PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson isn’t your typical golfer. Possessed with raw power and a muscular 6′4″, 190-pound frame, the 32-year-old stands out among his fellow players as an athlete who looks like he could be playing football, basketball, or hockey if he wanted to. But having the athletic tools doesn’t always make for a successful golfer, and that’s where Johnson has truly separated himself from the field.
10 Times 2018 U.S. Open Champion Brooks Koepka Crushed His Workouts in the Gym
Read article
“My training and nutrition plan has really evolved over the years,” Johnson told Men’s Journal. “It’s so important for me to take care of myself mentally and physically. Working out and eating right helps me feel better and play better on the course.” In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Johnson has developed an intense workout program with trainer Joey Diovisalvi, doing strength training, Olympic-style lifts, single-leg movements, rotational moves, and stability work, training up to six days per week. Johnson doesn’t like taking any off days and it’s that mindset that’s fueled his rise to the top of the PGA Tour. “Dustin is an anomaly, a once-in-a-lifetime athlete in the golf world,” says Diovisalvi, who has worked with the golfer since 2010. “I’ve been doing this over 20 years, and I don’t know if we’ll see another golfer like Dustin for a long time.” Johnson’s always had talent—he finished tied for second at both the 2011 Open Championship and the 2015 U.S. Open and consistently ranked near the top of the PGA Tour in average drive distance—but things really came together in 2016 when he won his first major at the U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club. Now, he’s the top ranked golfer in the world and a consistent favorite at every major tournament.
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images “He’s like the Tom Brady—but younger—of golf,” says Diovisalvi. “He literally does not have any gear or option other than what he thinks is the ultimate preparation for when he’s ready to play. He just gets it.”
#ObsessionIsNatural @drinkBODYARMOR pic.twitter.com/AkJQbrMXj3 — Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) April 12, 2017 Johnson’s workout routine stays mostly the same whether he’s on the road for a tournament or at home in Florida. At home, he’ll use more aggressive weight protocols with his lifts, but while he’s away, it’ll be around 70-75 percent of what he normally does. Consistency is key for Johnson, because as the golfer once told Diovisalvi, “if you’re trying to find something at a tournament, it’s already too late.” “Our Monday power workout is squats, deadlifts, cleans, and we integrate medicine ball workouts,” says Diovisalvi. “Whether it’s one legged overhead slams, side-to-side rotational velocity slams, reverse pivot slams on a wall—we do these things in between every 3 movements. It’s a strict protocol and he doesn’t vary that much. We go heavy on Monday. Dustin’s also gotten into SoulCycle, and since he’s doing a 2-a-day routine, we do a spin bike for 30 minutes before we start the intense lifts.” Diovisalvi has Johnson use weight progressions on his lifts, warming up with squats at 135 lbs before moving to 185, then finishing around 255-275 lbs. With deadlifts, depending on how Johnson is feeling that day, Diovisalvi has Johnson doing 4-5 sets starting at 135 lbs and progressing up to near 200 lbs. “On Tuesday we transition into dumbbell presses onto a stability ball, using torso twists and hip drops, using a 70 or 80 lb weight, then pushups with a open or full rotation, then we’ll do a TRX press or something with the cable straps. It’s very intense,” says Diovisalvi. “Then on Wednesday, we’ll do inverted pullups, Olympic barbell rows with 135 lbs, compounded with an alternating dumbbell row, where he creates some contraction and some thoracic rotation.” Johnson integrates box jumps into his workout to strengthen his lower body and does a lot of balance moves and single-leg exercises. “We’ll also do a lot of balance work,” says Diovisalvi. “We’ll do single-leg dumbbells, start with a set at 35 lbs, then jump to 45 or 50 lbs. Dustin’s constantly challenging his balance, giving the body the opportunity to work. He progressively works to increase that resistance and get stronger.” Johnson and Diovisalvi have developed what the trainer calls a “Brady-Belichick type relationship,” where both are able to communicate and understand what Johnson’s body needs, even the times when Johnson needs to take a break. “Dustin trains very much like any other high-level athlete,” Diovisalvi says. “There’s been this idea for over a decade that golfers working out like other athletes mean they overtrain, and some people struggle with the concept that a golfer is an athlete too. Well hey, we’re back in