In this episode, Justin Bryan and Van Pierce share the highs and lows (more lows than highs!) of the mini tour life and how their new website (ProUKnow.com) just might be a game changer in how these golfers can afford to play in these costly events in hopes of achieving their ultimate goal of getting to the big show. Justin and Van are two friends and former golf teammates from St. Louis that decided that the mini tour golfers need a better way to support their future and provide some financial security to be able to showcase their talent.  From this mission they have created ProUKnow.com, which is a Crowd-funding website dedicated to mini tour and Web.com golfers. Much like the very popular  website Kickstarter.com which has propelled hundreds and thousands of entrepreneurs ideas into successful products and brands, these guys are looking to do the same for the aspiring tour pro. And they know this business first hand as Justin is currently playing on the mini tour circuit and Van played on the tours for a short period of time after graduating from college. In this episode, they share the highs and lows (more lows than highs) of the mini tour life and how their new website just might be a game changer in how these golfers can afford to play in these costly events in hopes of achieving their ultimate goal of getting to the big show. You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below:   The Guys’ Backgrounds Justin Bryant: Currently playing mini tour golf Played at Wake Forest for coach Jerry Haas Living in St. Louis, traveling to Jupiter in winter months Van Pierce: Currently in Law school at St. Louis University Played football at Drake University Played college golf at Chapman University Played some mini tour golf   Intro video to ProUKnow Highlights Life on the mini tour Justin describes the difference between the mini tour, Web.com, and PGA The mini tour life is not the glitz and glamour lifestyle that most would imagine. Guys living in motel rooms, tents, cars while traveling from tournament to tournament Different mini

Nick Mueller is a master at correcting dysfunction and movement in golfers, then turning them into performance machines! In this episode, Nick helps us understand the principles behind creating quality movement before jumping into the more advanced pieces of a fitness program. Nick is a good friend of mine and I am honored to have him in the spotlight for the 10th episode of the podcast. You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below:   Nick’s Background Performance coach High performance Strength and Conditioing in foot ball University of British Columbia Friends with Jason Glass who helped him realize his passion for golf and golf fitness Director of the golf performance program at Innovative Fitness Works with Morgan Creek Golf Course Highlights from our Conversation Destination Fitness: taking people all over the world to accomplish adventurous goals such as hiking, running a marathon,climbing Machu Picchu. They develop a personalized fitness program around those goals, then complete the adventure with the client How he uses small victories to move each client toward their goal. Different personalities respond differently to your methodology In many cases you the client wants to push forward to quickly and Nick has to slow them down to make sure they are prepared properly before moving on to the next step, challenge. Nick explains the concept of “REGRESS TO PROGRESS” especially with their golfers How to decide on the right goals for a golfer and how to make it tangible when then are training and practicing. Identify what you feel is valuable to you, and design a goal around it. Sometimes you have to take an athlete and regress them and their movement patterns to help them progress forward Based on the client’s screen, it’s often noted that they are lacking in some area, which needs to be addressed to get the biggest potential out of their program an performance Nick explains a couple examples of how you can look at your own program and whether you need to “regress to progress” What are the things you should be looking at in your squat:”Butt Winking“: Here’s a good article to explain, along

Aside from the fact that Clint Howard works with the best golfers in Oklahoma from the junior ranks to the OSU golf team and PGA tour players, Clint is also know as the “Fat Loss” guy in Tulsa. One look at Clint tells you that he absolutely practices what he preaches in regards to health, fitness, and staying lean.  Clint’s high intensity training for fat loss has proven to be extremely effective for his clients, and he shares with us some of his tips for crushing your fat loss goals as well as how he adjusts his programs to suite the needs of his golfers. You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below: Clint’s Background Clint is the Owner and Founder of Tulsa Fitness Systems (TFS) with his wife Kara Known as the “Go To Trainer” when it comes to fat loss Also has Tulsa Golf Fitness Systems Grew up playing baseball, pitched in college Graduated with an exercise science degree and a Masters in Exercise Physiology From Oklahoma University Has always loved to work and has owned several businesses Trains all populations including several golfers and golf teams Has been certified through TPI since 2005   Highlights Clint tells the story of his very 1st golf fitness client which did not end the way he would have liked it to! We discuss the use of High Intensity Interval training and Metabolic Resistance training in order to stimulate fat loss. The focus of these workouts is to create a high caloric burn both during and after the workouts. Intensity in interval training is much better for fat loss than steady state cardio workouts Nutrition is the key to fat loss. Teach the basics, rather than get too complex with diet tips Eat more protein Eat less processed food Eat more veggies Eat a good breakfast Get rid of high calorie drinks 80/20% or 90/10% rule Clint gives tips for the business professional that is on the road a lot with a hectic schedule, business meetings and social functions Be a little more diligent when you are in town, hit the gym a few extra

