196: What are your Golf Fitness Needs? | Joe Gambino from Par Four Performance

Today I am especially excited to bring on our very special guest, Joe Gambino from Par Four Performance.

As much as I would like to say there was one training program that would work for everyone in achieving their strength and conditioning goals, everyone has their own specific needs and issues, which is why Joe Gambino, a physical therapist, and strength and conditioning coach, is such a valuable asset to any golfer.

Joe is one of the co-founders at Par Four Performance and is a physical therapist in New York at Athletic Stride Physical Therapy and due to his background in strength training he has a unique position of rehabbing and fix injuries, but also how to then prescribe the proper fitness and training program to maximize their potential.

Joe Gambino’s Background

  • Joe is one of the Co-Founders of Par Four Performance and is a Physical Therapist at Perfect Stride Physical Therapy in New York City.
  • Before his days as a Physical Therapist, Joe was a Personal Trainer and a Strength and Conditioning Coach.  Joe worked with Athletes at Queens College, St. John’s University, Long Island University, and Hofstra.
  • With a strength and rehab background, Joe understands the best of both worlds giving him a unique understanding of how to not only recover from injury, but to get back to performing your best.

Highlights from this Episode

  • Joe talks about finding his calling to physical therapy, the learning curve of working with patients, and what fitness he would say all golfers need, such as strength training which can help not only improve upon your mobility and power but to keep playing for years to come.
  • How you determine how much you need to work on your strength and how Joe guides his golfers into a workout regiment that is right for them. We also talk on how mobility is often left by the wayside when it comes to conditioning and the importance of implementing mobility in strength training.
  • The equipment he suggests golfers keep at home based on their versatility like kettlebells and tension bands, as well as what an effective golfer warm-up looks like to make sure you’re ready to go once you get to the first tee and how early can you do a warm-up before a set before it’s just not as effective.
  • We talk about why golfers would experience elbow pain and what pieces he would recommend for a sustainable management plan to avoid chronic pain or explosive injury, such as looking at the shoulder as the main culprit. This also ties right into Joe’s Online Kinstretch class: what it is and how it has affected the golfers that he has worked with. He hits on what he has coined “Muscle confusion” and the key differences between cramps and pain.
Parting Questions:

Caddy Shack or Happy Gilmore?  Happy Gilmore

What would be your walk up song?  Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen

18 holes with anyone, with who and where would you play?  Don Mattingly at Augusta

Parting advice for the 18Strong Community:  Find a little bit of time each day to work on your body
Find out more and follow Joe and Par Four Performance on:

Parfourperformance.com

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