Note:  Stay tuned this week for a podcast of my recent interview with John Little followed by a post about my experience with The Max Golf Workout.

The Max Golf Workout by John Little is a revolutionary look at how we as golfers work out.

The author of several books, Little developed a strength training system called Max Contraction.  The idea behind Max Contraction is that optimal strength training should involve maximum weight, held in a fully-contracted position for a brief period (30-60 seconds).  In addition, he has found through research that the optimal recovery time for maximum muscle growth is, at the low end, about a week, and can be much longer.  What that means is that those of us who go to the gym several times per week and lift light weight for a high number of reps are training both inefficiently and too frequently.

He adapted that concept to golf in The Max Golf Workout.

In addition to suggesting that we strength train ineffectively, Little is critical of a lot of information coming from the fitness industry today.   He says that stretching is, at a minimum, not effective, and may even be detrimental to joint health.  He is also critical of the fitness industry as a whole, citing profit motive as a basis for many forms of training and training equipment out there.

Far from simply being a criticism of conventional fitness wisdom, the book contains plenty of information about how to adopt the Max Contraction system and why it’s a good fit for our biology and physiology.  Certainly, many of us can stand to lose a few pounds, and Little also shares the results of a study showing that strength training can help in that area.  He also covers the basics of proper nutrition.

Chapter List

1. Part One: The Data
   1. Where are all the Tigers?
   2. A Strong Golfer is a Better Golfer
   3. A Revolutionary Study - And its Implications
   4. Second Revolutionary Study - The Once a Week Workout
2. Part Two: The Method
   1. Understanding the Process
   2. The MAX GOLF Workout
   3. Tips for More Productive Workouts
   4. Advanced Training
3. Part Three: Additional Considerations
   1. Max Nutrition for Peak Performance and Weight Control
   2. Senior Benefits
   3. Questions and Answers

The Good

• The book is well-written, easy to read, and interesting.
• Little backs up his revolutionary claims with data from his own research studies as well as citation of independent research.
• It really is a fascinating concept.
• The book contains a question and answer section, addressing many questions and issues you might have with the program.
• Not only is a specific workout program given, but there is information provided about nutrition, weight loss and the benefits of strength training for seniors.

The Bad

• You may be disappointed if you’re just expecting a workout manual.  There is a fair amount of discussion involving biology and physiology as well as study results.  To me this is a good thing, but I recognize that some people may not care for that.
• The book isn’t highly golf-specific.  There is definitely golf-specific material, but much of the book is applicable to anyone who is looking to strength train better.  Again, not necessarily bad, but might not be what you’d expect.
• One place in the book where Little and I disagree is a section in the questions and answers chapter where he discounts the role of mental game in golf.  His point is well taken, that a good mental approach isn’t going to add distance to your drives, however, I would turn that around to say that a bad mental approach can prevent you from achieving what your body is capable of.

Conclusion

I’ve read a handful of golf fitness books and have studied the subject extensively over the last year or two.  Fitness is key to my quest to become a golf pro.  Without a doubt, this book delivered on its claims of providing a “revolutionary new perspective on strength training for golfers”.  In fact, it provides a revolutionary perspective for anyone interested in strength training.

In the introduction, John Little asks that we empty our minds of preconceived notions about how training for golf is “supposed” to be.  I did that and I was floored by what I read.  Is it possible that we can train so infrequently and in such short bursts and yet see such dramatic results?

It wasn’t enough for me to just open my mind.  I had to give the workout a try.  Stay tuned later this week for a post about my findings.

In the meantime, if you can open your mind and drop the preconceived notions that you have, then I think The Max Golf Workout might change the way you view exercise and how we train for the things in life that we like to do.  I highly recommend it.

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Further Reading

John Little’s Home Page
The Max Golf Workout (Amazon.com)

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