Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about strength training and the benefits strength training has in relation to the golf swing. We’ve also been talking about specific types of strength training to improve your golf swing. We undoubtedly know from research and from watching TOUR players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh, among others, strength training is a major component of any golf fitness program.

As an amateur, we must understand the goal of strength training is to get your body stronger for the golf swing and we do this through increasing the amount of resistance placed upon your body day in and day out. We achieve this through our three categories of strength training for golf (static stabilization, dynamic stabilization, and functional strength training). Utilizing exercises from these three categories over time allows your body to become more flexible, stronger and more powerful.

We know improving the flexibility, balance capacities, strength and power outputs of our body requires us to stress our body beyond what it has experienced before. In response to our increased stress we’re placing upon the body through flexibility, balance, and strength training the body compensates, causing it to adapt and physically improve.

Now there are certain training variables that allow us to utilize our golf-specific strength training exercises correctly to overload the body and physically improve it.

The first of these variables is called intensity. Simply put, that’s how hard should I work and how much effort should I put in every exercise. On the scientific side, it’s the amount of work on a given exercise, drill or series of exercises. The higher intensity of the exercise, the more work being your body is being performed

The second training variable is load. Simply put, that just asks how much resistance should be used during the exercise. Scientifically, it refers to the amount of resistance you use for each repetition of the exercise. Typically, load is defined as the amount of weight used for the exercise and it can be body weight or external resistance, such as a weighted ball, elastic tubing, and increase in resistance from limiting the base support.

The third training variable is volume. This refers to total amount of work performed in an exercise. A higher level of volume per exercise in terms of sets or repetitions will increase the overall volume of work performed in your golf fitness program

The fourth variable is duration. This is the amount of time between each exercise within a workout. Duration is often misconstrued as the total amount of time spent training. This is incorrect whereas duration refers specifically to the amount of rest between sets or exercises within your golf specific training program.

Finally, the fifth variable is frequency. This is the number of training sessions within a given time period. Frequency is measured is terms of set time fame. The time frame could be a week, a month, or even a year.

So to review, we have five training variables -- intensity, load, volume, duration and frequency -- and they can all be utilized in a strength training program for golf to increase the resistance upon our body for overall improvement in the areas of flexibility, balance, endurance and power.

To see how all they work together, let’s utilize an exercise and example. Referring to the physio ball russian twist, let’s start off with intensity. Two sets of 15 reps each would be higher than only one set. Adding a medicine ball to the physio ball russian twist would increase the load. Performing three sets would increase the volume of this exercise over just one set. Resting 30 seconds between each set rather than one minute would decrease the duration between sets thus increase overload on your body. Finally performing the physio ball russian twist three times a week would be a greater overload on body rather than two times a week.

Through this example, you can see how taking a golf specific strength training exercise and applying these five training variables -- utilize all five or just one -- to increase the overload on your body to continue the improvement of your body in relation to the golf swing. Remember in order for your body to continue to improve itself in relation to your golf swing. The body must be continually challenged through the utilization of these five training variables.

A visual example of these training variables at work can be viewed in the pictures above. I have added dumbbells to my Single Leg Airplane Rotation, utilizing the training variable of load to increase the intensity of the exercise. Forcing my body to work harder and continue to improve in relation to my golf swing.

Next week, I’ll answer questions you sent in so if have any more and I’ll try to get to them next week.

Sean M. Cochran is the personal strength and conditioning coach for 2006 Masters winner Phil Mickelson. He is co-owner of BioForceGolf.com and the author of several books, including most recently, Your Body & Your Swing. Cochran, who has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres as well as working individually with players like Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, started working with professional golfers, most notably Mickelson (who won the 2004 and 2006 Masters, and the 2005 PGA Championship), in 2002. Recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities in golf-specific strength training, he has spoken at numerous seminars and clinics around the country. BioForceGolf.com was founded in late 2004 to respond to the need of the amateur golfer for quality information on golf-specific-strength training. The site provides subscribers the highest quality information in the areas of golf training, nutrition, and general instruction.