MASTER CLASS : Golf Twist a travel workout hole in one
Posted on Monday, December 1, 2008
Innovative fi tness exercises are sometimes created out of necessity, particularly when there isn’t much equipment to work with. Over the years, I’ve found that some of the more effective exercises for the core require little or no equipment and are completely portable.
This week, I’ll provide a few tips for taking your exercise program on the road, and I’ll present one of my favorite moves for the core — your hips, torso, abdominals and back.
How portable is your program ? While certain exercise regimens are easy to execute away from home, others are extremely equipment-intensive and so are impossible on the road. Before you travel, I encourage you to modify your program to ensure it can still be done in hotel gyms, small towns and anywhere else your family plans may take you.
The key to maintaining a travel-friendly workout program is versatility. Instead of basing your exercise selection on specific “exercises” (biceps curls, chest presses ) try focusing on movement patterns.
A leg press, for example, is an exercise for the quadriceps and gluteals. But you could substitute with a simple squat because it’s much easier to translate into unfamiliar fitness environments. You can perform a squat anywhere, anytime, whereas the leg press involves the presence of a particular machine.
Another easy way to keep your momentum going while traveling is to plan shorter workouts. People are typically more pressed for time when on the road, so planning a shorter workout will improve the likelihood of making time for the session.
This week’s exercise is a really simple movement that challenges the core without the need for an extensive equipment selection. The Golf Twist can be performed by people of all fi tness levels through simple modification of the basic movement.
1. Select a medium-weight medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. (If you don’t have a weighted ball, use any medium-weight object that’s easy to grasp. )
2. Lean your upper body forward as though you were in a golf stance.
3. Extend your arms out in front of your chest while holding the medicine ball as if it were a club.
4. Rotate to the right (as a right-handed golfer would ) while bringing the medicine ball along the same arc as a golf swing.
5. Pause for three to five seconds as the ball reaches shoulder height.
6. Reverse the rotation as if you are swinging the club ( slowly ) and again, pause when the ball reaches shoulder height. (It will be over your left shoulder at this point. )
7. Maintain good forward posture throughout the exercise and perform eight “swings” while pausing over each shoulder.
8. Do two or three sets of eight.
The Golf Twist is a really effective core exercise because it challenges the lower back and abdominal group with one easy motion.
Unlike many abdominal and core exercises, the Golf Twist is done in a standing position, which makes the movement more feasible for people of varying fitness levels. With a doctorate in education (sport studies ) and a master’s in kinesiology, Matt Parrott applies his certification by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health / fitness director and instructor in his new business, HP Fitness LLC in Kansas City, Mo.
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