Disc Golf Strength, Fitness, and Training routines

[SpikeHyzer]

This winter I didn't move my running regiment indoors and it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. But it wasn't without its issues though.

Congrat's on the 8 kilos down.

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

 

[JR]

Today marks 2 years of accepting a fitness/weight loss wager with a former coworker of mine. Two years ago I was tipping the scales at 262 and steadily climbing. I am proud to say that this morning I weighted in at 194 and feeling pretty damn good. Disc Golf has become a joy again because I am not carrying the equivalent of a small child around the course anymore.

Congrats! Very impressive.

Unfortunately life seems to be a zero sum game and I know where the weight you lost went to.

My recipe was and is to eat less, especially meat but more sallad and drinking protein to not lose muscle mass and controlling hunger with chia seeds at times. Chia probably shouldn't be used all the time because it prevents some parts of food from getting into the blood stream. While it helps in limiting the energy you get from the food it might also create deficiencies if it is overdone. Naturally more training has helped too. I'd try my hand at HIT. High intensity training. For example 20 second spurt at resistance with a gym bike then pausing and repeating three times at full power. Three times a week plus whatever you were doing previously. When you progress 30 seconds for 5 times was the recommendation by Finnish researchers on Finnish TV program Prisma studio a couple of weeks ago. The initial training takes only 12 minutes per month! You can do it can't you. you might not even sweat at all. Perfect for busy professionals. You could exercise during lunch break in your work clothes and save time for fun outside of work instead of working out then.

 

[SpikeHyzer]

I added in a 30 minute HITT program a few weeks ago, in addition to my morning run and it has helped strengthen my core a ton. I played a round of disc a few weeks back and could feel the difference when throwing 80%-90% power. It seems as though my distance has gone up by about 20-30 feet. With it being early in the season, I can't wait to see how it goes once I am able to throw regularly without snow on the pads.

 

[what'shisname]

Today marks 2 years of accepting a fitness/weight loss wager with a former coworker of mine. Two years ago I was tipping the scales at 262 and steadily climbing. I am proud to say that this morning I weighted in at 194 and feeling pretty damn good. Disc Golf has become a joy again because I am not carrying the equivalent of a small child around the course anymore.

So, like, did you win the bet?

Congrats!

 

[SpikeHyzer]

The original wager was for 6 months. But it has stuck with me since then. And yes, I won the wager.

 

[JR]

Nobody can do high intensity training active part for 30 minutes at the best possible power generation level. So does that 30 minutes include the rest periods? How long, how many reps and how long a rest period does your HIT routine include? I've noticed less leg fatigue and a a possible minor increase in the ease of breathing and a certain lengthened ability to sustain aerobic exercise. From a few months of different variations of HIT.

 

[SpikeHyzer]

That 30 includes the rest periods. It's a 3:1 system. Upper body is usually 7-10 reps. Lower body is usually 15-20.

 

[JR]

I've not done that much upper body HIT yet but have dabbled with it testing what my body can handle. If i've read correctly between the lines masterbeato does some sort of HIT version at least for the upper body.

 

[UncleBrother2001]

I'll have to post my routines for my workouts and eating habits when i have more time.

Last year around November I weighed 138lbs. Now I weight 165lbs. I'm 5' 8"

It's a pretty intense workout I do. I divide the workouts into different muscle groups. One month I'll be lifting just a little bit heavy then the next month I'm lifting a little bit lighter to give my body time to recover from the last month.

this is just a basic rundown of how I divide the workouts. It's a bit different than what you are use to seeing. I do both pulling movements one day then do all pushing movement the day after next.

Monday - Biceps and Back
Tuesday - Upper Legs and Abs
Wednesday - Chest and Triceps
Thursday - Calves and Abs
Friday - Shoulders
Saturday - Abs
Sunday - Off

When I have time I'll post my Workouts I do and explain how to do them.

 

[hugh78]

I did this one for a while:

http://www.mensfitness.com/workout/98

The plank with lateral raise, pushup with row and single leg RDL seem like pretty good DG exercises. It seems to hit your shoulders pretty hard and while I used to have aching issues with my throwing arm rotator cuff, I haven't experienced them at all since I started it.

Now I'm just doing a full body workout using compound lifts with my Powerblocks and Swiss ball three times a week and cardio two times a week. I always warm up before and stretch afterwards.

Nice to see more advanced techniques!

 

[Widdershins]

Well, I am back in the saddle again.

Last fall, with my bum knee refusing to get better, I stopped my workout routine.

For the preceding 5 years I worked out twice a week with a personal trainer. As I learned, working out and playing disc golf does not stop repetitive use injuries but rather can eventually lead to them. Taking time off has always been my least favorite option. So I refused to stop golfing.

