Here in Upstate New York we do not often have the opportunity to golf on Thanksgiving weekend.  This year it was beautiful and I was able to get two rounds in at a fairly new Jack Nicklaus Design course call Timber Banks.  This got me thinking about a feature I want to add to Get Ready For Golf, a Golf Course Review section where anyone can send me their own review of a favorite course to post on this blog.

You can email me your brief review of a course you have played along with a few pictures of the best holes.  Tell us what you think about the course layout, the condition of the greens, the level of services offered at the course, the best holes, worst holes, and your overall rating for the course on a 1 to 10 scale.  Some background information would also be useful, for example,  who was designer and any other interesting facts that you might know about the course.  Be honest and truthful, but not too vicious as this isn’t a club bashing exercise.  Also, remember a 10 rating is the ultimate course and should be very hard to obtain…like Augusta.

You will be given the byline and all of the credit for the review.  I will post a review in the next few days so you have an example of what I have in mind.

Would you find a golf course review section useful?  Let me know I would like to hear from you.

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!  Don’t worry about what you eat, just have a wonderful time with your family.  I’ll leave you with one of the best posts I have come across.  When I decided I needed to do something about my weight and fitness level I worried every time I strayed away.  That was until I read this post.  The 80/20 Rule is something I always keep in the front of my mind and it allows me to feel better about eating habits and increases my confidence that I am on track.  Thanksgiving is a day to make good food choices but to realize that it is more about family and having a worry free good time.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

The one-leg balanced shoulder press is a great exercise to increase your balance, strengthen your core muscles and work your shoulders.  As with most of the balance exercises, this exercise is harder than you think it should be!  As discussed in the previous blog this exercise requires one dumbbell.  I recommend trying a lighter dumbbell to start with and increase the weight once you can perform the exercise while keeping your balance through the 2 sets and keeping good form.  More on this later.  Let’s get started!  I hope to add pictures for the exercises soon.

Ok, the picture below is closer to the correct form  (with one dumbbell)…need a model like in the thumbnail though…

First:

Stand on your right leg with your left leg slightly bent behind you and your foot off the ground.  As with the Twisted One-leg Airplane exercise, the left leg does not need to be bent and any particular angle, just keep it off the ground.

Second:

Place the dumbbell in your right hand with your arm straight down against your right leg.  Your left hand should be bent and held against your mid-section.  Use good posture, keeping your shoulders back.  Don’t lean forward or slouch your shoulders.  Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders square.  I like to face an object such as the TV, a wall, or full length mirror as I find it easier to make sure my body stays square while doing the exercise.

Actions:

1.)  Keeping your balance, curl the weight up to your shoulder with one end of the dumbbell facing your target and the opposite end to the side and in front of your chin.  Your arm should be bent at 90° with your upper arm parallel to the ground.
2.)  Press the weight up straight above your shoulder in a slow steady motion while maintaining your balance. Keep your core muscles engaged.
3.)  Slowly lower the dumbbell back to shoulder height.  Repeat.

Thoughts:

Keep separation between your base leg and your raised leg.  Don’t rest the raised leg along side the base leg.  Try to remember to keep the core muscles engaged.  If you feel significant strain on your shoulder use a lighter weight.  Keeping proper form and balance are more important than speed or the weight of the dumbbell.  Keep your wrist firm, and your arm angle should be 90° to your shoulder.  With your wrist firm that means that the front end of the dumbbell should always face the target.

What is it working?

You should feel your lower leg muscles firing to keep your balanced weight over your foot.  Core muscles should remain tight.  You should also feel your triceps, biceps and shoulder muscles working.  Remember, don’t use too much weight!

Repetitions:

Repeat 10 to 15 times and then switch legs.  Complete 2 sets.

Advanced:

Stand on a yogi brick once you can do this exercise without having to brace yourself.

The words ‘Use Free Weights’ conjure up images of bulky bodybuilders to most people.  As much as free weights, you can insert the word dumbbells here if you will, are important in body building, they are also important in a fitness program.  The main advantage I see in dumbbells over a stationary weight machine (besides cost) is that dumbbells require your muscles to also balance them in your hands.  Weight machine cables glide in pulleys or in guides that more or less hold them in a stationary plane, while dumbbells will want to tilt right or left in your hands during use.  The use of dumbbells will increase your Proprioception, or allow you more awareness of how to use and manipulate your muscles for better control of the implement in your hands.  Using dumbbells will develop, build, and strengthen the small muscles that work in unison with the larger muscles that doing the majority of lifting.  Bring this benefit to the golf course in better control of the golf club during your swing.  I mention how dumbbells will increase your proprioception of your hands, but they will also increase sensory  awareness of your arms and shoulders when used in exercises.

I bring up dumbbells in this sequence as the next blog will be devoted to an exercise that requires a dumbbell.

I would recommend obtaining several different weighted pairs of dumbbells.  Many exercises require the use dumbbells and dependent on the muscle group the exercise targets, the number of repetitions, and your strength you could use a pair of 5-lbs, 8-lbs, 10-lbs, 15-lbs, and 20-or 25-lbs dumbbells.  They do not need to be purchased at once, I pick up a set every so often to add to my personnel home gym.  Start with the lighter ones, you will know soon enough if you want to use heavier ones.

I use the plain iron type dumbbells, mainly because they are cheaper and my floor is covered by carpet.  If I worked on a hard surface floor, even if covered by a mat, I would most likely use the rubber coated dumbbells.  In the long run the coated dumbbells might be a better choice because the iron dumbbells can be damaged in use causing sharp edges that may cut you or anyone else like your children if they use them.  Dumbbells can of course be bought in any sporting good stores or online…have to love the free shipping!  See below.

The twisted one-leg airplane is a seemingly easy exercise…for the first 3 or 4 anyway.  This exercise is a good warm up for the body before doing more strenuous activities.   It also a great exercise to do before your golf round to loosen up your hips.  Let’s get started!  I hope to have a photographer soon so I can add several photographs for each exercise.

No equipment is needed unless you want to make the exercise more advanced (see below).  You can perform this exercise barefooted or with sneakers on.

First:

Stand on your right leg with your left leg lifted off the ground behind you.  The left leg does not need to be bent and any particular angle, just keep it off the ground…more than likely you will need to place it on the ground to keep your balance on your first few tries so don’t have it too high!

Second:

Raise your arms to parallel to your shoulders (in a Tee-position) and bend at your waist into your golf ball address position.  Don’t bend too much, use your 6-iron or longer stance.  Use good posture, keep your shoulders back.

Action:

Slowly twist your upper body to the right, and then to the left, while keeping your arms parallel the ground and in the tee-position.  Twist as far as you can without tipping over and try to hold that last position for a few seconds.

Thoughts:

Try to keep your right foot, knee and hip in line with each other (facing forward).  Do not turn your knee in the direction of your twist.
Do not lower your arms; keep them high in the T-position.
Keep separation between your base leg and your raised leg.  Don’t rest the raised leg along side the base leg.

What is it working?

You should feel this working muscles in your feet and lower legs.  To a lesser extent the outer hip muscles.

Repetitions:

Repeat 10 to 15 times and then switch legs.  Complete 2 sets.

Advanced:

Stand on a yogi brick once you can do this exercise without having to brace yourself.