Build a Powerful Golf Swing – part 1
Hey Everyone,
Having suffered from lower back injuries due to competing on the long drive golf tour, I was forced to see all kinds of therapists in an attempt to diagnose the problem and find a reasonable solution. After several years of temporary pain relief I finally got to the root of the problem, largely due to my Titelist Performance Institute golf fitness instructor certification.
Armed with the TPI program info, not only can I address my current conditioning issues and injury prevention but I can now help other golfers do the same. I don’t like to use the term “golf fitness,” for the first thing that comes to mind when most golfers hear that is a minor spin on the exercises they are already familiar with. With TPI, nothing could be further from the truth!
What blew my mind about this program is the fact that over 10 years worth of research went into the formulation of TPI. The top therapists, golf instructors and trainers in the world provided input in order to create the basis for the program which is the initial assessment of students. The assessment is a battery of tests one must go through in order to spot the physical limitaions that are directly related to the classic golf swing faults ie. loss of posture, over the top, hanging back, casting and others.
Once the assessment results are complete, a specialized program is then put together in order to attack those limitations and essentially be a more “moldable” student for the golf instructor. The TPI program in my opinion is by far the best route for golfers in order to take a comprehensive approach to building a fundamentally sound and efficient golf swing. By working with a team that includes the golf instructor, the therapist and the fitness trainer, all the areas are covered in order to give any golfer the best shot at reaching his or her potential.
I am thoroughly enjoying my TPI experience as a fitness instructor and it is very gratifying to have clients that see results with their game by adding more distance and increasing consistency. This program is for EVERYONE so do yourself a favor, find a TPI team, get an assessment done and train the way the pros do. You’ll be glad you did! Stay tuned for more golf posts!
Get in the Groove,
Mike Wiebe
Add comment November 6, 2009
3 Keys to Improving Your Workouts
Hey everyone,
With a background in the sport of long driving (golf) I’ve had to figure many things out for myself over the years. The reason for this is that I was quite a bit smaller than the guys I competed with seeing as most of them are in the 6′4″ 240 lbs range. Likewise, when it comes to fitness training, not all people can perform the same exercises. Regardless of the sport you play or the training you do however, three keys that will help you improve are keeping your core engaged, the “set” position and breathing.
Keeping your core engaged or switching your core on is what I do and tell every single one of my clients to do when performing a swing or a rep or movement of any kind in the gym. This entails a triggering of the abdominal muscles prior to the exercise. (Depending on the movement it may be your glutes as well.) Glutes and abdominals are the “engine” of all physical movement and need to be cued or triggered so that they can perform most or as much of the work as possible, so keep em switched on!
The set position I’m refering to is drawing the shoulder blades together. This can be achieved by pulling the shoulders up, drawing them back and then sliding them down. In a similar function to engaging the core, this triggers the upper body and will prepare you for being in a fundamentally strong and “ready” position. With core and shoulders set, you are now have a strong foundation in which to perform any sort of athletic movement. Now for the last key…
Breathing! My students and clients are famous for holding their breath in an attempt to exude as much force as possible. Bad Bad Bad! This is the last thing you want to do for breathing is the most important part of training. For competition and my own training I’ve adopted a martial arts breathing technique that is not only very efficient but helps keep the heart rate down. Inhale belly goes out – exhale belly goes in and you squeeze all of the breath out. Doing this deep center breathing helps reduce the big chest expansion breaths that can increase your heart rate (which during a competiton is not a good thing.) This will also allow you to get a bigger range of motion increasing your body’s efficiency and keeping your core involved throughout. I’m also a proponent of exhaling upon exertion for reps of any exercise and this technique seems to work really well – practice this till it becomes habit. Enjoy your workouts everyone, hope this helps!
Get in the Groove,
Mike
1 comment October 24, 2009
XOWii vs. The Big Acai Company
Hey everyone,
The new “superfruits” and juices are becoming more and more visible and accessible these days. The quality of products that are being offered through network marketing companies is pretty amazing and not to be overlooked. I am going to do a little comparison of the two that I have personal experience with - XOWii and MV.
I was a MV distributor for almost 2 years. My ventures included a couple of major trade shows and the standard meetings. When my entire upline left MV to join XOWii though, I had to weigh my options. After some reearch, here is what I found:
XOWii MV
Antioxidants per serving 5,735 (Brunswick Lab) no exact figure
(approx 4,000)
Restrictions on marketing No restrictions No marketing
permitted
Free Distributor Website Yes No ($99 annually)
Contains Acai Yes Yes
Contains Coffee Cherry Yes No
(2X higher in antioxidants
than acai)
Contains Glucosamine Yes Yes (Emv no)
Calories 55 per 8oz can 120 per 4 ounces
Preservatives None 3 (including
Sodium Benzoate)
Cost per month $134 $235
(To qualify for bonuses) ($400 for Emv alone)
The last one is really what makes a huge difference when starting out in a network marketing business. The compensation plan from XOWii allows distributors to earn more commissions early on which really help offset monthly autoship costs. MV’s high costs make it diffucult to hit the executive levels whithout coming out of pocket a significant amount.