Not working out didn't work either. My knee still ached and was getting much weaker and my game was suffering so in July I went back to the gym. Now 2 1/2 months later my knee is somewhat better. I have picked up a pretty good case of plantar fasciitis in my left heel but aches are inevitable.

I found a new gym close to my home and am now acting as my own trainer. The exercises that seem to be helping the most (I think) are balance exercises. I mix in strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and endurance in a constantly changing series of exercises with the shortest breaks between exercises I can tolerate. I have certainly retained my ability to sweat. Unfortunately I also retain my inherent level of athletic gifts. My old racquetball coach was happy to tell me, "Ellis, you have the gracefulness of a 3 legged, spastic dog."

 

[JR]

What a supportive coach you had. Pf help that i got from a physiotherapist was not to stretch the calf at full power or to max movement range. Curling the toes ten times then keeping the toes on the ground move them closer to the heel by arching the foot then spread the toes apart then raise the big toe and set it down and raise the rest keeping the big toe down. You guessed it ten times. Some movements can be done in two sets. These exercises twice a day help. In pain relief immediately in milder inflammations for awhile and longer after some time. If you have not developed calcification over the tendon. That aggravates more with every movement so i do not know if these exercises make that condition worse. I am not a medical pro so ask one about the safety of these exercises in your case.

 

[Stringbean]

Well, I am back in the saddle again.

Last fall, with my bum knee refusing to get better, I stopped my workout routine.

For the preceding 5 years I worked out twice a week with a personal trainer. As I learned, working out and playing disc golf does not stop repetitive use injuries but rather can eventually lead to them. Taking time off has always been my least favorite option. So I refused to stop golfing.

Not working out didn't work either. My knee still ached and was getting much weaker and my game was suffering so in July I went back to the gym. Now 2 1/2 months later my knee is somewhat better. I have picked up a pretty good case of plantar fasciitis in my left heel but aches are inevitable.

I found a new gym close to my home and am now acting as my own trainer. The exercises that seem to be helping the most (I think) are balance exercises. I mix in strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and endurance in a constantly changing series of exercises with the shortest breaks between exercises I can tolerate. I have certainly retained my ability to sweat. Unfortunately I also retain my inherent level of athletic gifts. My old racquetball coach was happy to tell me, "Ellis, you have the gracefulness of a 3 legged, spastic dog."

Elastic angle supports do wonders for plantar fasciitis. Just wear it while you work out or golf. Ice at night.

 

[Widdershins]

What a supportive coach you had. Pf help that i got from a physiotherapist was not to stretch the calf at full power or to max movement range. Curling the toes ten times then keeping the toes on the ground move them closer to the heel by arching the foot then spread the toes apart then raise the big toe and set it down and raise the rest keeping the big toe down. You guessed it ten times. Some movements can be done in two sets. These exercises twice a day help. In pain relief immediately in milder inflammations for awhile and longer after some time. If you have not developed calcification over the tendon. That aggravates more with every movement so i do not know if these exercises make that condition worse. I am not a medical pro so ask one about the safety of these exercises in your case.

Actually my racquetball coach was supportive. He used insults/jokes as motivational tools. Quite effectively. He was a funny guy.

The New York Times Fitness and Nutrition page recently posted an article recommending pretty much the opposite approach: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/heel-pain-treatment/?_php=true&_type=blogs&src=me&_r=0. So far none of the show inserts I have tried do much. Stretches are useful but the most effective approach for me has been to avoid playing too many days back to back.

I am trying the exercises suggested in the NYT article above. It is too early to judge how well they provide long term relief.

Stringbean suggested ice at night. I am a big fan of ice for most strains. I have tried ice for PF before without much success. Ice seems particularly uncomfortable applied directly to feet. I always wonder if the ice should be centered on the heel (where the pain is) or under the arch (where evidently the strain is). I am guessing "Elastic Angle Supports" are shoe inserts.

 

[Stringbean]

No, they are not shoe inserts. It's basically an ACE Bandage shaped in a figure 8. You can find them at Walgreens. The compression helps support the fascia and improves blood flow. But I agree, stretching and rest seem to be the best long term solution.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aelastic%20ankle%20support

 

[JR]

Ice has not helped me. I got the same advice plus stretching advice as the NYT article suggested earlier and it did not work during a couple or three years. It should be ok later on because it strengthens your tendons etc. Thus making the support structures harder to overuse, which is where pf comes from.

In the acute phase there can be an inflammation and if you keep on stressing the tendon for months the inflammation causes calcium deposits to build up above the tendon. Which will grind the tendon on each step like sand paper. Seeing how the warm part of the year is about a third of the year here i have played through pain that feels like a needle in the foot for months. And less in the winter. The pf heals during the winter for me.

