Phil Mickelson Workout Routine

Think you need big calves to hit bombs like Phil? Think again. While Phil jokes about his calves being responsible for maintaining distance even in his 50s, his training program is more comprehensive than that. 

While I’m sure his special coffee blend helped, it is his comprehensive approach to health and fitness that prepared Phil for his PGA Championship at Winged Foot. When you have 40-years of golf experience along with the ability to keep up with the young guns, you have what it takes to win.

Looking at Phil’s Personalized Needs

Most people will read Golf Digest or other places where Phil has discussed his workouts and assume they should do them as well. While this is certainly better than nothing, Phil’s program is built for Phil, and he has some very specific needs.

Lets look at the components that pre determine the Phil Mickelson Workout Routine

Getting Healthy

At the start of Phil’s transformation, the aim was simple: get healthy! Over the years, we watched Phil go from a skinny kid to a larger than average 30 something and now a fit and trim middle age golfer. Losing unnecessary weight is a quick win for increasing golf swing speed, and Phil did just that.

Phil took his nutrition seriously and implemented diet strategies such as intermittent fasting and became consistent with his workout regimen. It is the combination of a sound nutrition, strength training, and cardiovascular program that makes the biggest difference and create the foundation for the Phil Mickelson workout routine

The Phil Mickelson weight loss story has even surprised many of his colleagues as it has been joked that “there isn’t food that Phil Mickelson’s fork won’t find.” But it is an inspiration to people on and off the golf course. We are familiar with the young golfer’s story of packing on the pounds in order to pound it off the tee. We are less familiar, however, with the 50 something who not only keeps but gains yardage with the driver.

Age Matters 

Phil’s run to a fitter self came at a later age. He did not have the luxury of starting young and then amping up. To improve his fitness while managing his busy schedule and Father Time, he needed an equally comprehensive recovery program. Most normal people live busy lives but do not have access to some of the recovery tools that Phil has. 

Autoimmune disease

Phil is almost as famous for his commercials as his golf (kind of kidding). But his fight with an autoimmune disease is an important consideration in creating his program. It is certainly more reason for him to keep in good shape, but it is also a reason he needs to train specifically to avoid an unnecessary inflammatory response.

Phil suffers from psoriatic arthritis is a specific condition of psoriasis that can become extremely painful when untreated. This condition creates special attention to Phil Mickelson’s diet plan and workout program.

Travel Schedule

Routine is hard when you are on the road all the time. While access to equipment isn’t a problem, when you’re constantly “on the move” it is hard to get into a flow with your workouts. Phil’s workout program may be specifically created with this in mind. 

Tools like the TRX can travel with Phil, so it makes sense that they are an important part of his fitness program. Your plan may differ because your workout routine offers equipment that is readily available for you day in and day out.

Phil Mickelson’s Workout Program 

In reviewing the different programs created, Phil appears to use exercises that steer away from isolated muscle contractions. Performing exercises where either your cardio capacity exhausts before your muscle or exercises where balance & stability takes attention away from an isolated muscle contraction. 

Either way, the muscle will not become massively fatigued and will not cause much delayed onset muscle soreness.

Should You Workout Like Phil Mickelson?

While you can certainly take away some gems from his workout program, following it directly might not be the best idea. His program is specifically made for his health and lifestyle needs. Be it a weak muscle group, moves he needs to improve in his swing, or pain he is facing, his trainers have tailored the program is for this purpose.

If you are in good health and have a full range of motion, then starting with a compound strength training program, where you perform lower repetitions, will be the best strategy. If you would also like to include cardio, then in your program, add high intensity and steady state conditioning work, where you add resistance to make the exercise more challenging.

Examples for high intensity conditioning include:

• prowler pushes
• sled drags
• burpees.

Examples of steady state resistance exercise include:

• Walking with a rucksack.
• Walking with your golf bag.

If you have any special health conditions or an abnormal lifestyle, then it would be best to work with a qualified fitness professional who can custom tailor a program for you like the Phil Mickelson workout routine.

Create Your Own Golf Fitness Program

Are you in good health and want to want to bomb it like Phil? Then check out our strength training for golf article, which looks at the right way to resistance train for golfers looking to add distance off the tee.