Tom Menting,
NSCA - CSCS & CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Lakewood Colorado's Personal Training for All Fitness Levels!

Tom's Health Tips

Off-Season Golf Training February-12-2012

If you want to improve your golf swing, focus on improving the ‘key’ muscle group for golf: the hip flexors. The hip flexor group consists of 5 muscles and, as their name suggests, they are powerful flexors of the hip joint as well as key stabilizers as you bend forward over the golf ball upon addressing it. It is this muscle group’s secondary function, rotation, which makes targeting this group so important to all golfers. with direct connections between the low back, pelvis and lower extremities, length in these muscles allows the golfer to separate and coil between these ‘key’ segments of the body. Unfortunately, the starting position of each golf swing, the address, helps to facilitate disfunction in most golfers. Firstly, the address position itself tends to shorten these muscles as we hinge and maintain our spine angle. In addition, most folks spend a lot of time sitting throughout the day, adding to limitations. With this chronic pattern of shortening and a direct link between the low back, pelvis and lower body, we need to become more effective and efficient at opening this area up and resorting its function. To do so, I recommend the hip flexor stretch. One way to do it is the kneeling stretch: Kneel on your right knee, with your toes down, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you. Your knee should be bent and aligned with your ankle. Place your hand on your left thigh. Press your hips forward until you feel tension in the front of your right thigh.  Extend arms overhead with your palms facing each other and slightly arch your back while keeping your chin parallel to the ground. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat the process. Another great hip flexor stretch involved a chair. Try this: Place your right foot on a chair about the height of your knee to waist. Next, raise your left arm overhead. Lean your hips towards the chair while keeping your back straight. Reach sideways with your arm. You should feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and then return to the starting position. Repeat 5-10 times then switch sides and repeat the process. Keeping your muscles in motion on a regular basis will not only help you golf better, but you’ll feel better too.

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Welcome to Sun Fitness Personal Training  At Sun Fitness Personal Training, we are dedicated to providing personalized exercise and nutrutional programs that will shape your mental and emotional state.    The end result is improvement in the quality of your life! Owner Tom Menting, a NSCA - CSCS & CPT certified personal trainer with over 15 years experience in the health and fitness profession, has developed personal training programs including body fat testing, nutritional counseling and strength training programs for a variety of clients, ranging from new exercisers to elite athletes.   Our goal is to provide a plan of action that works for YOU!  First, we evaluate your current fitness level and nutritional intake and conduct a body fat analysis. Next, we discuss your personal goals and what is driving you to improve your life. Then, we create a plan to achieve your goals and put your plan into action! Services: Titleist Performance Institute Fitness assessments and Training Programs Golf Fitness Training Programs Ph.D Approved Nutritional Programs (with meals plans) Using Diet Master Pro (Same as used by Health Clubs) Functional Weight Training Cardio Activities / Active Lifestyles Weight Management & Fat Loss Specialized Pregnancy Programs Sports Specific Training