Tom Brady has always been committed to health and fitness, in part because that’s what you have to do if you want to be the centerpiece of a dynasty and win six Super Bowl rings. It’s also what you have to do if you want to play any other sport for recreation on top of being an elite NFL quarterback.
Before he was traded to the Buccaneers and became a member at Seminole, Brady and business partner Alex Guerrero launched TB12 — a performance lifestyle brand that brings his commitment to excellence and love of sports together under one roof.
Because of Brady’s interest in golf — he’ll be playing in The Match: Champions for Charity event on Sunday — TB12 recently launched a brand new Golf Performance program, spearheaded by Chuck Gilman, PT, DBT. The program focuses on five areas of performance important to golfers, including posture, mobility, endurance, strength and power.
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However, with most gyms closed it’s difficult for golfers to get their workouts in. So we asked Gilman to share a Brady approved workout you can do at home to help your golf game.
“Self-Pliability” Routine: Rather than stretching, this workout starts off by using a foam roller to loosen up your muscles. When using a foam roller, Gilman recommends spending 30 seconds to one minute on each section of muscle. When you feel your muscle soften, move on to the next section.
The full routine includes rolling out your calves, quads, outer thigh and hip, glutes, lower back, mid to upper back, and lats.
Workout: For the workout, Gilman recommends performing three 30 second rounds of each exercise listed below, with a 60 second second rest between rounds.
1. Banded Glute Bridges: Place a band just above your knees. Laying on your back, with your palms and heels pressing into the floor, squeeze your glutes and lift your hips as high as you can. If that’s too difficult or you don’t have access to a band, you can perform this exercise without one.
2. Band Core Rotation: To build core strength and work on your rotary power, grab a resistance band with a handle and attach it to a pole or pipe so that it is about armpit height and extend your arms. Squeeze your core and rotate your upper body while keeping your lower body stable as you would in the golf swing. Make sure to perform this exercise on both sides.
3. Low-to-High Rotation Press: Attach a band to a pole or pipe about knee-high. Taking an athletic stance and squeezing your core, rotate your arms diagonally across your chest. Be sure to keep your lower body stable as you would in the golf swing and perform this exercise on both sides.
4. Bird Dog: Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the ground and a neutral spine. Reach out with one arm and extend the opposite leg at the same time. Repeat on the opposite side. Engage your core, glutes and hamstrings to keep your hips square.
5. Leg-assisted Side Plank: Laying on your side, bend your bottom leg to a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your core and lift your hips as high as you can while extending your top arm into the air and lifting your top leg. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.
6. Medicine Ball Rotation: Standing a few feet away from a wall, take an athletic stance and rotate back and forward as you would in the downswing. As you rotate forward, throw the medicine ball against the wall. Repeat on both sides for to balance and maximize your explosiveness.
The last part of the workout is repeating the self-pliability routine to help your muscles recover for your next round.
While you might never get the chance to win a Super Bowl like Brady, you can workout and prepare for the course like he does.
