February 2013: The Instruction Blog: Golf Digest

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Fitness Friday: Hitting the gym with Lee Westwood

Friday, February 22, 2013

You don't need to take Lee Westwood's word for it when he says he has made a real commitment to fitness and living healthier. Just look at the difference in photographs of Westwood from early in his career (above left) and now (right). The transformation is noticeable and impressive.

I've been wanting to talk to Westwood about his fitness regime for some time and finally caught up with him earlier this week near Tucson at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. For nearly seven years, he says he has been eating better and exercising more often under the guidance of British fitness expert Stephen McGregor, a Ph.D., in exercise physiology. Here's more of what Lee had to say:

WHAT WAS THE CATALYST FOR YOUR TRANSFORMATION?
When I hit 30 [he's 39 now] I thought maybe I should start doing something. I saw some of the guys getting stronger, hitting it farther. So I wanted to hit it farther, too. Plus I wanted to play this game for a while. It helps when you're fit.

WHAT'S THE MOST YOU'VE EVER WEIGHED?
I've changed my body--replacing fat with muscle. I probably dropped about 12 to 15 percent of my body fat. The heaviest I ever was was about 110 kilos (243 pounds) and I got down to 89 kilos (196). I weigh 93 kilos (205) now.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK OUT?
On an off week, I'll work out five times. On a tournament week, two or three. When I do work out, it's usually for about two hours a session.

WHAT IS YOUR FOCUS?
Shoulders and legs. You get lots of shoulder problems in golf and I've also had a leg injury in the past. I think it's important to strengthen as much as possible in the areas you use the most. We work on everything, though.

DO YOU DO CARDIO?
I do a lot. I do seven miles, five times a week ... on the golf course. I don't tend to do any cardio other than that. I mainly stick to weights, although I might do a 10-minute warm-up of cardio.

DO YOU USE SUPPLEMENTS?
My trainer tries to keep me on a pretty good diet so I get all I need from food. I have a milk shake or smoothie after I work out to try and get some protein in my body--mainly fruit, ice cream or milk, but low fat.

WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF WORKING OUT IN TERMS OF YOUR GOLF GAME?
I can change my swing a little easier if I need to. My swing also is a little tighter through working out in the gym. I also use my legs to power my swing and strengthening them has helped a lot. I feel I'm very strong in the shoulders, legs and core and that helps provide stability when I swing.

ANY INJURIES OR ISSUES RIGHT NOW?
Nothing.

WHAT DO YOU EAT/DRINK ON THE GOLF COURSE?
I eat nutrition bars, drink water and Gatorade.

FINAL QUESTION, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON DEER-ANTLER SPRAY?
I don't have a take on it. I have no idea what it is or what it does.

(Photos by Getty Images)

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Fitness Friday: A refresher on when to use heat or ice

Friday, February 15, 2013

By Ron Kaspriske

Golf can seem like a full-contact sport. Sometimes you need a little TLC before you get back out there. But what you do depends on the kind of pain you have, says Pete Draovitch, clinical supervisor at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Here's a rule for how to treat your pain: If it's a sharp pain, go with ice. If it's a dull, chronic ache, heat is better. That's a bit oversimplified, but a good place to start.

"Anything that might result in swelling should get ice to reduce the impact," Draovitch says. "And any area that feels sore or stiff needs heat to increase circulation."

When it comes to ice, don't apply it for longer than 20 minutes and avoid direct contact with the skin. When the area feels numb, stop. Compression can help, so wrap the ice pack. When applying heat, compression is even more important. Heat wraps are great, or use compression clothing. In a pinch, a hot shower can do wonders.

Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor for Golf Digest.
Follow @Ron Kaspriske

(Illustration by Thomas Fuchs)

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Fitness Friday: How to Avoid a Back Attack

Friday, February 8, 2013

By Ron Kaspriske

If you're an orthopedic doc and just put an addition on your beach house, thank the nearest golfer. The back, particularly the lumbar spine, is a problem for many of us. Golf Digest fitness advisor Ralph Simpson says try these exercises:

Stand with the heels of your hands on top of your buttocks, fingers pointing down, and arch your back until you feel tension. Hold for two seconds, repeat 10 to 15 times.

Sit cross-legged with the ankle of one leg resting on the knee of the other. Grab the knee of the resting leg and pull it toward your opposite shoulder until you feel a stretch. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then push the knee down until you feel tension in the hip. Hold 30 to 60 seconds, switch legs.

Cross your arms so your fingers touch the opposite shoulder. Turn your torso until the elbow of one arm passes over the opposite thigh. Turn the other direction. Do 10 to 15 rotations.

Lie face down supported by your forearms and toes. Keeping your pelvis higher than your lower back, tighten your abdominals, and hold. Relax and repeat.
Here's a bonus exercise you can do at home or in the office to protect your lower back (watch video below):

Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor for Golf Digest.
Follow @Ron Kaspriske

(Illustration by Chris Gash)

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Fitness Friday: Six Exercises To Raise Your Game

Friday, February 1, 2013

By Ron Kaspriske

As one of professional golf's top fitness consultants, Ben Shear (@Ben_shear) works often with elite-level athletes. In fact, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Bo Van Pelt and Webb Simpson are among his current clients. But the great thing about Ben is that he never strays away from preaching--and teaching--the fundamentals of golf fitness.

I visited with Ben on Thursday at his new part-time location in midtown Manhattan called Golf & Body. Tom Schiff, CEO and owner of this new, gorgeous, private workout facility, brought Shear in because of his ability to train both rank beginners in fitness and also pro athletes. Schiff knows what I've learned in my workings with Ben--he's not going to have you doing P90x type exercises or box jumps or Olympic lifts until your body can handle the basics.

With that in mind, Shear was the perfect person to ask for six basic exercises that all golfers should be doing. Shear believes that the key to a better golf swing is to first build a more stable body. The more stable you are, the more flexible you can become. These exercises hit the hot spots for golfers--most notably the hips, glutes, shoulders, hamstrings, abs, etc.

See these exercises and get a tutorial on how to perform them >

Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor for Golf Digest.
Follow @Ron Kaspriske

(Illustration by Kagan McLeod)

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