Marv Vega
Birdie Member
I'm a Personal Trainer, have my BA in PE (Sport Management) and am ACE Certified. I've worked with a lot of athletes over the years and here's the protocol I take when training for any sport, including Disc Golf. I do think with disc golf it's important to strengthen the body, improve flexibility through stretching, and improve endurance through some cardiovascular training but I don't think anyone needs a bodybuilding type routine or to train like a marathon runner. Use the time you'd save and work on your form in the field, which'll add more distance than years in the weight room anyway. Make sure you're using proper form, use an exercise you feel comfortable with, a weight you feel comfortable with and use a spotter if needed. In other words be safe. Here's my take on Disc Golf conditioning.
1. Basic Conditioning (4 weeks or so): This is just getting the body ready for more advanced conditioning, many people who exercise on their own are beyond this stage. This phase emphasizes proper form using light resistance work, 1 exercise per muscle group, building from 1-3 sets per muscle group. Reps should be ideally 12-20 and an emphasis should be on form: Proper alignment, breathing, and speed of movement.
2. General Conditioning (4 weeks +): This is where we start to strengthen the body using more exercises and sets. Start out by performing 2 exercises per muscle group, 2 sets per muscle group and progress to 2 exercises per muscle group, 3 sets each exercise. Keep the reps around 8-15 but make surethe muscles are fatiqued (burning) at the end of each set.
3. Sport Focused Muscle Training (6 weeks +): This is in addition to the General Conditioning phase, in this stage we give additional emphasis on the muscle groups used most often in the sport. For disc golf these woud be the hips (abductors), Core muscles (abs), Posterior Delt's (back of shoulder), and the Triceps (back of arm). I usually perform 1 exercise per muscle group and 2 sets, again this is in addition to the work already being done with the General Conditioning.
4. Sport Specific Movement Training (8 weeks +)- This is in addition to the General Conditioning and Sport Focused phases. In this phase we break down and mimic the movements of the sport using resistance. For disc golf exercise tubes work great. I usually start by gripping the handle of the tube like you would a disc, then break down your drive and practice the different motions with the tube. Here's what I use for a backhand drive, make sure you're standing so it's challenging but you're able to still get 15 reps or so for each motion, I usually do 2 sets per each motion. Make sure you also perform these exercises with the other side of the body as well. Examples are twisting with the hips and trunk while facing backwards, standing and pulling the arm (and tube) across the chest until the elbow's pointed straight out from the body, and then extending the arm all the way out.
1. Basic Conditioning (4 weeks or so): This is just getting the body ready for more advanced conditioning, many people who exercise on their own are beyond this stage. This phase emphasizes proper form using light resistance work, 1 exercise per muscle group, building from 1-3 sets per muscle group. Reps should be ideally 12-20 and an emphasis should be on form: Proper alignment, breathing, and speed of movement.
2. General Conditioning (4 weeks +): This is where we start to strengthen the body using more exercises and sets. Start out by performing 2 exercises per muscle group, 2 sets per muscle group and progress to 2 exercises per muscle group, 3 sets each exercise. Keep the reps around 8-15 but make surethe muscles are fatiqued (burning) at the end of each set.
3. Sport Focused Muscle Training (6 weeks +): This is in addition to the General Conditioning phase, in this stage we give additional emphasis on the muscle groups used most often in the sport. For disc golf these woud be the hips (abductors), Core muscles (abs), Posterior Delt's (back of shoulder), and the Triceps (back of arm). I usually perform 1 exercise per muscle group and 2 sets, again this is in addition to the work already being done with the General Conditioning.
4. Sport Specific Movement Training (8 weeks +)- This is in addition to the General Conditioning and Sport Focused phases. In this phase we break down and mimic the movements of the sport using resistance. For disc golf exercise tubes work great. I usually start by gripping the handle of the tube like you would a disc, then break down your drive and practice the different motions with the tube. Here's what I use for a backhand drive, make sure you're standing so it's challenging but you're able to still get 15 reps or so for each motion, I usually do 2 sets per each motion. Make sure you also perform these exercises with the other side of the body as well. Examples are twisting with the hips and trunk while facing backwards, standing and pulling the arm (and tube) across the chest until the elbow's pointed straight out from the body, and then extending the arm all the way out.
