GOLFPUNK'S GETTING GOLF FIT

The maxim that you can’t teach old dogs’ new tricks has firmly been dispatched this week as the “Lab Rats” as we have affectionately been called have truly turned over a new leaf, at least for the next 6/7 weeks are concerned.

Gone are the late night, hangover fuelled trips to our local greasy spoon followed by 5 extra strength Nespresso capsules prior to the 9.30 team meeting.  Instead, as we outlined last week, we are now under the control of the 6 week GOLF.WOD plan devised by Michael which specifies a very different regime for us to follow.

So impressive has our change been that Jeff, the local proprietor of said establishment appears to be concerned for the financial viability of his café and looks on longingly as we stroll past his door! Okay, we accept its only been a week, but still it’s not been a bad effort all round and we are actually looking forward to week two!

So, what has changed then?

The biggest immediate change has been to diet.  Our instructions were tailored to our slightly differing routines, lifestyles and body shapes but the core instructions are that we need to consider carefully what we eat as it is the fuel to improve our training, our game and indeed our everyday life.

As a result, brekkie is now all about protein and “healthy fats”, which has translated as eggs (poached or scrambled but most definitely not fried) as well as vegetables, protein and fish.  So not all bad albeit one of us, as the resident northerner, still eyes the other team members bacon sarnies with envy as bread is largely out for him.

Other meals are now very much focussed around protein, particularly good quality meat, and vegetables as well as the healthy fats from avocado, good olive oil and mayonnaise which has not been in any way a struggle.

The other key change has been around hydration, which Michael identifies was a particular area in which we were lacking when we visited him in York.  So now we have our own special water bottles (yes we've gone all Love Island!) which accompany us to every meeting and contrary to some scurrilous rumours contain nothing but water!

What about in the gym?

This has been more difficult than the diet as, prior to the 6 week challenge, the gym was mostly a place for splashing about in the pool before hitting the sauna to sweat out the excesses of the night before.

Whilst we don’t want to reveal the whole plan that Michael has provided us with, our favourite WOD (Workout of the Day) so far has been Day 1 which broke down into two parts core parts based quality and time. 

The "quality" section required us to do 3 sets and focus on form not speed, which meant we took our time and had a rest as we knew what was coming!. 

Our exercises were:

12 x Russian Kettlebell Swings

This exercise creates an excellent hinge pattern that connects the upper and lower body which is vital for golf, as well as building glute power output which is key for driving and long irons. 

12 x Goblet Squats

By using the kettlebell in the goblet squat it noth adds weight to your squats whilst at the same time the positioning helps your form for the squat. Try and keep the weight even throughout your foot and get those hips down low!!

12 x Overhead Lunges (6 on each leg)

The single overhead lunge requires shoulder stability as well as getting the lower body fired up whilst asking the upper body different questions!

The time section required us to do 5 rounds of:

200m row or 500m bike

We're going to assume you don't need a video to do this, and make sure you go as fast as you can, no slacking here.

8 x Double Front Rack Lunges

8 x Burpees

If you don't know what these hated exercises are then just google it.  They are possibly the worst but are very effective.  If you can't jump or have injuries then a standing burpee is an option.  Don't say we didn't warn you!

Which as we are sure you can see is pretty difficult and had us lying in the gym for a good long time after we finished!

So, where are we at after one week?

Well aside from aching tremendously after the above work out and struggling through the rest of the week its very clear to see that we have more energy and feel a lot better.  At this point we are not getting ahead of ourselves but there is a definite increase in energy and we are excited to see this weekend how this translates on the course. 

More of that to follow and sorry Jeff but doesn’t look like a fry up is likely for the Lab Rats in the near future!