“No matter how good you get you can always get better and that’s the exciting part.” – Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is more than just a golfer.

He is an amazing athlete.  In fact, he is one of the fittest athletes on the planet.  Sure he’s endured his share of criticism lately.  But whether you love him or hate him, one fact is undeniable.  This guy is in ridiculously good shape.  One of his keys to success on the golf course is his dedication to fitness.  In one of the only sports where overweight people can actually compete at the highest level and experience great success, Tiger leaves nothing to chance.  He uses his fitness to give himself a competitive edge.  Tiger Woods’ workout routine consists of cardio, strength training, and flexibility training.  Not to mention his diet is pretty spot on.

Tiger Woods does cardio first thing in the morning.

This is one of the best times to do cardio for fat loss.  The reason for this is that you are in a fasted state, so your body is forced to burn stored body fat as energy instead of carbohydrates from food.  Tiger mixes up his morning cardio routine.  He alternates between running and biking.  His runs are typically either 3 miles at a fast pace or up to 7 miles at a slower pace.  He even does an occasional sprinting session.  Employing various types of cardio into his routine helps keeps things interesting while also preventing burnout.

Tiger’s weight training regimen is geared towards maintaining a toned physique, rather than a bulky one.

Tiger uses his morning cardio as a warm up to get his muscles ready for lifting.  He then hits the weights for a couple of hours working both the upper and lower body.  His routine consists of mostly lighter weights in the very high rep range (sometimes as many as 50 repetitions). The idea is to help build endurance rather than put on a lot of mass which is the goal of typical bodybuilders who train in the 6-12 rep range.  Training for endurance makes sense for Tiger because he is out there swinging a club hundreds of times throughout the course of a day.

There are certain exercises Tiger focuses more on because he is a golfer.  If you’ve seen his biceps, you might think he works his arm muscles a lot.  However, this isn’t necessarily the case.  Golfers require a stable lower body base.  The power in the golf swing is generated more by torque than arm strength.  The coiling and release of the entire upper body is what allows Tiger to smash drives over 300 yards.  The muscle groups that impact the golf swing the most are the legs, back, shoulders, and core.  These are the muscle groups that Tiger emphasizes during his strength workouts. For a more time-efficient total body workout which delivers impressive results, check out Turbulence Training.

Tiger constantly mixes up his workouts.

Just like his cardio, Tiger utilizes a variety of strength training methods.  He performs traditional weightlifting, body resistance exercises, and isometric training.  He also incorporates a good amount of flexibility training into his routine.  Sometimes, he will stretch for as long as 40 minutes prior to working out.  He does this to help improve his balance and posture which are both essential fundamentals of the golf swing.  Once again, the idea is to train for functionality.

Tiger sticks to a Primal high protein low carbohydrate diet.

As I have mentioned in other posts, I believe that how good you will ultimately look depends about 80% on your diet.  There is no way Tiger Woods would look as good as he does if his diet was out of whack.  Fortunately, his diet is about as flawless as it can be. His typical breakfast is an egg white veggie omelet.  For lunch and dinner, he eats mostly salads, lean meats, seafood, and vegetables.  Admittedly, most of his carbs come from fruits, vegetables, and sports drinks during his workouts.  On the course, you will often see him snacking on an apple or banana in between holes.  No burgers and fries for this guy! I prefer a more flexible eating program, but still one that helps me stay lean like Eat Stop Eat.

Tiger Woods is a physical specimen and the best golfer in the world because he has the total package.

By total package I mean an excellent fitness routine, an exceptional diet, and most importantly, the right mentality.  He doesn’t just train hard, he trains smart.  By switching up his routine and getting adequate rest, he avoids injury and burnout.  He may push himself beyond his limits on the course, but not in the gym.  Make no mistake, the Tiger Woods workout routine and fitness lifestyle is about winning. The extra strength required to pull off a difficult shot or that last bit of endurance for the tournament that goes beyond 72 holes could be the difference between first and second place in a major championship.  With all these elements in place, it’s almost impossible for Tiger Woods not to succeed.