Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Power Up Your Golf Game and Fitness with the Kettlebell Swing!

PicturePhoto by Thomas Kreutzer
Without a doubt one of our favorite exercises to build both strength and power in the back, hips, hamstrings and core is the kettlebell swing. The kettlebell swing delivers more bang for your buck than any other exercise we've come across, and according to EP Golf co-founder Hugh Kinney, whenever he hears people say that they only have 10 minutes to do something he recommends the kettlebell swing.

When done with heavier weights for sets of lower repetitions this exercise is great for strength and power development. When done with lighter weights for longer sets of higher reps it improves joint integrity by strengthening the tendons and ligaments, and challenges the cardiovascular system as well.

As an added benefit to the golfer, the kettlebell swing strengthens the postural muscles required for the stance. A stronger more balanced stance that you can maintain for longer periods of time will not only improve your performance, it will reduce your chance of injury and post-play soreness.

Please enjoy this video of EP Golf co-founder and physical preparation specialist Scott Shetler instructing EP Golf team member and professional golfer, Melissa Siviter on the dynamics of this awesome exercise.

Kettlebells are great to have at home. To do an effective kettlebell workout you need very little space and in a short period of time you can get more work done with one or two kettlebells than you can at most big-box fitness centers. We recently came across a study that showed 8 minutes of high intensity kettlebell circuit training to have a similar metabolic effect to 20 minutes of running!

If you take advantage of our $69 / year EP Golf Club membership we have an entire fitness training program with options for beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness enthusiasts, that provides instruction in kettlebell exercises as well as other drills we recommend to round out your training plan. The EP Golf Fitness Program is a downloadable e-book with corresponding videos available in our members-only section. In addition to the EP Golf Fitness Program we provide tons of awesome content through articles and instructional videos.