By his laid back style and humble personality, you wouldn’t guess that this guy works with one of the greatest and most talked about players on the tour right now, Jordan Spieth. But Damon Goddard is one of the most respected fitness practitioners in the game. His work with golfers of all ages is recognized by the best coaches and players around. In this episode, Damon explains some of the most important steps you should take when getting into a fitness program for golf and gives us a few stories of experiences he’s had with Jordan and what a remarkably focused young man he is. You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below: Damon’s Background Soccer player at Leigh University TPI Level 3 Advisory board member for Southern Methodist University Works with PGA, LPGA, junior golfers, collegiate golfers, recreational golfers, etc. Post rehab and performance expert AMPD Golf Fitness (Assess, Move, Perform) Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, Chiropractic (Treat and Train model) Blew out his knee at age 16 (ACL, MCL, meniscus tear) Was introduced to therapy and rehab, which led to his current career choice. Decided to get into the strengthening profession rather than physical therapy Saw a need to bridge the gap between being released from therapy after an injury to the point where an athlete can compete at the highest level Started his 1st personal training company at age 23 Started working with more athletes and eventually more golfers started showing up Saw a need for conditioning and injury prevention in golf   Highlights Started working with Cameron McCormick (swing coach) 4 years ago. Cameron suggested to Damon that he see this new kid named Jordan Spieth who was going to be the next Tiger! Initially, Jordan was a tall skinny kid, so they decided they needed to get some weight on him in order to handle the speed and movements that he had in his swing. They worked slowly, with the end result in mind to develop him properly and get him prepared for the rigors of the tour, travel, and physical stresses on the body. His 1st year on tour

Dr. Mark Smith is one of the most educated and knowledgeable fitness professionals I have had the opportunity to meet and pick his brain. As you’ll hear in this episode, he has been a part of some very interesting and popular research topics, providing first hand evidence and information that will have a huge impact on how you train. Trust me, you may want to take some notes in this episode! You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below: Mark’s Background Attended Loughborough University of Technology in England Masters in Exercises and Sports Science at Colorado State University Doctorate in Physiology Expert on High Intensity Interval Training Works out of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA Advisory Board member and Instructor for the Titleist Performance Institute Tennis and Rugby player growing up His Doctoral focus was on heart disease and arteriosclerosis Was involved in the research at beginning of the Paleo Diet movement with Dr. Loren Cordain Began working on High Intensity Interval Training research Started working with Greg Rose and Dave Phillips, joined the board for TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Highlights Mark works with many individuals that are not professional golfers Golfers are starting to train more like athletes, which has had a big impact on their distance What are some of the big nutrition mistakes that golfers are making? Not realizing that nutrition is important in their ability to play longer and with less injury Not switching to more of a Paleo style diet Not paying attention to blood sugar levels when competing Need a long term plan (lifestyle habits) vs just focusing on day to day nutrition or game day nutrition Not following the 80/20 rule Get off the GMO’s What is Paleo? Refers to what humans ate in “pre-agricultural times” Lean protein lots of veggies (potatoes and legumes are not veggies) Beans/legumes are out (acidic, possible inflammatory response) Grains are out Dairy is out Avoiding limiting grains, legumes, dairy, and processed food Can eat lean protein, veggies, fruits, nuts Dr. Mark’s website: docsmith.org Dr. Cordain’s website: thepaleodiet.com High Intensity Interval Training Dr. Mark’s research paper on Interval Training:

David is one of the most experienced trainers in the field of golf that you will come across. Not only is he one of the most genuine guys I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with, but he continues to work with some of the best in the game, winning championships left and right. In this episode, we talk about some of David’s philosophies on golf fitness and how the average golfer’s workout compare’s to what he has his pro players doing in the gym. You Can Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes by clicking the button below: David’s Background Appearances on the Golf channel, Morning Drive, Golf Central, Golf Academy Published in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Golf Weekly Director of Fitness and performance at PGA of America Designed the fitness facility at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance Currently the director and owner of the Florida Institute of Performance at PGA National Resort Current clients include: Stacy Lewis, Scott Langley, Brooks Koepka, Michelle Wei, Peter Uhlien, Paula Creamer, Web.com players, etc Worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, the NFL Combine, MLB players, etc. Highlights and Topics: Hughes Norton (golf agent) represented Greg Norman introduced David to the local teaching pros Started seeing Peter Uhlien at age 13 Golf is where baseball was 10 yrs ago. In regards to strength training. People are now starting to see how the body can improve the game, not just the equipment David is not a big fan of so many people being certified as “golf fitness experts,” especially since a lot of the players out there are on their own to find someone to help them.  Believes that it makes it can make it more difficult for the golfer to find someone that is really qualified. You should find a trainer that knows what your specific needs are, so they aren’t just “training you like a football player” Evaluation and plan is the most important factor when looking at a workout program Best way to increase your speed of swinging a club is to swing a club People don’t work enough on the abs, glutes, scapular stability If these aren’t