The Busy Fitness Pro

Posts Tagged ‘Exercises’

With all the talk about the players on tour getting stronger and
more flexible, we hear a lot about exercising for golf from
television commentators and read about it in the golf
publications. But what exactly are the best exercises for the
amateur golfer?

A great question that has a good answer, but before we give you
the answer let us provide some background so the answer makes a
little more sense to you. First of all, discussing the golf
swing for the time being will get us rolling.

What exactly is the golf swing? The golf swing is an athletic
movement that requires using of the entire body from “feet to
fingertips” in order to complete the swing. Realize that the
golf swing is not about the club, not just about your grip, or
where your head is during the swing. The golf swing is a
movement that requires your entire body to move through a
sequence of movements with the correct timing. To perform the
“athletic movement” of the golf swing requires the body to begin
at address, move through the actual phases of the golf swing and
complete it with the follow through. In order to perform this
activity with efficiency and repetitively, the body must have
certain physical parameters.

These parameters, as I call them, are actual physical categories
of the body that need to be developed to a certain level. These
categories of the body are the platform from which the body is
able to perform the athletic movement of a golf swing
efficiently. The categories are probably familiar to many of
you, but for the purpose of this article let us briefly run
through them.

The body is required to have certain levels of flexibility,
balance, endurance, strength, and power to complete a golf
swing. If the body lacks in any of the above categories, then
the results will be seen in the golf swing. The results are
usually in the form of poor mechanics, bad shots, or poor scores
on the course. So, now that we know what the connection is
between the “body” and the “swing” let us address the question
about the best exercises for golf.

The Best Exercises for Golf

Let’s say you walk into your local health club and see all the
fancy machines and aerobic machines at the facility to get you
shape. What ones would choose? Would you choose running on the
treadmill for 30 minutes, or would it be better to push out a
couple sets of bench presses? Well, the answer to our question
really lies within the connection between your swing and your
body.

I will tell you that exercises meant to “pump you up!” or give
you that “six pack” are not necessarily the correct exercises
for your golf game. Neither is that weight training program you
used back in high school. So, with those thoughts in mind what
do you think the best exercises for golf are?

Right now we know, in general terms about the golf swing, what
is required of the body for the golf swing and what exercises
are not good for the swing. Armed with that knowledge we can
decipher what the best exercises for golf are for you.

Beginning with flexibility, we know that the entire body must
move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective
golf swing. And what happens if your body is not able to move
through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing? The
answer: the golf swing will mechanically suffer resulting in
shots that are less than optimal. So part of the exercises that
are good for golfers are flexibility exercises and, even more
so, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used in the golf
swing through the movements involved in the golf swing. So first
and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of your
list.

The second category of exercises that would be conducive to the
golf swing would have to do with balance. We hear about balance
in reference to the golf swing all the time. “Stay balanced
through the swing; transfer your weight to maintain balance
during the swing…” But what does balance exactly mean? Balance
is the ability to control your body through a specific movement
pattern. The movement pattern we are discussing just happens to
be the golf swing. We know the importance of balance in relation
to the golf swing, so how do we train our body for better
balance in the golf swing? Before we answer that question we
need to know a little more about balance. Balance in relation to
the body has to do with the connection between your nerves and
muscles. Essentially your nervous system, as a result of
messages sent from your brain, tells your muscles how to move to
maintain the body’s balance. The more efficient your nerves and
muscles are to these messages the greater balance abilities the
body develops. So balance exercises train both the nervous
system and muscular system to become more efficient at this
function. Summing it all up, balance is the second category of
exercises that will assist your golf game.

The third category of exercises that are beneficial to golf have
to do with your muscles. The golf swing requires the muscles of
your body to move through a specific range of motion
(flexibility) and help with your balance capacities. In order to
perform these actions and others, your body needs certain levels
of strength and endurance. The definition of strength is the
ability of the muscles to exert force for the given “athletic
action” (simplified definition but a good working definition for
us). Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the same
activity over and over again for a specific amount of time.

First off, let us discuss strength. The golf swing has one
intention of developing club head speed while maintaining
balance through the swing. The muscles in your body must have
enough strength in them to do both. Now, when we discuss
building strength for the golf swing it is NOT the type of
strength needed to bench press 250 lbs. Or squat 500! It is
strength geared towards the improvement of your swing. I refer
to this type of strength as “golf strength.” So when you get to
the gym, performing strength exercises like bench press will not
help your swing. Exercises that train the body in the positions
and through the movements of the golf swing will help your swing.

