Many professional golfers are now training like real athletes, and it’s clearly paying off.
Case in point… Bryson DeChambeau. At the end of 2019, DeChambeau added about 20 pounds of muscle with the goal of increasing his swing speed to generate greater driving distance.
In 2019, he ranked 34th in driving distance, averaging about 302 yards off the tee. In 2020, he led the tour in that category at 322 yards. This year, he is averaging 329 yards, and again leads the tour.
At 6’1, DeChambeau’s weight is now listed at 235 pounds. That’s nearly the size of an NFL linebacker.
Rory McIlroy is much smaller in stature at 5’10, 160 pounds, but he’s no stranger to the gym. He’s been hitting the weights for years now, and judging from the work I’ve seen him do with the dead lift, he’s not afraid to play with heavy weight.
Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson are also no stranger to the gym.
And, of course we should all probably thank Tiger Woods for making it cool for pro golfers to train like real athletes.
So, what kind of equipment should you have, if you are like me and prefer to workout at home?
Naturally, this all depends upon how much space you have. So, we’ll start small and work our way up.
Dumbbells
At the very least, you should have a set of dumbbells at home. I personally have a pair of Bowflex SelectTech 552 Version 2 | Two Adjustable Medium Dumbbells
If you prefer a set of dumbbells, check out the CAP Barbell 150-Pound Dumbbell Set with Vertical Rack, Black
Dumbbells are extremely versatile, and the number of exercises you can perform with them is virtually endless.
Weight Bench
In order to benefit as much as possible from the versatility offered by dumbbells, you’ll need an adjustable weight bench.
The adjustable weight bench will allow you to sit, or lie down at different angles, which then allows you to hit the muscles at different angles with your dumbbells.
This allows you to stimulate more muscle growth, which in turn will help you build strength.
If you will only be working out with dumbbells, then my recommendation is this CAP Barbell Deluxe Utility Weight Bench
If you have more room and you think you may also train with barbells, I recommend this Gold’s Gym XRS 20 Adjustable Olympic Workout Bench
Barbells
I’ve trained with both standard barbells and Olympic barbell sets, and much prefer the Olympic sets.
I recommend getting the standard 300 pound set. This way, if you’ll have enough weight plates to perform a variety of exercises if you have a workout bench such as the one I recommended above, or a rack like I recommend below.
Cap Barbell offers its 300 pound olympic weight set on Amazon. Check it out here… CAP Barbell Grip Plate Olympic Weight Set, 300 Lb, Medium, Black
Power Rack
One of the best investments I ever made was when I purchased a power rack with the lat pulldown attachment. These machines allow you to take your workouts up to another level due to the diversity of exercises you can perform with them.
The machine that I like best at Amazon is the Vanswe Power Rack
This machine has 1,000 pound capacity and offers a variety of extra attachments that I find to be beneficial, including the lat pull down attachment, and multi-grip pull-up bar.
Ok, with all this equipment, you can do some serious training. Even if you have no desire to bulk up like Bryson DeChambeau, strength training has many benefits beyond allowing you to potentially hit the golf ball further.
If you are like me and prefer to workout at home, check out these pieces of equipment.
Also, for more specific types of golf exercises, check out the Power Swing Trainer offered by Golf Gym. I also recommend their Balance Ball as well.
Now get to work!
