Norman, the former No.1-ranked golfer in the world and World Golf Hall of Famer, has had quite the post-playing career, building a very successful business with a portfolio that includes golf course design, clothing and apparel, eyewear, real estate properties, philanthropic endeavors, his own restaurant in his native Australia, and even his own line of steak and beef products.
But what’s really been getting Norman attention these days is how fit and muscular he’s been keeping himself as he pushes past 60. Norman is fitness obsessed and works out at least five times a week, doing a two-hour routine that includes around 45 minutes of cardio and a combination of free weight exercises, medicine ball moves, Pilates, and cable machine workouts.
“I do feel stronger and better today than when I played golf,” Norman told Men’s Fitness. “I keep healthy and fit and strong because it’s good for my body and my mind. I kind of have five or six different routines that I do so I don’t get bored. If I miss two days of working out because of travel, I can definitely feel a difference in my body. I love doing the ball routine, because it’s all about the core and balance. Sometimes, it’s not about how much weight you can lift, it’s how many repetitions you can do without losing your stability.”
Norman’s Instagram page is filled with workout videos and photos of the golfer in the gym, but he’s also a fan of taking his workouts outdoors. Norman has property in Colorado, and he’ll often hike with his wife four or five days a week in 8,000 feet of elevation. (But don’t worry, even on those days, he still gets in his daily routine.)
Norman’s commitment to living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t end in the gym—he keeps a pretty strict diet, too: “I don’t eat anything white—I don’t eat white rice, I don’t eat white potatoes. I’m a big salmon guy, I love beef. I have my own beef and steak come in to the United States, it’s fantastic. And I love my wine at night. But, of course, there will be times I’ll have a bag of Cheetos.”
Working out isn’t just about looking good for Norman, although that seems to be a major benefit of his daily routine. The golfer has advice about what guys of a certain age need to do to stay in shape as they get older.
“I don’t do ego fit, it’s not about that for me,” Norman said. “When I try and encourage people to work out, and I say, ‘It’s gonna take you a minimum of six weeks to start getting any feedback,’ many will lose interest. You have to make it your dedication and your commitment to stay the course. Many don’t want to punch through that soreness to get to the part when they can say, ‘Oh wow, now I feel really good.’ Whether it’s two hours a day like I do, or whether it’s 20 minutes a day, it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m a big Dustin Johnson fan, I think he’s probably the most physically impressive athlete on the golf tour,” Norman said. “There’s no question about it, he’s done a tremendous job. He’s naturally gifted, he’s a tall guy. His arms and legs are directly in proportion to his body, which makes it a lot easier for him as a tall person to swing a golf club when you have everything in the right ratio.”
While some golfers can get caught up in getting “ego fit,” Norman thinks that the success of Johnson and other fit golfers on tour is due to their sport-specific training techniques.
“Being golf fit is totally different than being ego fit,” Norman said. “Dustin’s trainer, Joe Diovisalvi, I’ve known him for a long time, and I’m very impressed with what he does with his athletes. He doesn’t get them into ego shape, even though Joe is a big, strong guy himself. He gets his athletes into a training program that is a fingerprint for each individual athlete, their capabilities, their swing routine, and their swing technique. Conversely, I’ve seen trainers who aren’t really golf knowledgeable and don’t individualize programs, then you see these golfers, I think, break down a lot quicker because of that reason.”
Here’s a look at Norman’s workout routine, and how he keeps himself in such good shape as he gets older.