In addition to strength, we need to develop endurance in your
muscles. Think of how many swings you may take over the course
of 18 holes. In order for you to be able to swing the club the
same way on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st hole. Your body
has to have high levels of endurance. This will allow your body
to perform the golf swing without getting tired. You develop
endurance similar to how you develop “golf strength.” Utilize
exercises that train the body in the positions and through the
movements of the golf swing. Lighter loads with higher
repetitions will be used for these exercises. The end result
will be the development of “golf endurance.”

The final segment of exercises beneficial to your golf swing is
power training. Power training is geared towards the ability of
your body to generate high levels of club head speed. Power
development by the body is what allows for greater distance on
your shots. Clubs help, golf balls help, but it really comes
down to the piece of machinery, your body, swinging those club
and hitting those golf balls. Development of power for the golf
swing is very similar to the development of “golf strength and
endurance.” It is the utilization of exercises that place your
body in the positions and move you through movements similar to
the golf swing.

Summary

So there you have it, the answer to the types of exercises best
for the improvement of your golf swing. I think you now realize
it is not one exercise, but a group of exercises that
incorporate flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and
power. A combination of these exercises is what will enhance
your golf swing. Looking for specific exercises? Take a look at
our website (See below

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All exercises are not created equal. Some exercises are good, some exercises are great, and some exercises are an injury just waiting to happen. Knowing which exercises to avoid can save you many months if not years of pain and frustration.
1. Upright Rows
The Upright Row exercise is done to develop the shoulders and traps. Holding a barbell or dumbells in front of your with a close, overhand grip, you pull the weight up to your chest, keeping it close to your body, leading with your elbows.
The Upright Row is one of the most harmful exercises you can expose your shoulders to. The problem with the exercise lies in the position your arms must be in in order to perform the movement. This position is called “internal rotation.” To demonstrate internal rotation, hold your arms straight out to the sides with your palms down. Now rotate your hands forward as if you were pouring out a glass of water in each. To do the upright row, the arms are bent at the elbow then internally rotated.
Internal rotation itself is not necessarily bad for your shoulders. The problem comes when you raise the arms up and add resistance in that position. Every time you raise the weight, a small tendon in your shoulder gets pinched (known as impingement) by the bones in the shoulder. This may not hurt immediately; it may not even hurt for a long, long time. The problem is the tendon will gradually become worn down and damaged. You may not even know you have a problem until one day the tendon snaps!
Instead of upright rows, stick to exercises such as dumbell presses, military presses and various raises. They are far safer for the shoulders.
2. Behind-The-Neck Pulldowns
This exercise is done to work the muscles of the back. While the exercise itself is actually effective for working the back, the problem with the exercise lies in what it can do to your shoulders.
In the previous exercise, I talked about internal rotation of the shoulders. The problem with the behind-the-neck pulldown lies in “external rotation.” Going back to the arms out to the side example, instead of pouring water forward, rotate your arms backward so that your palms are facing up. It’s basically the opposite movement to internal rotation.
To do the behind-the-neck pulldown as normally instructed, you must externally rotate your shoulders as much as possible. This is a very delicate position for your shoulders. The supporting muscles of the shoulders (known as the rotator cuff) are not in a good position to stabilize the joint and injury to those supporting muscles can result, which can lead to further injury in the connective tissue of the joint.
On top of that, since most people do not have enough shoulder flexibility to get a straight line of pull behind the neck, they must bend their neck forward to even do the movement. This can result in neck strain on top of shoulder strain.
This information also applies to the behind-the-neck pull-up exercise. The mechanics of the movement are exactly the same, the only difference being you’re pulling yourself up instead of pulling the weight down.
Stick to exercises that are in front of the body, such as front pulldowns, close-grip pulldowns and pull-ups to the front.
3. Behind-The-Neck Shoulder Presses
The Behind-The-Neck Press gives us the same shoulder issues associated with the Behind-The-Neck Pulldown. To do the movement, you must maximally externally rotate the shoulders. Again, this places the shoulders in a very vulnerable position, which can easily result in strain in the Rotator Cuff muscles.
Also, as with the pulldowns, most people simply don’t have the necessary shoulder flexibility to get a straight line on the movement – they must tilt their head forward to get the bar behind it, adding greatly to the possibility of injury.
Stick to the military press and the dumbell press for your shoulder pressing movements.
4. Stiff-Legged Deadlifts On A Bench
The Stiff-Legged Deadlift, properly done, is actually a very good movement for the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. The problem comes when, in an attempt to increase the stretch on the hamstrings, the exercise is done standing on a block or bench.
To get the most stretch on the hamstrings and to protect the lower back from injury, an arch should be maintained in the lower back during the movement. It’s extremely difficult to maintain an arch in the lower back when you are stretching down as far as you can towards the floor with a barbell pulling you down.
Without the arch, as a natural result, the spine will flex and the supporting muscles of the spine will relax. This places much of the tension of the exercise directly on the connective tissue and bones of the spinal column rather than the supporting muscles, which are stabilizing the spine. In an effort to get more stretch on the hamstrings, you instead compromise the support structures of your lower back.
5. The Sit-Up
If you enjoy having a pain-free lower back, the regular floor sit-up is a good exercise to avoid. When you do a sit-up, the mechanics of the movement and position of your body throw much of the torque of the movement onto your lower back. Your hip flexors pull directly on your spine in order to raise your torso off the floor when you do the exercise, leading to strain in the lower back area.
To top it off, the abdominal muscles (the real target of the exercise) are only worked isometrically. This means they don’t actually contract and move, they just work to hold the torso steady while the hip flexors do the pulling. This is not a very effective abdominal exercise.
You will be far better off performing direct abdominal-training movements such as crunches, ball crunches, cable crunches, etc. These exercises directly target the abs without throwing excessive tension on the lower back.
The exercises you do have a profound effect on your training and your health. Be sure to choose exercises that will help you move forward towards your goals and not set you back through injury.

