Disc-golf workout??

[cloudstrife]

Hey all, was wondering if anyone has any workout regime that they use to help out their game? I'm guessing working out the shoulder might help, any other advice? Trying to get a lil more strength and arm speed. I'm not too knowledgeable about working out so I figured I'd ask everyone on here. Not sure if this is the right place to post this discussion, but I guess it could go under technique.

 

[garublador]

I've found that balence and flexibility play more of a role in gaining distance than strength does, but that's assuming you don't already throw fairway drivers 450'. If you aren't in that category (which I'm assuming you aren't if you're asking about working out your shoulder) and want to improve distance you're better off working on your technique and flexibility.

However, all around fitness will help. Concentrate on large muscle groups, especally your back and legs. These two groups are where a vast majority of your power will come from. If you want to work small muscle groups I'd work on your grip and forearms, but it's not super important unless you're looking for incremental improvements on a 500' drive. All in all, make sure your workout is full-body and balenced and don't skimp on the stretching.

Remember for driving that power doesn't come directly from arm speed. It comes from acceleration at the correct time. You'll gain the most distance by focusing your acceleration from the point after the disc passes the pec of your throwing arm until after the disc leaves your hand. Trying to get a bunch of disc speed before that point is probably just robbing you of the late acceleration required for a powerful throw.

 

[Doktor John]

Depends what time of day I play...

Early morning it involves mimosas, afternoon would be pinot grigio and later afternoon would revolve around shiraz

Oh yeah, and a little stretching...I figure my daily trips to the gym cover the rest.

I think Stokley has some pre-round exercises on his DVDs

 

[ERicJ]

The Equalizer used to be endorsed by one of the top DG pros... don't remember which one.

 

[Marv Vega]

I am knowledgable about working out, let me see if I can help you out. Increasing both strength and flexibility will improve your power potential. Improving strength will allow you of course to put more power on the disc, the faster your hand is moving at the point of release, the farther it will go. Flexibility improvement (stretching) improves your power potential by improving joint range of motion (rom), allowing the muscles and their force to act on the joint for a longer distance.

When developing a strength training workout it's important to start at a basic level and go up from there. Many people start out at too high a level and either get frustrated because they're constantly sore or get injured. It's important to work every muscle group as well, they're all used if the drive is done correctly and it's important also to avoid muscle imbalances. The muscle groups you should be working are the leg muscles, the core muscles, the upper back, chest, shoulder, biceps and triceps.

Start off by working out on 2 nonconsecutive days per week, selecting 1 exercise per muscle group and performing 2 sets. Start out light with a weight that can be performed comfortably for 12-20 reps, it's also important to make sure you're working hard enough to feel the muscles fatique (overload) stop the set somewhere between when the muscle starts to burn and total failure. Make sure your doing the exercise correctly called form, 3 things go into form alignment-varies by the exercise, speed-at least 3 seconds on each phase of the lift, breathing-don't hold your breath, try and breath out on the hard part of the lift. After 2 weeks increase the number of sets per exercise to 3, after 4 weeks add another exercise and perform 2 sets for that execise and progress from there.

Sample basic workout: 2 sets each exercise
Legs: Leg Press
Chest: Machine Chest Press
Back: Front Pulldowns
Shoulders: Machine Shoulder Press
Triceps: Tricep Pushdowns
Biceps: Dumbell Curls
Core: Crunches

After your baseline strength is built up you can start working on the muscles that are used significantly during the drive a little more. The muscles that are most utilitlized are the leg, hip, glutes, core (rotational), shoulders (posterior), and triceps. Other than the triceps many of these muscle groups are under developed in many people, even those who work out. Many people believe in working the forearm to improve grip, but the forearm muscles get plenty of work while exercising other muscle groups.

The final phase of sport-specific fitness is to replicate the motions used in the sport with resistance. An exercise tube is ideal for this, grab one, secure one end, and break down the motions of your drives while using it. Basically just break down the motions for the drive and use the tube to replicate these motions. The "equalizer" is just an exercise tube with a few exercises, sure wish I would of thought of that. For backhand: Start by reaching back with the tube and then rotating the hips and legs do this for 15-20 reps don't move the arm just the hips and legs, then work on pulling the tube across the chest until the elbow's pointed straight out from the body for 15-20 reps, then work on extending the elbow and wrist which is the final motion of the throw.

Of course driving practice and improving your driving form is just as, if not more important, than increasing strength and flexibility for increasing distance.

 

[cloudstrife]

Thanks Marv-Vega, that was just the advice I was looking for. By exercise tube do you mean the stretchy rubberish tube? I used to have a few of those for physical therapy when I had a shoulder injury a while back. I didn't consider the range of muscles that go into a drive.

Before working out I've been doing cardio for a half hour, and normally my legs are pretty tired from that, should I still work out with the leg press? Just for an idea how long should i expect that basic workout to take? I've just been spending 15min or so a couple times a week doing arm and shoulder excises, but I'm guessing it should be double that, considering the range?

 

[Marv Vega]

Yeah, cloudstrife those sound like the tubes-they're often used in rehab work, they usually have a handle on each end. You can use a pole and put one handle through another or they do make a door jam where you can secure it to a door.

You should be getting in some leg work with the leg press. Great job with the cardio-you're working the most important muscle and improving your stamina. Try working the legs after the core and upper body work, that way they have a while to recover or try doing the leg press first then the other weight work and then the cardio. You could also work the legs on a different day.

