like to get a movement screen, the next step would be to search the FMS website to see where the closest local certified expert is to you to perform the FMS. There are many functional movement certified experts that can perform the complete screen, which will only take about ten to fifteen minutes.

I strongly believe in the effectiveness and value of the FMS. The last thing any of us wants is to sustain an injury while exercising. While the FMS does not guarantee that won’t happen, it does significantly cut that risk. The FMS is a great evaluation tool to reveal a movement dysfunction or asymmetry that could be the crack in your exercise foundation.

In summary, the FMS is simple, but highly reliable and effective.

The main benefits for getting a screen include:

·      Identifying individuals at risk for injury.

·      Implementing a corrective exercise strategy to improve or normalize functional movement patterns.

·      Providing a tool to monitor progress in dynamic or changing fitness programs.

·      Establishing a functional movement baseline for appropriate exercise programming.

The important consideration to remember is that proper functional movement precedes performance and may ultimately lead to an injury reduction. If you haven’t had a screen and you are a beginner or experienced exerciser, this is something you should give strong consideration.

Remember, you can’t put fitness on dysfunction. Unfortunately, this happens much too often in today’s golf fitness climate.

Practicing RKC Movements as a Stand Alone Golf Fitness System

Few will argue that the majority of a competitive or recreational golfers’ time should be invested in practicing golf skills.  Yet, golfers can improve these skills remarkably, simply by improving their overall fitness level.  At the same time, golfers have very limited time to deal with high volume, complicated programs or those that require a lot of specialized equipment.   So, what is the best fitness training system to better one’s golf game? A program which provides the most return on time investment.  A program which addresses strength, endurance, power, flexibility, coordination, and body awareness.  A program which builds resilience.  This program is the RKC system.

In my 42 years of training, research and coaching, I find that the RKC system stands out as the most complete method for gaining extreme overall fitness for a golfer in the absolute shortest possible time.  The system, which relies on kettlebell and bodyweight exercises, works as an addition to any strength or conditioning program a golfer may already be using, but also excels as a stand-alone training method. Ballistic kettlebell movements so closely mimic the effect of a graceful, efficient, powerful golf swing, that the carry over is immediate: practicing kettlebell movements builds a more powerful golfer.  And a more powerful golfer hits the ball farther and more accurately, achieving golf’s coveted Holy Grail.

The Elements

The primary, core elements of the RKC system are a combination of ballistic and grind movements.  These go hand-in-hand with high-tension, breathing techniques that are critical to building super strength and conditioning safely. Last, the RKC system stresses stretching techniques which increase mobility and flexibility, which combat creaky, achy, immobile joints.  Equally critical to the system are the corrective drills used to analyze and fix technique, a feature to which most golfers can relate.  Overall, the RKC system simultaneously builds strength, power, endurance, while relaxing muscles and joints for increased elasticity and mobility.

The Principles

The key principle of the RKC system is that the body is a linked, interconnected unit and should be trained as such, rather than other training methods which use techniques that isolate joints, muscles, and limbs. Training the body as a unit is a skill that must be practiced much as one would practice their golf skills. A golfer wouldn’t continue making sloppy golf swings and repeatedly beat the ball on the practice range just to swing the club a certain number of times, nor should one do so with kettlebell movements.  Form and technique precede all else.  Movements should be considered as practice and not working out.  Quality, as in golf, surpasses quantity.

Another key principle of the RKC system is mastery.  Mastery results from an internal focus, another component of the system.  Skill is never sacrificed for numerical gains, which resonates very well with golfers because we all have practiced for very long periods and actually came away with less golf skill than when we started.  Like in practicing golf skills, internal focus is critical when practicing with kettlebells: both demand internal focus for developing mastery. 

While the system is simple and extremely effective, it is not easy.  This sums up the “hard style” approach to kettlebell exercise, which defines the RKC system. When swinging the kettlebell, for example, one does not let gravity take over, but continues to apply force to the ground as hard as possible throughout the entire rep, which magnifies the training effect greatly. Working hard to get as much as possible out of every movement is a key concept.

Force Magnifier

One of the key tenets of the system is the kettlebell swing, which is the center of the RKC universe.  For golfer’s, the same applies, the swing is the most important component of the game. 

The perfect kettlebell swing is better than 99 percent of all other strength and conditioning methods for golfers.  Even more, is that the kettlebell swing is safe, effective, and available to basically ALL golfers as a conditioning tool.  The same cannot be said for most training methods.

The ballistic loading of the kettlebell swing also creates an alternating cycle of muscular tension and relaxation, very similar to the golf swing.  When one swings a golf club powerfully, there are periods of muscular tension and relaxation, this type of swing looks graceful, yet produces powerful results and tremendous club head speed.  The inability to relax the muscles creates too much tension to achieve a high-speed golf swing.  Kettlebell ballistic movements trains this cycle of tension and relaxation into muscles in a way no other weight tool can.  The kettlebell swing teaches a golfer to create an impressively mighty force and then relax immediately after, which mirrors the logistics of a graceful high-speed golf swing. The higher the rate of swing speed, the more force that is imparted on the golf ball at impact, producing a greater shot distance, the common goal of every golfer. 

Astoundingly, the kettlebell swing is a non-impact movement, which means impact stress and injuries are virtually eliminated. There is also very little soreness in the muscles, even from very high workloads due to the cyclic tension-relaxation nature of the movements.  This is a tremendous benefit for every golfer using a training system to improve his or her game.

