Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he gives you some stretches to do if you have only five minutes before you tee off.
Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: It's an age-old question in golf: What do you do to prepare for a round if you have only a few minutes before your tee time?
Some say hit a few wedge shots to loosen up. Others say to hit some putts to get a feel for green speed. Others say head to the bar, order a Bloody Mary, and accept that whatever happens, happens.
This should come as no surprise to you if you've been reading this blog, but I would choose none of the above. Instead, I'd spend a few moments trying to activate some of the key muscles used in the golf swing. You need to get your mid-back muscles primed. The hips and glutes are important, too. So are the muscles around your lower leg (calves/ankles). If you spend a few moments doing muscle activation (short-hold stretches), your body will be able to make the swing you want to make. If you don't, you'll struggle with coordination, range of motion, and possibly set yourself up for injury.
You can obviously warm up while waiting for your turn to tee off. In fact, the final thing you should do is a few toe touches or simulated deadlifts while holding your driver like a barbell. These will activate your hamstrings and lower back.
You also can knock out some key stretches in the locker room, activating several muscles right after you put your shoes on. To be clear, you do NOT want to hold a stretch for more than a few seconds. You want the muscle to be pliable, but not so stretched out that it loses its ability to contract in the blink of an eye. So remember to hold the stretched positions for only a moment.
Click on the video below to see me demonstrate four great muscle-activation exercises.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
Results for August 2012
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How She Did That: Lydia Ko's Light-hearted Approach
By Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
What is most striking about Lydia Ko's victory Sunday--she's the youngest champion on the LPGA Tour (sorry, Lexi Thompson) and the first amateur to win since JoAnn Carner in 1969--is the way in which she did it. By laughing and smiling, even at her bad shots, and joking with her local caddie, almost 50 years her senior, Ko birdied five of six holes in the final round to head off such major stars as Jiyai Shin, Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen.
But it's this same attitude and approach to the game that has produced a string of positive experiences--and victories--in the short career of this obvious child prodigy. Kudos to her New Zealand coach, says Kevin Hinton, who usually writes the Instruction Blog on Mondays. (We gave Kevin the week off.) Ko's young coach is someone you've probably never heard of, Guy Wilson. But you might be hearing a lot about him in the coming weeks, months and years. Hinton notes that it seems like he's done just about everything right in helping Lydia shape her flawless swing, short game and putting stroke, but more importantly her light-hearted approach to practice and play. This is difficult when building a teen phenom, Hinton says. Check out this video from a year ago, before she won the U.S. Women's Amateur and now the CN Canadian Women's Open.
And she seems to have her priorities in order: She's remaining an amateur for the foreseeable future, she says, but suggested that if she could have accepted the $300,000 first-place check, she would have bought a dog and given most of the money to the poor.
There's a lesson here for all of us, and especially anyone responsible for bringing a young player into golf. We need to remind ourselves what's truly important and what this game is all about. So far, Lydia and her coach are on the right path. Check out these video reports to not only see how perfectly on plane Lydia's swing is, and how perfectly paced her putting stroke is, but how perfectly in perspective they've been able to keep the game in her life. Let's hope it continues. Here's one more video, this one from when Lydia was 12.
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
What is most striking about Lydia Ko's victory Sunday--she's the youngest champion on the LPGA Tour (sorry, Lexi Thompson) and the first amateur to win since JoAnn Carner in 1969--is the way in which she did it. By laughing and smiling, even at her bad shots, and joking with her local caddie, almost 50 years her senior, Ko birdied five of six holes in the final round to head off such major stars as Jiyai Shin, Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen.
But it's this same attitude and approach to the game that has produced a string of positive experiences--and victories--in the short career of this obvious child prodigy. Kudos to her New Zealand coach, says Kevin Hinton, who usually writes the Instruction Blog on Mondays. (We gave Kevin the week off.) Ko's young coach is someone you've probably never heard of, Guy Wilson. But you might be hearing a lot about him in the coming weeks, months and years. Hinton notes that it seems like he's done just about everything right in helping Lydia shape her flawless swing, short game and putting stroke, but more importantly her light-hearted approach to practice and play. This is difficult when building a teen phenom, Hinton says. Check out this video from a year ago, before she won the U.S. Women's Amateur and now the CN Canadian Women's Open.