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IntroductionBefore I list some very helpful and powerful exercises to encourage creativity, let’s take a moment to consider what constitutes creativity, why we aspire to encourage creativity in the first place and what is required from the person who wishes to encourage creativity through exercises, be it her own creativity or that of others.Definition of CreativityIf one wishes to encourage creativity, it is advised that she first has a clear definition of this term. However, Creativity is an illusive and complex term that seems to defy definition, so let me list some options and choose what fit you most. Creativity has to do with original and flexible thinking, the ability to pay attention to details, the ability to cope with uncertainty. Creative individuals possess a high motivation to overcome obstacles and solve problems, the willingness to take calculated risks, the desire to work hard in turn for recognition.Benefits of CreativityEncouraging creativity through exercises is a proven way to develop young minds. Weaving creativity exercises into children’s education greatly improves their chances of becoming successful and constructive adults who are able to cope more aptly with a rapidly changing world. An environment that encourages creativity is also a solid foundation for mental health. Creativity exercises cultivate highly motivated students who are less prone to adverse psychological states such as stress and boredom.Creativity Exercises – What Is Required of the Teacher

Creativity Exercise #1 – Image StreamingThis exercise is to be carried out in pairs or individually. The exercising student closes her eyes and asks herself a question. The exercising student then describes out loud her mental visual imagery either to another student or to a tape recorder. Describing of the mental images should be flowing and streaming. In the process of describing the images she sees in her mind, the student should concentrate on sensory details. For example, “I feel the softness of the fresh laundry”, “my feet are pressed against the cold tiles”, “I smell the rain-soaked air.” The student should aim to make her live or potential listener vividly experience what she sees. In order to develop and maintain the flow of streaming imagery, the student should ask herself new questions as to the nature of objects she sees in her mind and explore them in detail. Relaying the mental images should be done in a hastened pace to avoid judgment and critical thinking. Image streaming is to be exercised for at least 10 minutes each time. Over time, this exercise improves creativity and intelligence.Creativity Exercise #2 – Challenge Traditional ThinkingThis exercise can be practiced in a group or individually. Routine thinking is good for every day tasks, since you perform the task without employing your mind and wasting energy on the thinking process. For example, if you take the same route to work every day, you soon drive on auto-pilot. If, however, you have a task that requires you take a different route, then you have to concentrate and be aware of the left and right turns you make. If your thoughts drift, you will find yourself going unintentionally in the regular route. If you wish to exercise creativity in solving problems, you have to stay clear of routine thinking. This can be achieved by forcing the mind to find new routes. Instructions: make a list of words and write each word on a card. For each word instruct the students to come up with 2 related words and write these down on separate cards as well. You now have groups of three words each. And now for the creative part: randomly pick two unassociated words and instruct your students to come up with an association between the two seemingly unrelated words. This will force their thinking process to form an unfamiliar route, a connection between two dots that were unconnected until now. Forcing our mind to find new trails that connect A and B is exactly what enhances creativity. Along the same lines, you can try these variation: make a basic outline map of the United States without state names. Instead of state names, write down names of world countries. For example, instead of Texas write Canada, instead of California write France. And so on. Now ask your students to find associations between the state and the country. Remember that we are not after any correct answer. We are exercising this in order to create new roads. So don’t test your students’ knowledge. Encourage them to come up with any association they can think of. It can relate to culture, economy, language, but it can also relate to the spelling of the names or to their pronunciation. Be open.Creativity Exercise #3 – The Gods Must Be CrazyAn African Bushman, unaware of white culture, discovers an empty Coca Cola bottle in the Kalahari Desert. The bushman closely examines this mystical object (casually dropped by a passing pilot), wondering what it is good for. He then tries blowing into it, and is very pleased to learn that it makes a noise. In this creativity exercise you encourage your students to become Bushmen. I mean it. You need to collect 5 to 10 props. You display a prop to your students and ask them to find a new use for it. This exercise encourages creativity since it forces the thinking process to erase or ignore what is known and come up with fresh ways of looking at something familiar.Creativity Exercise #4 – Music’s StoryPlay a piece of classical music, preferably one that your students don’t know. Dim the lights, instruct your students to close their eyes and listen closely to the music. The music tells a story, it tells about the weather, about a poor or rich man, about mad love that is now dying. Ask each student to follow every plot twist, every change of atmosphere. Then stop the music and ask your students to write down their stories, with as much detail as possible.