In the acute phase stretching is a super bad idea. A doc told me would you massage a wound? Of course not and that is what my tendonitis in my arm is. A micro hole gathering in arm tendons plus an inflammation coming from overuse and muscle fluids escaping from inside the muscles through the internal wounds to neighboring tissues with little blood flow creating a no to low oxygen environment for bacteria to grow creating a worse inflammation/infection where virii hit and bye bye the help from antibiotics.

what is stretching the broken tendon? Tearing the wounds wider open just like what massage does. So early on stretching should be mild if not avoided. The program i got is likely not that dangerous from tearing yourself apart perspective. At least the physical effort squeezes the blood vessels and removes gunk replacing it with oxygen. An excellent killer of bacteria and a preemptive treatment against viral infections.

In the acute phase the pains go away faster with working out than stretching for me. Ymmv. Which is why a medical pro should be consulted.

 

[Widdershins]

The pf heals during the winter for me.

The winter was what brought my plantar fasciitis on. I didn't even have it before a winter a few years back. Since then it has lingered, occasionally flaring up and becoming troublesome (like now).

Walking through the snow, ice, slush, mud, ever-changing mixture that comes with winter, it is hard to get a good grip when walking. So when you push off to take the next step the surface below often gives out and your foot slips out. This constant slipping out was what caused my PF (or so I believe, as that slipping out causes the most pain to the heel once PF has taken hold).

Probably everyone who plays in winter experiences the relief, after trudging through hours of snow how, easy it is to walk on a firm surface again. Obviously part of that is not having to fight through the depth of snow but also part of that is getting good traction again.

So with my PF flaring up in lovely fall I am quite fearful of what nasty winter will bring.

I do notice that certain shoes are better or worse than others. The foot specialist I saw once (years ago) told me that hard bottomed shoes are better. I have not noticed this, in fact for me it has been the opposite. Not that soft soles are guaranteed to be good, just that the worst shoes are hard soled. Why some soft soled shoes cause less pain than others is still a mystery.

 

[martinb]

i hate overacheivers like you! note to self: dont play disc golf against mark ellis.

 

[JR]

Rest helps pf so i play less in the winter, which is why i am better come spring. Slipping in the snow or wading is hell on the muscles from the added effort and tendons from the same reason plus multiplied with the stretching that comes from slipping. Solutions are chains for the shoes or playing less. You would not believe how much the added grip from robust grip enhancers helps against slipping. The lighter kinds peel off easily in deeper snow and do not grip as well as ones with triangles. There are several manufacturers.

Soles may have different effects on different foot shapes. High arches may get pressure and stretching differently to low arches. Thus the sole shape and hardness pushes on the pf afflicted spot differently from person to person and sole shape to sole shape and hardness differences of the soles. Super floppy soles maytwist farther when slipping badly and hard soles with sole shape that presses up the afflicted part is not nice either. Hard soles limit the distance how far the foot twists while slipping but gives no mercy to the foot tendon when pushing hard up against it. Doctors have recommended sneakers for me because they are soft against the rear of the tendon not magnifying the pressure and the arch support spreads the weight to a larger area lowering the pressure. Flat soles stretch the arch thus the tendon. The winter is different to the summer. So a stiffer sole would limit the twisting. Moderate arch support should prevent the stretching of the tendon while not pressing against the inflamed part of the tendon. And the inner sole should be soft enough to spread the load evenly to the toes and the foot to relieve the inflamed part. Unless you have an extreme shape in the foot which is when you need to consult a specialist.

 

[Stringbean]

The pf heals during the winter for me.

The winter was what brought my plantar fasciitis on. I didn't even have it before a winter a few years back. Since then it has lingered, occasionally flaring up and becoming troublesome (like now).

Walking through the snow, ice, slush, mud, ever-changing mixture that comes with winter, it is hard to get a good grip when walking. So when you push off to take the next step the surface below often gives out and your foot slips out. This constant slipping out was what caused my PF (or so I believe, as that slipping out causes the most pain to the heel once PF has taken hold).

Probably everyone who plays in winter experiences the relief, after trudging through hours of snow how, easy it is to walk on a firm surface again. Obviously part of that is not having to fight through the depth of snow but also part of that is getting good traction again.

So with my PF flaring up in lovely fall I am quite fearful of what nasty winter will bring.

I do notice that certain shoes are better or worse than others. The foot specialist I saw once (years ago) told me that hard bottomed shoes are better. I have not noticed this, in fact for me it has been the opposite. Not that soft soles are guaranteed to be good, just that the worst shoes are hard soled. Why some soft soled shoes cause less pain than others is still a mystery.

Maybe it is the weight of a hard sole shoe that is causing your problems. Also make sense after you describe the problems of playing during the winter (heavy boots and trying to lift your foot through the snow). I have been having heel pain lately... but only after I wear my heavy soled dress shoes.