And she seems to have her priorities in order: She's remaining an amateur for the foreseeable future, she says, but suggested that if she could have accepted the $300,000 first-place check, she would have bought a dog and given most of the money to the poor.
There's a lesson here for all of us, and especially anyone responsible for bringing a young player into golf. We need to remind ourselves what's truly important and what this game is all about. So far, Lydia and her coach are on the right path. Check out these video reports to not only see how perfectly on plane Lydia's swing is, and how perfectly paced her putting stroke is, but how perfectly in perspective they've been able to keep the game in her life. Let's hope it continues. Here's one more video, this one from when Lydia was 12.
Weekend Tip: Jack's Advice in Wet Weather
By Roger SchiffmanManaging Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Rhythm and tempo
On Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Jack Nicklaus, the greatest player in the history of the game, for an upcoming instruction series for Golf Digest. In his office in North Palm Beach, Fla., we talked about a number of subjects, but one that might be important this weekend with the impending rain in the Southeast, is how to play in bad weather.
We talked about a lesson Jack first produced with Ken Bowden in the classic series "Jack Nicklaus' Lesson Tee," which ran in the magazine in the '70s and became a book. Here is the lesson, with Jack's current comment:
"Rhythm and tempo take on extra importance when you're being bullied by the elements. With rain running down your neck, you subconsciously risk hurrying both your setup and your swing. In those circumstances I try to make a conscious effort to get properly settled over the ball, then to swing as smoothly and fully as possible. Two of my key thoughts at such times are: 'Make a deliberate takeaway' and 'Complete the backswing.' "
"That's a great tip," Jack told me on Friday. "I never considered myself a mudder, like Tom Watson, who relished wind and rain, but there are three categories of golfers in bad weather:
"One simply stays home until the rain stops. If you're playing in a tournament, you can't do that. Another group goes out and plays but with a negative attitude and usually a lot of griping and poor scores. The third group accepts the elements as just another variation of the game. They assume the scores will be higher and don't get upset when they make a poor shot or a bad score. When I was playing tournament golf, I made sure I was in that third group."
So if you want to play your best golf in inclement conditions, adopt Jack's attitude and think of your rhythm and tempo.
Fitness Friday: Stretch Your Chest for Bigger Drives
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he talks about stretching your chest if you really want to hit bigger drives. Note: in the September issue of Golf Digest (currently on newsstands with Alvaro Quiros on the cover), Quiros mentions the same concept. Standing taller at address helps keep his chest--and swing--wide. It's one of his keys, and he's been the longest driver on the European Tour four of the past six years.
Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: When most golfers stretch before a round, they focus on their back, legs and hips. But if you want to hit bigger drives, expanding your chest muscles is key, says PGA Tour trainer Dave Herman. "Anytime you're going to play, you have to stretch the chest to get the shoulders primed for what they need to do in the golf swing," says Herman, who works with Gary Woodland and Trevor Immelman. "Opening up the chest will help improve your posture and allow you to make a wider swing, which is so important if you want to hit bigger drives."
Herman, founder of Super Flex Bands (@superflexbands), says stuffing some resistance tubing or bands into your golf bag and using them for a pre-round warm-up will really help you hit it farther. To watch Herman demonstrate two chest stretches he uses with his golfers, click on the video below.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
GolfDigest
Twitter @RonKaspriske
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: When most golfers stretch before a round, they focus on their back, legs and hips. But if you want to hit bigger drives, expanding your chest muscles is key, says PGA Tour trainer Dave Herman. "Anytime you're going to play, you have to stretch the chest to get the shoulders primed for what they need to do in the golf swing," says Herman, who works with Gary Woodland and Trevor Immelman. "Opening up the chest will help improve your posture and allow you to make a wider swing, which is so important if you want to hit bigger drives."