the Olympics. When you take baseball players or football players—they’re great athletes—but put a golf club in their hand, they don’t look very athletic. It’s a hard thing to do. Dustin continues to push the needle so hard and that’s why he’s been so successful.” Johnson’s training obviously plays a big part in his success, but Johnson also has puts major importance on the equipment he uses. Johnson has been successful working with TaylorMade, using the M4 driver with Twist Face technology at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January 2018, where he crushed the field for a win by eight strokes. The driver has Twist Face technology, which was developed through the analysis of over 500,000 golf shots from players of all skill levels. TaylorMade engineers found that the overwhelming majority of driver misses occurred either on high-toe or low-heel, so the brand developed the technology to physically twist the face of the driver to counteract these miss hits. The result, Twist Face, became the first innovation to the face of the driver in over 130 years. Twist Face will be available only in the M3 and M4 driver range on February 16 from TaylorMade. Johnson wowed the crowd by hitting a 430+ yard drive and nearly making a hole-in-one on the 433-yard par-4, 12th hole—he put it just 6 inches from the cup. Pretty impressive. Take a look at Johnson’s shot with the club:
“Plenty of horsepower here.” Tracking … TRACKING … 😳#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/kiqBRT3U81 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 8, 2018
Johnson’s intensity and commitment to his fitness made him a great fit for the Kobe Bryant-developed BODYARMOR campaign, “Obsession is Natural.” Here’s a video of Johnson working out and training:
Johnson joined athletes like Andrew Luck, James Harden, Kristaps Porzingis, Richard Sherman, Dez Bryant, Mike Trout, and Skylar Diggins in the campaign, which was written, directed and narrated by Bryant.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
Celebrating the Underrated Genius of Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
Racing Legend Travis Pastrana to Make 2023 Daytona 500 Attempt
Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII
Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson isn’t your typical golfer. Possessed with raw power and a muscular 6′4″, 190-pound frame, the 32-year-old stands out among his fellow players as an athlete who looks like he could be playing football, basketball, or hockey if he wanted to. But having the athletic tools doesn’t always make for a successful golfer, and that’s where Johnson has truly separated himself from the field.
10 Times 2018 U.S. Open Champion Brooks Koepka Crushed His Workouts in the Gym
Read article
“My training and nutrition plan has really evolved over the years,” Johnson told Men’s Journal. “It’s so important for me to take care of myself mentally and physically. Working out and eating right helps me feel better and play better on the course.”
10 Times 2018 U.S. Open Champion Brooks Koepka Crushed His Workouts in the Gym
Read article
10 Times 2018 U.S. Open Champion Brooks Koepka Crushed His Workouts in the Gym
In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Johnson has developed an intense workout program with trainer Joey Diovisalvi, doing strength training, Olympic-style lifts, single-leg movements, rotational moves, and stability work, training up to six days per week. Johnson doesn’t like taking any off days and it’s that mindset that’s fueled his rise to the top of the PGA Tour.
“Dustin is an anomaly, a once-in-a-lifetime athlete in the golf world,” says Diovisalvi, who has worked with the golfer since 2010. “I’ve been doing this over 20 years, and I don’t know if we’ll see another golfer like Dustin for a long time.”
Johnson’s always had talent—he finished tied for second at both the 2011 Open Championship and the 2015 U.S. Open and consistently ranked near the top of the PGA Tour in average drive distance—but things really came together in 2016 when he won his first major at the U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club. Now, he’s the top ranked golfer in the world and a consistent favorite at every major tournament.
“He’s like the Tom Brady—but younger—of golf,” says Diovisalvi. “He literally does not have any gear or option other than what he thinks is the ultimate preparation for when he’s ready to play. He just gets it.”
Johnson’s workout routine stays mostly the same whether he’s on the road for a tournament or at home in Florida. At home, he’ll use more aggressive weight protocols with his lifts, but while he’s away, it’ll be around 70-75 percent of what he normally does. Consistency is key for Johnson, because as the golfer once told Diovisalvi, “if you’re trying to find something at a tournament, it’s already too late.”
