Local Spotlight: High Definition Personal Training
Interview with Geri McGurk
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Geri McGurk, Owner of High Definition Personal Training Center. Geri‘s entire career has been in the health and fitness industry. She began as a High School Health and Physical Education teacher in the Parsippany, NJ School District. During that time, she was the Head Varsity Gymnastics and Track and Field Coach. While at Parsippany she created a weight room, and developed training programs for the students and athletes. Upon leaving Parsippany, she continued her career as a personal trainer and fitness expert. Throughout her career she has held many certifications, one of which is as a PGA Golf Fitness professional.
In this interview we will discuss how Geri got started and why she decided to become a Golf Specialist.
Dr. Esemplare: Why did open High Definition and want to get your PGA Golf Specialist certification?
Geri McGurk: It has always been my dream to own a facility that reaches out to all populations. My main goal is to provide a variety of personal training options that are well within the reach of anyone with the desire to make the most of their fitness training. Throughout my 40 plus years as a Personal Sports and Fitness Trainer, I have worked with a wide variety of athletes. Many of my personal training clients have been golfers and in all cases, they saw vast improvements in their game and would refer their golfing friends to me. I decided to pursue the PGA certification to increase my knowledge about the needs of golfers and better understand how I can improve their game even more.
Dr. Esemplare: What would you say the #1 misconception about Golf is? Why do you think that is?
Geri McGurk: I would say the number one misconception about Golf is that it is an “easy” sport. People often think that you can just pick up a club, head out, and play a round of 18 holes. That is not the case, because of the rotational movements involved in generating the golf swing; you can injure your back if you are not prepared for this movement. Likewise if your shoulders and chest muscles are tight, you can end up with rotator cuff issues.
There are many small movements that go into perfecting a golf swing that are often over looked.
Dr. Esemplare: What are your three top recommendations for people who wants to get started with golf and/or improve their golf skills?
Geri McGurk:
1) If someone wants to understand how well their body is equipped to handle the intricate movements they should undergo a Golf Fitness Assessment. During one of these 28 point assessments I will help the golfer find deficiencies in their flexibility, stability, strength and power. Once these deficiencies are discovered, whether they are minor or major we can begin to develop a specialized program for the individual.
2) Before heading out to play a round of golf, it is important for the golfer to have a thorough warm-up routine. This will help prevent injuries and prepare the body for the movements that will be repetitively performed though-out the day. I would also suggest knowing some flexibility movements that you can perform between holes for consistency, and after your round to prevent soreness and keep your body happy.
3) When training to improve your golf performance, be sure to incorporate multiple exercises that specifically address the complex needs of golfers. Make sure that you are performing multi joint movements as well as incorporating movements that improve rotation and core strength. I always recommend that my golfers incorporate rotation exercises to their non-swing side for balance and injury prevention.
Dr. Esemplare: How can we learn more about you?
Geri McGurk: You can visit my website at https://www.hdptc.com/.
You can also visit High Definition Personal Training Center on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/highdefinitionpersonaltrainingcenter/
If you are interested in seeing how I can help to improve your golf game feel free to email me at gerimcgurk@aol.com
I want to take a moment to thank Geri for allowing me to interview her for this blog post. I have known Geri for many years now and she cares about each and every individual that comes through her doors. She works hard to get her clients that results they want. If you’re in the Wayne area and want to improve your golf game, Geri is your go to specialist, many of her golfers will attest to this as well.
