Perfect Fitness Daily Workout Blog

The 2010 Masters golf tournament is shaping up to be a big deal, thanks to the media frenzy surrounding this year’s event. This season, create some of your own drama on the links, not because of dramatic return to the game, but rather surprise your opponents with an improved handicap.

PGA fitness trainer Sean Cochran recently wrote that it is important to have a good mix of mobility, flexibility, stability, strength, and power in order to develop a fluid and efficient golf swing. Golfers need to be able to move through each phase of the swing with mobility in the hips and upper spine in order to properly coil during the backswing, while having enough core strength to stabilize the spine to keep it at a fixed angle for the duration of the swing. 

If any part of the movement pattern is disrupted, by muscular imbalances, impeded range of motion at the hips or upper spine, or a weak core, a swing fault will develop. One very famous swing fault is seen here.

The following workout emphasizes functional flexibility for your shoulders and upper spine, and strengthens your core to help you generate explosive spinal rotation. Integrate these moves three times per week during the off season, and two days a week when you are in season.

Warm up – easy jog for 10 minutes

Strength: Perform 2-3 sets of each following exercises:

Wood chopper with hip rotation- functional move, integrating core strength, balance, and trunk rotation

Part I

Start: Use cable crossover machine at gym (15 lbs or what feels good to you), or attach a rubber resistance tube to a pullup bar. Position body parallel to path of the cable or tube. Hold the handle of resistance high over one shoulder.

Movement – Activate abdominals and slightly accelerate as you draw cable or tube diagonally across body, swinging from high to low, ending on the opposite side of body. Slowly return to start position and continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

Part II:

Start: Move cable machine to low position setting. If using a band or tube, attach tube to someplace around floor height, such as the low part of a gate or affixed to the base of a heavy object.

Movement: Perform same diagonal movement as in Part 1, accelerating from low to high rather than high to low. Continue for 30 seconds then switch sides. Arms should be kept straight throughout movements.

Leg bridge with extension on stability ball - good counter strength move to round out core strength

Start – Place head and shoulders on top of stability ball with feet shoulder width apart on the ground, knees bent at right angles. Elevate hips so they are level with knees and shoulders. Placing hands on hips.

Movement – Extend lower left leg outward from knee. Continue to extend lower leg until straight. Hold extended position of left leg for one second and return to your starting position. Repeat the exercise with opposite leg, alternating back and forth for 15-20 repetitions.

Quick twists - works speed of rotation, forcing your shoulders to drive the movement.

Start – Standing, hold a light dumbbell or medicine ball (no more than 5 lb) to sternum, crossing arms over chest to keep the weight in place. Bend forward slightly, at the same angle as your golf swing starting position.

Movement – Rotate trunk back and forth as fast as you can for 45 seconds, maintaining the angle of your forward bend. Try and limit the movement to the trunk only, keeping hip rotation to a minimum. This will focus effort on the trunk rotators.

Shoulder punch - develops core strength and shoulder and upper back flexibility.

Start – Stand upright, holding no weight or very light dumbbells (2.5lb) in each hand.

Movement – Rotate trunk left and reach right arm behind body to a punch, then rotate trunk right as you reach left arm behind body into a punch. Continue as fast as you can with good form for 45 seconds.  Allow weight to rock back and forth as you alternate sides, and allow back foot to pivot and heel come up as it does during a swing.

Golf lunge – builds strength in both legs while adding a shoulder extension to place hips in a more open position.

Start – Stand with feet hip width apart, toes pointed straight ahead holding a light dumbbell in both hands in the same grip position you hold your golf club. Draw the weight back and up into your take away position.

Movement – Hold arms at the top of the back swing as you reach opposite foot back into a lunge. Make sure knee of front foot does not go past toes. Moving arms through a mock swing, returning to center as you step forward to complete first lunge, then through to a high finish position on the opposite side of your body. With arms held in finish position, step other foot back into a lunge. Return to center. Complete 12-15 repetitions on each leg.

Make sure to include distance walking, jogging or running in your routine too—did you know that walking an 18-hole golf course is about the same as completing a 10K race?

The days are getting longer, and the weather at Perfect HQ is warming up! In honor of the first official day of Spring this past Saturday, we are taking our workouts outside this week.

Find a park or other public place equipped with a chin-up bar and a bench, grab some running shoes, and you are on your way.

Equipment:

• Chin up bar
• Park bench
• Recommended: watch or timer

Start with a 10-minute jog to warm up.  Ideally, if the park is located within 10 minutes of your house, you can jog there and back.

Perform the following sequence of movements 2-3 times. If needed, perform some easy squats, shoulder rolls, and other dynamic stretches to loosen up any tight body parts before beginning.

1. Pull-up – as many as you can in 30 seconds. For an added challenge, try using rotating pull-up handles.

If you struggle to complete one pull-up, perform negative pull-ups instead, or find a low bar (parallel bars work great) and perform Australian pull-ups. Tutorials here.