Try and get some chest and upper back work in, exercises for both the chest and upper back also work the shoulders and arms. Work the Chest and upper back before the shoulders and arms. If you're just doing a basic workout with 14-15 sets, it shouldn't take more than 30-40 minutes. Try to stretch before and after the workout, hold each stretch 10-15 seconds making sure not to bounce.

 

[JConnell]

An extremely simple and extremely beneficial workout:

You can pick these up for $3-$5 at any sporting goods store. After using them daily for a few weeks my fingers and wrists have become much stronger and I'm getting more "snap" on throws and more distance.

 

[garublador]

Start by reaching back with the tube and then rotating the hips and legs do this for 15-20 reps don't move the arm just the hips and legs, then work on pulling the tube across the chest until the elbow's pointed straight out from the body for 15-20 reps, then work on extending the elbow and wrist which is the final motion of the throw.

If it helps, the first and last parts of these exercises will the the most important. The middle part where you're pulling the tube across the chest isn't nearly as important as the legs and hips or the elbow and wrist parts.

I agree with everything Marv Vega said, but I will emphasize that acceleration through the hit is much more important than hand speed at the hit. This doesn't change any of the information he gave, but it is easy to start working out to try to improve power and then get caught up trying to throw harder and ending up focusing your power at the wrong time.

 

[Marv Vega]

If it helps, the first and last parts of these exercises will the the most important. The middle part where you're pulling the tube across the chest isn't nearly as important as the legs and hips or the elbow and wrist parts.

I agree with everything Marv Vega said, but I will emphasize that acceleration through the hit is much more important than hand speed at the hit. This doesn't change any of the information he gave, but it is easy to start working out to try to improve power and then get caught up trying to throw harder and ending up focusing your power at the wrong time.

I know what you're saying regarding hip/leg/core rotation and elbow/wrist extension and agree with the importance of those muscle groups but the shoulder is just as important with the drive and the elbow across the chest exercise targets the shoulder (not the arm), particularly the back head called the Posterior Deltoid. The exercise where the tube is pulled across the chest is important for 3 reasons.

1. It teaches the importance of keeping the arm and disc close to the body, like a "Ballerina".
2. It promotes shoulder flexibility which will improve performance, the starting postition is a stretch for the back of the shoulder (posterior deltoid).
3. It develops strength in the shoulder, partcularly the Posterior Delt. which gives it the potential to extend the upper arm out with greater speed and force before the triceps start the elbow extension.

I also agree with you on the acceleration at the end "finishing strong" which is a combination of the continuation of the leg/hip/core rotation-the follow through and a strong triceps, wrist and finger extension. However, the higher the speed of the disc leaving the hand, hand speed-the further the disc will travel. Acceleration at the end of course helps this but the faster the disc is traveling when it leaves the hand, regardless of when it accelerates, is what determines how far it flys, all else being equal of course-trajectory etc.

I like what you said earlier about importance of balance, and I'd add to that the importance of the weight shift and rhythem.

 

[garublador]

I agree with all of that. I just see most people accelerating from the start of the pull to the right pec rather than from the right pec to after the hit and want to emphasize the importance of correct timing. Working out won't get you from 350'-425', correct timing will.

 

[2006Ruckus]

Do six to twelve reps of each per round.
Exercise #1: Reach into the cooler. Works the shoulders and biceps.
Exercise #2: Pop the can top. Works the hands and finger regions.
Exercise #3: Tip the can back and chug until contents are gone. Works biceps, neck and back. Also great coordination training.

 

[JConnell]

Do six to twelve reps of each per round.
Exercise #1: Reach into the cooler. Works the shoulders and biceps.
Exercise #2: Pop the can top. Works the hands and finger regions.
Exercise #3: Tip the can back and chug until contents are gone. Works biceps, neck and back. Also great coordination training.

I picked up this workout during my softball days and highly recommend it. I've seen considerable gains (mostly in my belly) and I've followed it so religiously that I no longer break a sweat even at 18 reps.

 

[Marv Vega]

Do six to twelve reps of each per round.
Exercise #1: Reach into the cooler. Works the shoulders and biceps.
Exercise #2: Pop the can top. Works the hands and finger regions.
Exercise #3: Tip the can back and chug until contents are gone. Works biceps, neck and back. Also great coordination training.

Really works the liver too:

 

[whadafuxup]

another great exercise

-my teacher last year when i was a freshman in hs was a good rock climber and he showed me a good forearm excercise-you tie a 10 pound weight to the end of a cord and use your wrists to roll it up and down-works amazingly-a few weeks after after starting this exercise i got my first ace

 

[_.-Dut-._]

http://www.nsdpowerballs.com/store.cfm?gclid=CLLtsqzHwJgCFQrFGgod508pZg

Powerball

 

[whadafuxup]

powerball looks like a waste of money

 

[_.-Dut-._]

Im a fan, I wish I had the counter on it. I think I can get it going pretty fast but I cant keep it going long before my forearm starts burning. The "grip" excersises is the thing I think would help the most, though once again it takes sometime to get used to as it starts burning pretty fast.

 

[whadafuxup]

still

i still find the weight on a cord and rolling it to be the best workout-i did it up and down 10 times once and my forearms were so worked that I could not hold my pencil for school that day. Not good because I had a test but it is an amazing workout.

 

[petecarp]

powerballs are the real deal as far as working out your grip and forearm strength.