When Tiger Woods revealed his insane daily workout routine in his prime

Tiger Woods was one of the best golfers in his prime, not just because of skill, but also because of his fitness. Though he has been sidelined following his seventh back surgery in October, his dedication to fitness remains a major part of his legacy. Even at 50, Woods continues to impress fans with his physical condition.

His remarkable fitness in his prime was the result of an extreme daily routine, which he once shared in a 2018 interview while traveling to the Genesis Open. Ahead of the event he told Justin Thomas how he balanced running, lifting and golf practice in a single day.

"You know, JT was asking me this on the flight, ‘What did you used to do when you were about my age?’ Well, I used to get up in the morning, run four miles. Then I'd go to the gym, do my lifts. Then I'd hit balls for two to three hours, I'd go play, come back, work on my short game. I'd go run another four more miles, and then if anyone wanted to play basketball or tennis, I would go play basketball or tennis. That was a daily routine,” Woods said.

He also pushed himself with unusual exercises like running in combat boots and secretly joining Navy SEAL-style drills.

“The more strength and endurance I got from all the training I did, I didn’t feel the tiredness come Sunday." (vis Golf Digest)

His former coach, Hank Haney, confirmed the intensity of the regimen. Tiger Woods, who began serious training during his two years at Stanford, would sometimes do a second gym session at night to push his limits even further.

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When Hank Haney revealed Tiger Woods’ extreme off-day routine

Tiger Woods’ legendary work ethic extended even to his “off-days,” according to his former swing instructor, Hank Haney. Speaking on a 2022 episode of Golf Subpar, Haney shared how intense Woods’ daily schedule could get even when he wasn’t competing.

“He doesn’t sleep much... maybe 4-5 hours a night. He’d be in the gym by 6-6:30 in the morning... then we’d have breakfast and we’d be on the practice tee by 8:45 or 9. Usually, it’s short game first or pitch shots, and then he’d go to the full swing, hit a full swing on the driving range. Then we’d go play nine holes. Go eat lunch. Back to the driving range, go hit balls. Go play nine more holes. Go work on the putting. After that, some more short game.” (via Golf.com)

Haney, who coached Tiger Woods from 2004 to 2010 also remembered occasions when Woods’ off-days were even more packed than usual.

“I remember the first time I worked with him we went back to the house around 6 at night, and I went up and take a shower.I go downstairs and he’s in the gym and I said ‘what are we doing?’ and he said, ‘when I’m done with my shoulder exercises we’ll go to dinner.' That was pretty much like it was pretty much every day,” Haney recalled.

For Woods, these intense sessions were more than just training. They helped him handle the pressures of being Tiger Woods while keeping his performance at an elite level over the years.

Edited by Sonali Verma