Strength Training or Weight Training for
Juniors?
In my work with junior golfers which includes
personally assessing and training the juniors
at the International Junior Golf Academy in
Hilton Head, I see wide discrepancies in
fitness levels among junior golfers in the
exact same age bracket. Each year, I watch
young men in the 16 to 18 year old age group
perform push ups to get an idea of upper body
strength. In the same room and at the same
time, it is possible to see one golfer perform
2 push ups while the golfer next to him
performs over 80. Does this give you any idea
of possible strength discrepancies between
junior golfers?
When discussing the subject of strength with
students and parents, it always leads to the
obvious questions regarding how best to build
MORE STRENGTH! Some parents have asked me why
I don’t talk more about weight training. Can
you build strength without weight training?
Many people assume that if you are not
using external weight like dumbbells,
barbells, bands or cables that you must not be
challenging yourself. Let’s look at the
differences between strength training and
weight training. Strength training is
used to develop the strength and size of
skeletal muscles. Weight training is a
system of conditioning involving lifting
weights.
Since stability is a major issue for most
junior golfers, my preference is to see them
use exercises which builds strength for golf
as well as teaches them to rely on their own
body strength, stability and body movement
while providing a great challenge.
Now, try the exercise above. From an extended
push up position, pick up one arm and place it
across your chest. The trick is to not alter
your body position while performing this
exercise. There should be no change in posture
and no shifting of your body weight from one
side to the other. Really focus on this very
simple movement without excessive movement
from other parts of your body.
Then, place your hand back on the ground and
pick up your opposite hand, placing it across
your chest.
How many can you do?
This is a great exercise for building strength
in your shoulders, core and upper body muscles
while teaching stability. The best part is
that you can use it at home and while you
travel on the road.
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