Herman, founder of Super Flex Bands (@superflexbands), says stuffing some resistance tubing or bands into your golf bag and using them for a pre-round warm-up will really help you hit it farther. To watch Herman demonstrate two chest stretches he uses with his golfers, click on the video below.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
GolfDigest
Twitter @RonKaspriske
Mid-week Lesson: How to play against a tough competitor
Editor's Note: Ever play in a group in which one of the golfers is a really strong player? Maybe it's the club championship and you drew the defending champion. Or you're playing against someone who has a reputation of intimidation. Every week Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at
Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best
Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week,
Kevin discusses something a little different, inspired by a key pairing at the Barclays Championship at Bethpage on Long Island. For at least the first two days of this week's PGA Tour event, PGA champion Rory McIlroy and FedEx points leader Tiger Woods will be playing together. This gives Kevin an opportunity to discuss how tour players handle playing with a tough competitor, and how you can perform optimally when you're competing against someone who seems to pure it off every tee.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman
Twitter: @KevinHintonGolf
How do you play to your potential when you're battling feelings of inferiority or insecurity? That's often what you face when playing with, say, the top golfer at your course or the best player in your town. Here are some tips when playing with your personal rival:
1. Be more prepared
Tom Kite once told me that one of the reasons he would practice so hard was that it gave him a sense of "deserving" to win. He would tell himself that no one in the field had prepared more, thus he deserved to win.
2. Figure out how hard to try
This is one of golf's big challenges. Trying extremely hard and grinding on every shot is not likely the recipe for success, nor is casually hitting shots without any focus. It is important to find the right balance, and that will take some experimentation. When playing a rival, most people err by trying too hard. It is mentally exhausting if every shot is hit as if it's life or death.
One putting exercise I do with my students is to hit putts with different effort levels, and track at what level they make the most putts. I'll have them hit groups of putts at different levels of intensity. A "10" would be reading the putt from multiple locations and summoning as much mental fortitude as possible, essentially trying to "will" the ball into the hole. A "1" on the scale is barely reading the putt and taking no practice strokes. It's just about as casually as a putt can be hit. Most people find that they have the best results somewhere in the middle, but it varies for each player. You can also apply this to full shots.
3. Play your own game
Much easier to say than do, but there is actually no reason why a rivalry should affect how you play. Golf is an individual sport in which you play against the golf course and yourself. Overly focusing on your opponent's game isn't healthy, even in match play. Stick with your routine, and just keep playing as you know how. I think that's why many tournaments are won by players who are not in the final group, flying under the radar a bit. Both Webb Simpson and Ernie Els won majors this year by doing so.
Weekend Tip: Don't look at the ball when you putt
By Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Dave Stockton's newest Book, Unsconscious Scoring, was just released, and you can find an excerpt in the upcoming October issue of Golf Digest. Written with Matthew Rudy, this book is a clear, succinct approach to simplifying your short game.
I will write a more lengthy review next week. But right now I want to give you a tip from Stockton that might really help your putting. I know it helped mine.
Dave says not to look at the ball when you putt, but rather to pick a spot a couple of inches in front of the ball, right on the putting line you have chosen. Then when you make your stroke, simply focus on rolling the ball right over that spot.
It's amazing how that simple tip helps you to not only roll the ball on your chosen line, but it gets you to accelerate the putter, hit the putt more solid and put a truer roll on it.
I was speaking to the Director of Golf at New Seabury on Cape Cod, Brendan Reilly, about this yesterday (Brendan is one of the best putters I've ever seen), and he said, "I do that on all my shots." That was a revelation for me. Suddenly, my iron shots were crisper (no more fat 7-irons), my chips started checking up next to the pin, my fairway bunker shots were nipped cleanly and my drives had some extra pop. Note: this is not a good thought in greenside bunkers, unless you've been taking too much sand.
Give this thought a try, and good luck this weekend with your game.
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Dave Stockton's newest Book, Unsconscious Scoring, was just released, and you can find an excerpt in the upcoming October issue of Golf Digest. Written with Matthew Rudy, this book is a clear, succinct approach to simplifying your short game.
