Offseason training for power

[Tepi]

Hey,

after playing for a couple months it's come very clear to me that correct technique is the way to go for extra distance. However I haven't found a sport yet where you wouldn't benefit from good physical condition. That's why I wanted to ask you guys which body parts you should give attention for distance wise and also to prevent injuries? What kind of training you do besides throwing the disc?

Strong core comes to my mind first.

 

[mrtho]

My guess would be upper legs, butt, and core. I have nothing close to anything that could be considered "form", but it looks like that is where a huge amount of force is generated in the vieos

 

[mrtho]

I have nothing close to anything that could be considered "form", but from what I've seen watching videos it looks like most of the force is created by straightening the rear leg and turning on the hip so I'd say

Upper leg because the quads are what straightens your leg

Butt to help turn through the hips

And core to help posture

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[mrtho]

Now that is a run-up.... don't think the jump throw is legal though

 

[storyboy]

Excersize your shoulder [upper arm] on your throwing arm. Do resistance rubber band type excersize. You don't realize how much you use your shoulder in Disc Golf until you f*** it up.

 

[BuiltTooLong]

Now that is a run-up.... don't think the jump throw is legal though

Uli would try it

 

[bnbanbury]

I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and, while certainly not for everyone, it is one of the most complimentary fitness activities a person could do. trains grip and core strength while improving flexibility. I have more power on the course when I am training bjj consistently than when I am not.

 

[seehad]

Plenty of core exercises that strengthen and add mobility should be your focus for disc golf. When I talk about core, the abs and obliques are just the surface. Strong and mobile hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, TFL, abductors, etc), sartorius, multifudis, erector spinae, and glutes are all very important parts to a strong core. Being in shape with some cardio will really help keep you in top shape over physically demanding rounds.

@bnbanbury makes a good point. Martial Arts, Pilates, Yoga, and other programs like that are extremely useful in disc golf. They all have terrific exercises that put a great importance on core strength, flexibility, and stamina.

 

[John M. Fretz]

What's an "off-season"?

 

[Shamis]

I think leg workouts like squats and deadlifts could be beneficial. Flexibility is probably more important, and as somebody else mentioned, shoulder workouts are really good to help prevent injury, but probably won't make you throw any further.

 

[Tepi]

What's an "off-season"?

For us in Finland it's the time of year when there's 4 feet of snow on the course.

 

[Lazerface]

Pilates is my go to. After that it's the AB Doer 360, then some time on the Total Gym by Chuck Norris. This is really a no-brainer.

 

[ClydesdaleDan]

I think increasing general strength with the main compound lifts(presses, rows, squats, deadlifts) has helped my game greatly over the last year. These lifts all work large portions of your body including your core through athletic ranges of motion. They also improve balance and stability.

As far as specific muscles go, I would say quads, glutes, and obliques contribute. I have also noticed my right lat is significantly larger and I blame it on throwing discs.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[DamonRipper]

Just my .02 ... I am 49 and still in great shape. There is no substitute for hard work

You need to do three things in the gym: strength training, cardio/HIIT training, and flexibility/stretching. Many people do one or two well, but very few do all three. I work out in some form almost every day, I do yoga 1-2 times per week, I lift weights 3 days, and I work in cardio 2 - 4 times. The results: I can run for miles, bicycle for hours, and for disc golf can still throw hard, play 3-4 rounds in a row, and rarely get injured.

I'll add that "targeting" muscles is not a great idea usually. The body works as a system, so you need to train the system as a whole ... not just parts of it. It will prevent injuries as well, because everything gets stronger and more flexible at the same rate.

A trainer is your best bet if working out is foreign to you, learning proper form is critical. That said, below are some good resources...

Something like this: although I would probably exclude clean & jerks from that unless you've lifted quite a bit.
This is a great resource as well
Here is a cool site if you don't want or have access to equipment!

 

[VictorB]

Just my .02 ... I am 49 and still in great shape. There is no substitute for hard work

100% agree. Strength is never a weakness.

OP - don't focus on things that will make you 'a more powerful golfer'. Focus on getting in shape and just being stronger, in a functional way.

Squat, bench or overhead press, and deadlifts should be the core of any program. Add in fun stuff like sled drags/pushes, sandbag over the shoulder, or whatever gets you moving weight. If you're moving weight you're engaging your core - so don't focus on 'ab work' unless it's something like an ab wheel (tried and true) Some cardio would be good but don't worry about overdoing it. Working on flexibility is a key also.

 

[Dingus]

I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and, while certainly not for everyone, it is one of the most complimentary fitness activities a person could do. trains grip and core strength while improving flexibility. I have more power on the course when I am training bjj consistently than when I am not.

I have trained grappling in the past and it hurt my disc golf game. Grappling, especially elegant forms like Judo or BJJ lock up your arms; you develop your tendons to "hold" instead of "release" if that makes sense. IMO.

The best workout I ever did for disc golf was the insanity program. The "plyometric" training, consisting of bouncing around on your tendons, made everything I did more explosive. Jumping around greatly aids in timing the weight transfer as well.

As for injury prevention I always like kettle bell workouts. Get a nice heavy ~50lb bell and do getups, swings, cleans, and jerks. It really gets your back muscles strong and symmetrical. You have to be careful not to use your arms though, you don't want big immobile biceps for disc golf.

 

[bnbanbury]

I have trained grappling in the past and it hurt my disc golf game. Grappling, especially elegant forms like Judo or BJJ lock up your arms; you develop your tendons to "hold" instead of "release" if that makes sense. IMO.

No, it doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Dingus]

No, it doesn't make sense to me.

You may not have the same experience so it may never make sense. But in my experience, when you train grappling predominantly it hurts striking. The muscle activity used for grappling and striking is completely different to me. In grappling I am constantly resisting movement with my tendons; I am getting body locks and locking my arms into position, I am getting a triangle and locking my legs into position. Now there are fluid positions like rubber guard where the legs aren't locked, but even there you aren't attempting to propel your legs like you do in a strike.

To me striking is the same thing as throwing a disc. You are trying to get velocity on your hand/foot to produce the most force possible. If you have a way to train grappling and striking in a way that is mutually beneficial, please share, I would love to hear it.

 

[bnbanbury]

You may not have the same experience so it may never make sense. But in my experience, when you train grappling predominantly it hurts striking. The muscle activity used for grappling and striking is completely different to me. In grappling I am constantly resisting movement with my tendons; I am getting body locks and locking my arms into position, I am getting a triangle and locking my legs into position. Now there are fluid positions like rubber guard where the legs aren't locked, but even there you aren't attempting to propel your legs like you do in a strike.

To me striking is the same thing as throwing a disc. You are trying to get velocity on your hand/foot to produce the most force possible. If you have a way to train grappling and striking in a way that is mutually beneficial, please share, I would love to hear it.

I just can't say that I've had that experience and maybe its just because I have been training bjj for a fairly long time (longer than I've been discing) and am more relaxed when I am doing it than what you are describing. Grappling feels fluid to me. I don't know that I have considered whether I have lost any elasticity in the tendons in my arms over the years of doing it but I know that my core strength and the flexibility in my hips has been greatly improved by training. Having had a two year period where I was not training but was throwing gave me a pretty good gauge for how much less power i personally have when I am off the mats.

I also boxed for 6 years but never felt as explosive in my legs and core. Maybe if it had been Muay Thai rather than traditional boxing I would have developed more in those areas.