Kettlebell ballistics also impart a very therapeutic muscle stretch with no loss of strength, in fact, one becomes stronger as range of motion increases and also as one gains the ability to contract muscles quickly after they are stretched.  Stretching with a tension component is exactly what helps a golfer achieve higher swing speeds, which closely mirrors what happens in a smooth, but powerful, golf swing.

What makes the RKC such a great stand-alone system is that in applying these “hard style” techniques, one greatly enhances the loads that one puts on the body, and increases these loads safely.  A golfer wants to golf, not recover from the training that is supposed to be helping his or her golf performance.  To that end, the RKC method utilizes light weights, but to the effect of much greater loads. This compensatory acceleration approach allows the average recreational golfer to approach the workloads of a super athlete.

Compensatory acceleration is a technique that asks the athlete to continue to impart force to the resistance even after the “sticking point” is overcome. This technique is what one wants to do when starting the downswing portion of the golf swing: accelerate the club to generate as much club head speed as possible.  Training one’s body with kettlebells to use compensatory acceleration has such a beautiful carryover effect on the golf swing, because one wants to avoid de-accelerating the club head in the forward part of golf swing.

With a kettlebell one continues to “root” one’s self into the ground (applying maximum force through the legs) throughout the entire kettlebell swing, or kettlebell snatch, while the bell continues to accelerate after body movement is halted.  Because gravity is always trying to push the bell back to earth, the resistance actually increases, as one’s leverage gets better.  This is the same as the concept of staying rooted in the golf swing to achieve maximal power.  Again, the carryover effect is optimal.

Even with a 16kg (~35lbs) kettlebell, the average golfer can easily do a 7000 pound work session in just 200 hard style kettlebell swings, the same golfer would have to squat 300 pounds 23 times to approach that workload using the same muscles.  Most golfers cannot, or should not, attempt to squat that heavy, but almost all average golfers can do 200 kettlebell swings with a 16kg bell in very short period of time.

Swinging the kettlebell creates a “virtual force” that allows a light bell to impart much higher loads, and thereby create more intense training effects.  Force equals mass multiplied by acceleration (F=ma), and the forces created by accelerating a kettlebell are much higher than just the weight of the bell.  The same when occurs when a golfer swings a golf club to apply maximum force: the faster one accelerates the club towards the ball, the more force transmitted to the golf ball.  Final result: more acceleration = more distance.

Our bodies register force in the same manner regardless of the source.  It is much easier for most golfers to move a lighter kettlebell faster than to use a heavier bell.  In fact, using too heavy of a bell will actually result in lower force than accelerating an appropriate-sized bell properly, which is the same as having properly fitted clubs with a correct swing weight.  For instance, air has almost no mass but anyone who has stood in front of a hurricane force wind has no doubt that speed of movement, of even a small load, can create huge forces.  This ‘virtual force’ has tremendous effects on one’s musculature, connective tissue, and cardiovascular system with much less risk of injury.

In some part, this ‘virtual force’ is what is responsible for the well known “what the heck” effect the kettlebell has on so many practitioners.  The “what the heck” effect translates to the golf swing beautifully when one understands the angular acceleration that moves a very light golf club very fast imparts tremendous force on the golf ball at impact.

Increase Your Work Capacity

Work capacity is an excellent barometer for real life fitness and nothing will increase work capacity more, especially for a golfer, than practicing using the RKC system.  Most golfers will be able to do a tremendous amount of work very easily in a very short amount of time.  And for those who want to push the limits on fitness, the sky is the limit.  For the golfer who is looking to maximize power in his golf swing and prime themselves physically, no other stand-alone systems comes close.  Plus, a golfer will never have to go to a traditional fitness gym again, which means more time out on the greens.

Foundational System

The RKC system is an excellent method for building a solid foundation of mobility, strength, strength endurance, coordinated power, and body awareness that is available to most golfers, regardless of their athletic ability.  Golfers will love it because it is not limiting.  Less athletic golfers will love the system too, because it allows them to increase their athleticism just by performing the basic movements.  Age is also not a limiting factor.  Young and old golfers alike can utilize and benefit from practicing kettlebell training, because the movements and intensity are very scalable.

The ease of learning and the safety of the system enhance its role as a foundational system as well as an advanced method of training for people that participate in golf.  Linkage, rooting, total body connection, generation of total body tension and relaxation, power, and building internal focus all transfer extremely well over to the sport of golf. 

The variety of kettlebell swings also have a great tonic effect on the muscles and the body as a whole.  The basic kettlebell swing motion, with emphasis on the rhythmic pumping of the pelvis area, strengthens and stabilizes us throughout the core and solidifies our center from the inside out.

The compelling nature of the basic kettlebell movements also makes this an excellent method for the golfer that gets bored easily with conventional fitness routines.  The kettlebell does not ask, but demands one’s full attention. Throwing around a heavy iron ball with a handle on it is a far cry from the mind numbing treadmill, exercise bikes, fitness machines, and high repetition exercises that most golf fitness systems tend to use.

The RKC system clarifies the current chaotic and disordered world of golf fitness into basic concepts that almost every golfer can follow and add to their current training regime. Fifteen minutes to learn and a lifetime to master is a perfect training system for a golfer.  Practicing with a kettlebell will build one’s body and character, and build you into a more powerful golfing machine.  Learn to start swinging kettlebells. Click here to get the DVD.