I will write a more lengthy review next week. But right now I want to give you a tip from Stockton that might really help your putting. I know it helped mine.
Dave says not to look at the ball when you putt, but rather to pick a spot a couple of inches in front of the ball, right on the putting line you have chosen. Then when you make your stroke, simply focus on rolling the ball right over that spot.
It's amazing how that simple tip helps you to not only roll the ball on your chosen line, but it gets you to accelerate the putter, hit the putt more solid and put a truer roll on it.
I was speaking to the Director of Golf at New Seabury on Cape Cod, Brendan Reilly, about this yesterday (Brendan is one of the best putters I've ever seen), and he said, "I do that on all my shots." That was a revelation for me. Suddenly, my iron shots were crisper (no more fat 7-irons), my chips started checking up next to the pin, my fairway bunker shots were nipped cleanly and my drives had some extra pop. Note: this is not a good thought in greenside bunkers, unless you've been taking too much sand.
Give this thought a try, and good luck this weekend with your game.
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Fitness Friday: Are Sports Drinks a Sham?
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he gives you 10 tips on finding a great gym for your golf workouts.
Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: I've never been a fan of sports drinks. I think they contain too much sugar (natural or artificial), too many calories and too many unnatural ingredients. Those elements override the fact that they are adding sodium and potassium (electrolytes) to your body when you need them the most. I also question whether most people need an electrolyte supplement since they already consume way more salt than the recommended allowance set by the USDA (2,300 milligrams a day for those who aren't at high-risk for heart disease). The third strike against sports drinks is that they contain simple carbohydrates, which can lead to energy spikes and crashes during a typical four-hour round of golf.
My dislike of sports drinks has resulted in many debates with experts on fitness and nutrition. I've often wondered if I was wrong to advocate simply drinking water when you get thirsty. My stance was built on years of talking to health and fitness experts and reading research, but there was so much division on the topic, I sometimes doubted my position.
I don't doubt it anymore. Thanks to some great research by British Medical Journal staffer Deborah Cohen, I now feel there is enough proof to oppose the use of sports drinks as a way to battle dehydration and fatigue while playing golf. If you like the taste and don't mind the extra calories, then go for it. They are a marginally better option than soda or sweetened tea. However, don't expect me to buy one for you.
Cohen's article links the biggest sports-drink companies with some of the biggest sports-medicine organizations. Most alarming was her discovery that in many instances, the scientific research done on the benefits of sports drinks was funded by, you guessed it, the sports-drink companies. Do you really think the company funding the research would publish evidence that hurt the product's marketability? If you follow this logic, then you won't be surprised to find out almost all the studies lacked sufficient credibility to say sports drinks are better at hydrating than water.
Cohen's article is a monster, but I'm attaching the link if you want to read it and also watch some videos from a nutrition expert on various myths about hydration. Even if you simply spend a few minutes looking it over, you'll learn quite a bit. You can read it by clicking here.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: I've never been a fan of sports drinks. I think they contain too much sugar (natural or artificial), too many calories and too many unnatural ingredients. Those elements override the fact that they are adding sodium and potassium (electrolytes) to your body when you need them the most. I also question whether most people need an electrolyte supplement since they already consume way more salt than the recommended allowance set by the USDA (2,300 milligrams a day for those who aren't at high-risk for heart disease). The third strike against sports drinks is that they contain simple carbohydrates, which can lead to energy spikes and crashes during a typical four-hour round of golf.
My dislike of sports drinks has resulted in many debates with experts on fitness and nutrition. I've often wondered if I was wrong to advocate simply drinking water when you get thirsty. My stance was built on years of talking to health and fitness experts and reading research, but there was so much division on the topic, I sometimes doubted my position.
I don't doubt it anymore. Thanks to some great research by British Medical Journal staffer Deborah Cohen, I now feel there is enough proof to oppose the use of sports drinks as a way to battle dehydration and fatigue while playing golf. If you like the taste and don't mind the extra calories, then go for it. They are a marginally better option than soda or sweetened tea. However, don't expect me to buy one for you.