2. Step ups – using park bench or other sturdy object, step up explosively, slowly and controlled step back down and repeat for 30 seconds on each leg (total: 1 min)

3. Hanging knee raise – Hang onto chin up bar and activate core by pulling navel into spine. Perform as many continuous knee raises as possible with good form (no swinging), up to 15 repetitions.

4. Side travelling push-up: perform a regular pushup. At the top of the movement, walk right arm and right foot to the right, left side following. Perform another pushup then walk to the left. Repeat walking to each side 10-12 times.

5. Sprint/jog – find a lawn or other area where you can run for 100M straight. Sprint for 10 seconds out, then jog back to start. Repeat six times.

Cool down jog for 10 minutes.

Add another dimension to your NCAA basketball tournament bracket. While you are placing your picks and getting fired up to cheer on your favorite teams, challenge your friends to  this simple game. It’s free, and everyone is a winner (even if you get every pick wrong), and will help counteract the effects of all the beer you will consume over the next couple weeks.

Instructions:

1. Once the NCAA tournament selections have been made, have everyone in your pool select their picks for the first round only
2. Each person designates their “stake.” Stakes are based a person’s level of fitness and determine how many pushups and pullups they will commit to in each round. Choose between the following stakes: Just for Fun (one set of designated reps per exercise per round), Serious Fan (two sets), and Die Hard (three sets). 
3. Each round, determine the number of pushups and pullups each person has to complete. Option: you can have each person complete on their own honor, or while the group is together. Try and complete all designated pushups and pullups in the least amount of sets possible.
4. Keep track of totals over the course of the tournament. There will be two overall winners for this bracket tournament: (1) the person with the most correct picks, and (2) the person with the most total pushups plus pullups. Winner 1 wins the glory of having the best picks; Winner 2 receives the benefits from having done the most upper body strength work over the tournament; everyone gets the benefit of improving their pushups and pullups. You can’t win that in Vegas.

Use this chart to determine how many pushups and pullups each person has to do per round:

Think pullups are a difficult exercise? Try doing them with a seven foot wingspan! Watch former University of Arizona star Richard Jefferson talk about them here.

We are now accepting workout submissions for inclusion in the Daily Workout!

We know many of you take our products to the next level and have created some amazing workouts to help achieve fitness, whether working towards a body goal, training for your sport, or just testing your personal limits. Now you can be a Perfect Trainer too, by sending us your best single workout, 21-day challenge, or other workout program to share with the rest of Team Perfect. We are thrilled to see how you have incorporated our products into your workout routine.

Here are a few easy steps you should follow when submitting workouts:

1. Create. Send us your best and most original workout and we may feature it on the Daily Workout or other Perfect Fitness channels. You may submit a single workout session, a 21-day challenge, or another fitness program.
   In order to be considered, your workout must clearly outline:
   – Exercises
   – Volume (number of sets and repetitions, or time)
   – Rest periods
   – Instructions to explain special exercise variations
   – Any applicable photos to correspond with the workout. Photos should be in jpg or gif format.
2. Professionalize. We want you to look your best. Please keep language and images PG-rated. Be mindful of your photo shoot setting (maybe move that pile of laundry before you take pictures). To help give you some ideas on the formatting and criteria to include with workout submissions, please click on this sample workout.
3. Verify. By submitting an image, you are giving us permission to edit your photo and display it online, on TV, and in print. You are also agreeing that any content you submit does not contain copyrighted images and is your own original work. If we decide to use your content and photos, we may contact you for additional information.
4. Send. Mail your workout with images to getfit@perfectpushup.com. Make sure to note “Daily Workout” in the subject header.

This week, try swapping one of your hour long battles in the gym with this ten minute workout, designed to have you break a sweat and work your entire body in less time than two commercial breaks on TV.

Instructions: Make sure your body is warmed up before starting. Try to perform the following sequence of movements, without stopping, two times in ten minutes. As always, listen to your body; if you feel you are not getting enough oxygen or are compromising your form, take rests as needed.
Equipment:

• Perfect Pullup (or chin-up bar)
• Watch or stopwatch

*Optional – Perfect Pushup

1. Pushup – complete 8 pushups, rotation optional. After the 8^th pushup, hold in the down position for 8 counts. Make sure to keep breathing through the hold.  Repeat pattern one minute.

Hold in down position

2. High knees – from a standing position, Lift knees as high toward chest as possible while running in place as fast as you can for one minute.

3. Narrow chin-up –position hands slightly narrower than shoulder width. If you are using Perfect Pullup, face palms toward each other to start and rotate palms inward to face your body in the up position; if using chin-up bar, hold hands in chin-up position. Complete as many pull-ups as you can in 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds.

4. 8 count body-builder – Lower hands to regular push up position. Kick both legs out to push up position. Conduct one pushup. Open legs shoulder width in a single motion. Close legs in a single motion. Use abdominals to pull both knees up to hands. Repeat for one minute.

5. Side plank – lie on your left side with left elbow directly under left shoulder, legs extended. Lift body off ground, forming a straight line from head to feet. Hold position 30-seconds. Repeat on right side.

Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat sequence. For an added challenge, try the 10-minute workout twice over the course of one day.