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The Loop

Video: Gary Player can still sprint

Gary Player, the dean of golf fitness, recently released a three-DVD set called Gary Player: A Game for Life ($99 at amazon.com). While many people will want the set for his tips on playing good golf, I was naturally more curious about his fitness beliefs and routines.

In the third DVD, Player has a conversation with host Peter Kessler and demonstrates some of the exercises he routinely does. It was fascinating to watch, mostly because Player's approach to golf fitness differs quite a bit from what I typically see. For example, Player is a big believer in doing dozens of repetitions of an exercise moving a reasonable amounts of weight instead of only doing a few reps with heavy weights. He also covers the basics like how to improve your posture and strengthen core muscles, and shares some his secrets to longevity, including an unorthodox exercise to keep his feet strong. "You can't play good golf on bad feet," Player once told me.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the video is Player's commitment to preserving fast-twitch muscle fiber. Most fitness experts will tell you that it's very important to keep training this fiber, especially as you move north of 40 years old. Well, Player is now 78, and when you click on this video of him demonstrating how he keeps his muscles firing fast, I think you'll be amazed at his level of fitness. Enjoy.

Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.