Cohen's article links the biggest sports-drink companies with some of the biggest sports-medicine organizations. Most alarming was her discovery that in many instances, the scientific research done on the benefits of sports drinks was funded by, you guessed it, the sports-drink companies. Do you really think the company funding the research would publish evidence that hurt the product's marketability? If you follow this logic, then you won't be surprised to find out almost all the studies lacked sufficient credibility to say sports drinks are better at hydrating than water.
Cohen's article is a monster, but I'm attaching the link if you want to read it and also watch some videos from a nutrition expert on various myths about hydration. Even if you simply spend a few minutes looking it over, you'll learn quite a bit. You can read it by clicking here.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
How He Hit That: Rory's Stellar Bunker Shots
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at
Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best
Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week,
Kevin describes how PGA Champion Rory McIlroy takes dead aim on his greenside bunker shots. It's not just a matter of technique, but mental approach as well. His bunker play was stellar at Kiawah's Ocean course, which at times looked like one big sand bunker. If you're going to contend on this course, you better have your bunker game in top shape. In particular, the sand shots McIlroy made on 10 (to six inches to save par) and on 16 (from well below the green, setting up birdie), were all-world considering the pressure cooker he was playing in. Here's how you can improve your bunker play.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman
Twitter: @KevinHintonGolf
Here are a few thoughts on Rory's bunker game and what you can learn, plus a behind-the-scenes look at his personal backyard bunker course . . .
1. Make a 'normal' swing
Many of the students I see impart far too much slice spin onto their bunker shots, often because they have been taught to do so. They aim their bodies way to the left, set the clubface quite open, then cut across the ball to excess. This makes it difficult to get the ball started on the intended line. The ball will also spin to the right once it hits the green, again reducing the chances of the ball tracking toward the hole.
I find that all this effort does not seem to add that much loft to the shot, and it also presents a challenge in controlling distance when such a glancing blow is applied. I don't see tour players doing so except in extreme situations. The average player would do much better by setting the body and clubface only slightly open, and then making a normal-feeling swing.
2. Take dead aim
If your goal is to get the ball out of the bunker, that is likely the best you'll do. If your goal, however, is to hole every bunker shot, you'll likely do so quite rarely, but I guarantee you'll hit a lot more stiff. It's the same idea as when sport psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella asks his tour players to hole every shot within 100 yards. It doesn't happen that often, but setting high standards and narrowing your focus can significantly tighten your shot dispersion. A great short-game practice drill is to hit a routine greenside shot until you hole it, be it a chip, pitch or bunker shot. You'll be amazed how quickly it can happen. If you are a higher handicapper, make your goal to get the ball within a grip's length. Before long, you'll be holing out shots in practice and taking your increased confidence onto the golf course.
Click here to check out Rory's own backyard bunker course.
Weekend Tip: How to Play Tiger's Two Bunker Shots
Tiger Woods had two distinctly different bunker shots
in the PGA Championship at Kiawah's Ocean Course Thursday that illustrate improvement in his overall bunker play. My colleague Pete McDaniel, a Golf Digest Contributing Editor, was there watching both shots and explains how Tiger pulled each one off. The next time you're in similar situations, you might try Tiger's techniques. Here's Pete:
On the 13th
hole, Tiger's drive finished on a slight upslope of a waste bunker. He had
to clear a pretty significant lip and hit a 6- or 7-iron for the
178-yard shot. To play the shot, he gripped down on the club about an inch,
then lowered his right shoulder or angled his shoulders so the right one
was much lower than the left. From there he made normal, ball-first contact,
easily clearing the lip. In other words, he didn't swing down into the sand, but rather clipped the ball cleanly with more of a sweeping angle of approach. Unfortunately, he pulled the shot into a sandy lie on
the hill above the green and chunked his pitch into the greenside bunker.