#ObsessionIsNatural @drinkBODYARMOR pic.twitter.com/AkJQbrMXj3
— Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) April 12, 2017
“Our Monday power workout is squats, deadlifts, cleans, and we integrate medicine ball workouts,” says Diovisalvi. “Whether it’s one legged overhead slams, side-to-side rotational velocity slams, reverse pivot slams on a wall—we do these things in between every 3 movements. It’s a strict protocol and he doesn’t vary that much. We go heavy on Monday. Dustin’s also gotten into SoulCycle, and since he’s doing a 2-a-day routine, we do a spin bike for 30 minutes before we start the intense lifts.”
Diovisalvi has Johnson use weight progressions on his lifts, warming up with squats at 135 lbs before moving to 185, then finishing around 255-275 lbs. With deadlifts, depending on how Johnson is feeling that day, Diovisalvi has Johnson doing 4-5 sets starting at 135 lbs and progressing up to near 200 lbs.
“On Tuesday we transition into dumbbell presses onto a stability ball, using torso twists and hip drops, using a 70 or 80 lb weight, then pushups with a open or full rotation, then we’ll do a TRX press or something with the cable straps. It’s very intense,” says Diovisalvi. “Then on Wednesday, we’ll do inverted pullups, Olympic barbell rows with 135 lbs, compounded with an alternating dumbbell row, where he creates some contraction and some thoracic rotation.”
Johnson integrates box jumps into his workout to strengthen his lower body and does a lot of balance moves and single-leg exercises. “We’ll also do a lot of balance work,” says Diovisalvi. “We’ll do single-leg dumbbells, start with a set at 35 lbs, then jump to 45 or 50 lbs. Dustin’s constantly challenging his balance, giving the body the opportunity to work. He progressively works to increase that resistance and get stronger.”
Johnson and Diovisalvi have developed what the trainer calls a “Brady-Belichick type relationship,” where both are able to communicate and understand what Johnson’s body needs, even the times when Johnson needs to take a break.
“Dustin trains very much like any other high-level athlete,” Diovisalvi says. “There’s been this idea for over a decade that golfers working out like other athletes mean they overtrain, and some people struggle with the concept that a golfer is an athlete too. Well hey, we’re back in the Olympics. When you take baseball players or football players—they’re great athletes—but put a golf club in their hand, they don’t look very athletic. It’s a hard thing to do. Dustin continues to push the needle so hard and that’s why he’s been so successful.”
Johnson’s training obviously plays a big part in his success, but Johnson also has puts major importance on the equipment he uses. Johnson has been successful working with TaylorMade, using the M4 driver with Twist Face technology at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January 2018, where he crushed the field for a win by eight strokes.
The driver has Twist Face technology, which was developed through the analysis of over 500,000 golf shots from players of all skill levels. TaylorMade engineers found that the overwhelming majority of driver misses occurred either on high-toe or low-heel, so the brand developed the technology to physically twist the face of the driver to counteract these miss hits. The result, Twist Face, became the first innovation to the face of the driver in over 130 years. Twist Face will be available only in the M3 and M4 driver range on February 16 from TaylorMade.
Johnson wowed the crowd by hitting a 430+ yard drive and nearly making a hole-in-one on the 433-yard par-4, 12th hole—he put it just 6 inches from the cup. Pretty impressive.
Take a look at Johnson’s shot with the club:
“Plenty of horsepower here.”
Tracking … TRACKING … 😳#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/kiqBRT3U81
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 8, 2018
Johnson’s intensity and commitment to his fitness made him a great fit for the Kobe Bryant-developed BODYARMOR campaign, “Obsession is Natural.”
Here’s a video of Johnson working out and training:
Johnson joined athletes like Andrew Luck, James Harden, Kristaps Porzingis, Richard Sherman, Dez Bryant, Mike Trout, and Skylar Diggins in the campaign, which was written, directed and narrated by Bryant.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
Celebrating the Underrated Genius of Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
Racing Legend Travis Pastrana to Make 2023 Daytona 500 Attempt
Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII
Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
Celebrating the Underrated Genius of Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
Racing Legend Travis Pastrana to Make 2023 Daytona 500 Attempt
Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII
Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
Celebrating the Underrated Genius of Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
Racing Legend Travis Pastrana to Make 2023 Daytona 500 Attempt
Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII
Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