Seeing as XOWii is brand new and I was able to secure the FIRST position in Canada, makes this (along with the factors I’ve listed) a no brainer in terms of which move was the better one. Although I like the MV juice, getting an unknown amount of antioxidants makes it hard to justify the cost when I KNOW I’m getting 5,735 per can with XOWii. It’s almost as though XOWii took all of the things that were working for MV and improved on what wasn’t, especially the price and the compensation plan.
If you are currently a MV rep, the comparison is too difficult to ignore. If you’re thinking about joining a network marketing company, XOWii is a tremdous opportunity for massive growth. Check my website for more details and contact me with any questions. I’m available via email and phone.
Get in the Groove,
Mike
1 comment October 18, 2009
Mike’s Health and Fitness Blog: My Birthday Edition :)
Hey everyone,
Contrary to the popular guess of 29 (hehe), I turn 36 today. I pretty much feel like I’m in the best shape of my life so there has to be something said for more seasoned or “mature” approach to fitness. Here are some pointers I can pass along from being a part of the fitness industry over the past few years:
Nutrition/diet is widely overlooked. So many people are looking for the next magical workout system or god forbid, the next “hot” diet plan and never address the the most important part of getting into shape…knowing what to eat and when! I could go on an on here with examples but what it boils down to is that what you eat makes up for 70% of what it takes to get into shape and stay that way. “Common sense” doesn’ fly here (especially when it comes to the “when”) because even most top athletes don’t know what to put in their bodies. My suggestion is to seek out a certified nutritionist, share your fitness goals and get on a program which will help you maximize your training efforts. You’ll be glad you did!
Ask yourself WHY. A typical gym can appear more like a nightclub or zombieland depending on the clientele. In either case, people are by and large wasting their time. Ask yourself why you are training. If your goal is the one that is shared by most people which is to just stay in shape then get some help!! I don’t bring my car into the garage and tell the guys “hey, I’m just gonna grab some tools and tinker around here,” so why would you go to the gym and do what you see others do or the classic…what your friends tell you to do. Do your research, seek out a trainer, talk to clients that they’ve worked with. This is your health and well being at stake so take the extra steps to get on the proper training program so that you see and FEEL results and do it injury free!
The new gear. Fitness equipment has come a long way from the old school option of either machines or weights. There are so many great pieces on the market now and with just a few of them, you can put together your own home gym and get as good a workout as you can anywhere else. I will write future blogs (which will include video examples) of my favorite pieces of but will just list them for now. They include: the stability ball, Lebert Buddy System, TRX, kettlebells, medicine balls. pilates disc, rubber tubing, Lebert Equalizer Bars, Bodyblade and agility ladder. The beauty of this stuff is that everyone from your mom (whom I’ve gotten to use the TRX) to the most proficient of athletes can get fantastic workouts using this gear. Stay tuned for a more in depth breakdown. 
Get in the Groove,
Mike
Add comment October 13, 2009
Mike’s Health and Fitness Blog: XOWii Energy
Hey everyone,
I wanted to introduce my new venture to all of you. It’s a direct sales (network marketing) company called XOWii that is focused on health and wellness. Being an athlete and a fitness trainer, this is a major part of my life. Eating well isn’t a “diet” it’s a lifestyle and it’s my goal to expand my network and group of friends with like minded people.
The first product launched by XOWii is called Energy and is a functional beverage that features the KonaRed Coffee Cherry from Hawaii. This super fruit is loaded with antioxidants (5,735 orac units per can) which will neutralize free radicals, relieve stress, help resist sun damage and boost your mood. XOWii has exclusive rights to the KonaRed Coffee Cherry so you won’t find it anywhere else!
I’m very excited about this opportunity and am building a strong team starting in the Toronto area. We are looking for health conscious people who want to share these all natural products with their families, friends and co-workers. Our healthy army is growing… one enthusiastic person at a time!
Please click on the “contact” page above for more info and join us! We’d love to have you on board
Get in the Groove,
Mike
Add comment October 11, 2009
Mike’s Health and Fitness blog: Hi everyone!
This is my first crack at a blog so I’m kind of excited! Hopefully I can keep em goin!
My name is Mike Wiebe and I’m a long drive (golf) champion, fitness trainer, copywriter and network marketer. I’m looking forward to making some new friends in cyber-land and hopefully some business partners as well! Happy blogging everyone
Get in the Groove,
Mike
Add comment October 10, 2009