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As the head personal trainer for the best boot camp in Milwaukee who has helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds of fat, I know a thing or two about exercise selection and I am going to share some great exercises that you can incorporate into your workouts today to breakthrough any training plateau. They are the exact exercises that I have used to help my hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds of fat.
I’ll keep this as basic as possible for you. The best exercise for muscle gain are also the best exercises for fat loss. These exercises all have one thing in common: they involve as many muscles in your body as possible and they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body.
Both the real world case studies and the scientific research and have demonstrated that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain. But let’s take this one step further…
Let’s dramatically accelerate results by preferentially selecting TOTAL BODY EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, squats are well known for being one of the best muscle-builders with a serious a fat-shredding effect. However, the squat goes from great to UNSTOPPABLE for changing your body for the better when you make it a combination movement by adding a row or press to each squat rep. It’s obvious that you can reap more benefits this way since you have now involved your upper body into the king of lower body exercises.
It’s as simple as the Dream Body Equation below:
Performing Total Body Exercises Within Each Total Body Workout →
More Muscles Involved =
More Calories Burnt + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =
Greater Fat Lost + Greater Muscle Gain
I must be honest in that I have a true love-hate relationship with the following movements I am about to share with you. Love because of the unparalleled fat-melting, muscle-building results they provide to help maximize my sexy. Hate because they break me every single workout. In other words, these are not for the weak of mind, body, or soul!
Without further adieu, here is the official top 10 list of my favorite exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:
Exercise#1- Power Clean + Squat to Overhead Press Combo
Exercise#1- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Squat Thrust/Burpee Variations, Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row, Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat, Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.
Exercise#2- The Swing- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, or Sandbags
Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise- Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press, Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row, Split Jump plus Jerk, Split Jump plus Curl etc.
Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise- Push-ups plus Knee-Ins, Push-up Rows, T-Push-Ups, Spiderman Push-ups, Squat Thrust Push-Ups, Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.
Exercise#5- The Chop- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags
Exercise#6- Olympic Lifting Variations: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls
Exercise#7- Dynamic Back Pillar plus 1-Arm Dumbbell Chest Press
Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press
Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo
Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row
Well I hope you take my expert advice and jack up your training with these 10 deadly total body combination exercises. If you employ these exercises into your workouts I guarantee you better results. Of course it’s now up to you to take your workouts, and your body, to the next level
Crank it!

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Ways to Burn Abdominal fat include the use of natural methods, pills, supplements and tummy fat burner foods among many others. Abdominal fat is very stubborn and most people fail to completely remove it. There are however, ways to burn the belly fat fast although more slower and natural ways are more recommended. Flabby abdominal fat can be unsightly and inconveniencing. Fat accumulated at the abdomen is usually the last phase in any successful burning of fat program. This is because the fat deposits are more solid than those in other areas. When trying to burn abdominal fat, natural methods are best to avoid distressing bodily functions. Although most people believe that sit –ups are the quickest way to burn abdominal fat, it may not recommend for the first stages. Sit-ups for an overweight person might be very exhausting and not only do they run the risk of giving up on the program, but it may cause some other undesired effects. An overweight person should always have a physical fitness test done before starting strenuous physical activity like in a gym. You should therefore avoid doing sit ups at home, more so if you feel you are beyond the average overweight scale limit. I have so far read and practiced one natural program that I believe is perfect for people that want to burn abdominal fat quickly as is naturally possible. It is always good to remember that the fat deposits on your belly has taken a long time to accumulate, like wise you should give it time to burn. Consistency is key to any program that helps you burn abdominal fat fast. Our use of the word fast here is relative to the time element we have just discussed above. The only pure natural way that uses moderated exercises and fat burning foods was developed and tested by Tom Venuto. Tom is a body builder with an experience of 25 years, has a Bsc. In Exercise Science, is accredited by a dozen American fitness associations, a certified personal instructor. He has also won the Mr. Natural USA and North America. He developed and tested his program on himself for the last 18 years. The results are as you can see in his muscular photo by following the link below. Tom is the kind of person who has experienced what he trains and is not all theory. He walks the talk.

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