Tiger Woods is off to an incredible start in 2008, winning 3 tournaments in
3 starts. He did it again this weekend, winning another tournament, but its
no surprise based on his physical strength and mobility.
Not only does Tiger look like he gained even more muscle in the off-season,
it looks like he has Mark McGwire's arms, almost. Although again, Tiger is
doing this all without steroids.
Tiger is physically dominating the sport. Heck, he's even driven Phil
Mickelson to start exercising and to lose weight. Phil looks so much better
now that he has lost 20 pounds.
I'd be very interested to see Tiger's workout program. Is there anything
fancy in it? Or is it just the basics? How does he gain strength without
sacrificing mobility? That is one of the biggest mistakes
most "bodybuilding" type routines make...if a golfer did bodybuilding type
training, it would most likely ruin his game just as easily as getting fat
and out of shape.
Does Tiger use a lot of bodyweight exercises? Does he do cardio or interval
training? If anyone has the inside scoop on that training program, let me
know.
Now you certainly don't need to be a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or gymnast to
be a good golfer...as you can see by the physiques on many other men and
women on tour. However, you can't let your strength or mobility be the
limiting factor in your game. So you need to train...
The best things to do are...
1) Use a variety of bodyweight exercises to work on your strength and
mobility. This can be part of your warmup or can compose your entire
workout. Like I said, you don't need to be a powerlifter to be a golfer.
First, start with the basics like pushups, bodyweight squats, inverted
bodyweight rows, stick-ups, lunges, and the plank and side plank for your
abs.
Then once you've mastered those, move on to spiderman pushups, spiderman
climbs, mountain climbers, one-leg romanian deadlifts, stability ball leg
curls, hanging leg raises, pullups, chinups, and decline pushups.
There are dozens, if not hundreds of bodyweight exercises you can do to burn
fat, get stronger, and improve your mobility. This will help you hit longer
and more accurately on the golf course.
Plus, it will increase your stamina and focus late in the game - combined
with good nutrition of course.
2) Work with a good golf coach to identify your weaknesses. Is your lack of
hip mobility messing up your swing? Is your work posture ruining your
shoulder mobility? Etc.
3) Eat right for fat loss and mental energy. You won't get tired on the
course. I believe this is one of the most under-rated aspects of Tiger's
game. If you watch him play, you'll see him snacking at various points in
the day. And he ain't eating junk, unlike many of the older players on the
scene. Plus, good nutrition allows him to recover between rounds and between
workouts.
If you follow these three steps, you'll have a better body, you'll burn fat,
and you'll golf like a champ. Use your bodyweight, not machines, to become
fit like Tiger Woods.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment 