From that position, on the short side, he opened his 60-degree wedge fairly flat. With only about 10 feet of green to work with, he had to create a lot of spin to keep the ball from rolling well past the hole. He produced the perfect amount of spin by using a steep, full backswing, really increasing the speed of the club through impact. He also swung to a full finish. The ball settled 18 inches from the hole, and he managed to save bogey and salvage a well-earned 69.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Fitness Friday: 10 Tips for Picking a Gym
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he gives you 10 tips on finding a great gym for your golf workouts.
Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron:
In September's Golf Digest, I asked golf-fitness experts Randy Myers, Ben Shear and Ralph Simpson to recommend equipment for a golfer's home gym. I gave them three budgets: $300 or less; $1,000 or less; $10,000 or less. You can see the article here:
I came up with the idea for the article because, quite frankly, most commercial gyms are awful places to exercise. I'm not talking about them being too crowded. In fact, studies have shown that working out in a busy environment actually increases your intensity and energy expenditure, the thought being that people working out hard motivate other people to do the same. It's like trying to run 26.2 miles alone versus running in the New York Marathon. Your chance of completing the former is much harder.
When I say most commercial gyms are awful places to exercise, it's because they typically lack the space, environment, cleanliness and equipment you need to truly get in shape. With that in mind, if you're considering joining a gym, here are my 10 must-dos before you sign up.
1. Count the machines: Most gym owners load up on machines, because they want their gym to look like impressive to a prospective member. But these machines take up too much space and provide an inferior workout when compared to exercises where the body has full range of motion.
2. Check the floors and mats: Many exercises need to be performed on the ground. If the gym has dirty, black rubber flooring, or a lack of big, clean mats, it's likely a cesspool for germs and bacteria.
3. Spot the mirrors: Despite what many think, mirrors in gyms aren't for vain muscle heads. They're needed to check the body for proper form while doing exercises. Gyms should have mirrors virtually everywhere, and they should be full length, so you can see yourself while doing exercises on the ground.
4. Do the math: The amount of free space in a gym should be considerable. In a perfect world, more than half of the total space would be devoted to areas where you can exercise without interference from strength-training machines, cardio equipment, etc. This is where flooring and mirror requirements are most important.
5. Look for cleaning supplies: Germs are everywhere in a commercial gym. Gyms should be overloaded with paper-towel and anti-bacterial dispensers and bottles of cleaning solution
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron:In September's Golf Digest, I asked golf-fitness experts Randy Myers, Ben Shear and Ralph Simpson to recommend equipment for a golfer's home gym. I gave them three budgets: $300 or less; $1,000 or less; $10,000 or less. You can see the article here:
I came up with the idea for the article because, quite frankly, most commercial gyms are awful places to exercise. I'm not talking about them being too crowded. In fact, studies have shown that working out in a busy environment actually increases your intensity and energy expenditure, the thought being that people working out hard motivate other people to do the same. It's like trying to run 26.2 miles alone versus running in the New York Marathon. Your chance of completing the former is much harder.
When I say most commercial gyms are awful places to exercise, it's because they typically lack the space, environment, cleanliness and equipment you need to truly get in shape. With that in mind, if you're considering joining a gym, here are my 10 must-dos before you sign up.
1. Count the machines: Most gym owners load up on machines, because they want their gym to look like impressive to a prospective member. But these machines take up too much space and provide an inferior workout when compared to exercises where the body has full range of motion.
2. Check the floors and mats: Many exercises need to be performed on the ground. If the gym has dirty, black rubber flooring, or a lack of big, clean mats, it's likely a cesspool for germs and bacteria.
3. Spot the mirrors: Despite what many think, mirrors in gyms aren't for vain muscle heads. They're needed to check the body for proper form while doing exercises. Gyms should have mirrors virtually everywhere, and they should be full length, so you can see yourself while doing exercises on the ground.
4. Do the math: The amount of free space in a gym should be considerable. In a perfect world, more than half of the total space would be devoted to areas where you can exercise without interference from strength-training machines, cardio equipment, etc. This is where flooring and mirror requirements are most important.
5. Look for cleaning supplies: Germs are everywhere in a commercial gym. Gyms should be overloaded with paper-towel and anti-bacterial dispensers and bottles of cleaning solution
Read more
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