Golf has an unusual combination of power, explosiveness, mobility, and coordination. Hours and hours of time spent lifting weights in a gym doesn’t always improve your golf game. Yes, overall strength will give you an edge over the competition – think Tiger Woods – but your strength needs to be functional. This workout routine is geared towards those who haven’t spent much time in the gym, but are looking for that extra edge on the golf course.
The One Week Bodyweight Routine
This workout routine is meant to be a simple, time effective way to begin your golf fitness journey. There is no ideal time to workout during the day. It can be morning or night, before golf or after golf, or when your kids are napping (if you aren’t napping too).
This simple workout will focus on balance, explosiveness, stability, and mobility. Most of the power in a golf swing comes from the lower body, core, and hips. These workouts focus on strengthening those muscle groups. Bodyweight workouts may seem boring at times, but they are essential before moving on to kettlebells and bands.
So here it is:
Monday
Split Squats (3 sets of 12 reps each leg)
This exercise will improve your balance, posture, hip strength, and leg strength. You may want to be near something you can grab if you begin to lose your balance. Begin by standing tall with your feet directly below your hips. Then take a comfortable step forward with one leg so that your foot is about four feet in front of you. Keeping your torso upright, slowly descend until your knee touches the ground. Next you contract your legs and core to stand up while maintaining the split stance. This will be when you may lose your balance, so be sure to have a sturdy object nearby.
Bird Dogs (3 sets of 10 reps each side)
This move is awesome for your posture. It strengthens your hips, lower back, and core muscles.
To begin, get on all fours in a tabletop position. You’ll want your knees to be directly under your hips and your hands to be directly below your shoulders. With your core engaged, raise your right arm and your left leg while keeping your hips and shoulders parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds and then slowly return to the starting position. Then switch to the other side.
For best results, keep your hips level and avoid rotating your pelvis. This movement is meant to be performed in a smooth, controlled manner.
Push Ups (3 sets of 6-10)
This exercise is a classic. Push ups are great for overall strength and shoulder stability. I don’t know if I need to write a description of how to perform a push up, but here it goes:
Begin by lying face down on the floor. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart with your palms flat on the floor and fingers pointing forward. Extend your legs straight behind you. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels, with your core and glutes engaged.
Push yourself up by straightening your arms while engaging your core muscles and avoid arching your back. Lower yourself down by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body. If you need to, start doing pushups with your knees contacting the floor instead of your toes.
180 Jumps (2 sets of 10 each direction)
These are great for explosiveness in your swing. This exercise trains your body to be explosive while performing a movement that involves rotation and jumping.
Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Load your body by bending the knees and lowering your arms. Push through your feet to jump up, spinning to the right 180 degrees. Now load your body again and jump to the left 180 degrees. It’s that simple.
Core Work
I’ve found that an effective core exercise is highly dependent on the individual. I don’t feel anything while doing sit-ups, but I have friends who swear by them. For your core work that will help your golf swing, I suggest a movement that engages your core through rotation. Here are my two favorites:
Russian Twists (3 sets of 12 reps)
sit on the floor and create a V position with your torso and thighs. Your spine should be at about a 45-degree angle with the floor. Reach your arms out in front of you and clasp them together. Using your abdominal muscles, turn you body to the right, then back to the center, then to the left.
Plank Hip Rotations (3 sets of 8 reps)
begin in a plank position on your elbows and toes with your feet close together. Keeping body rigid and your core engaged, twist your left hip down to the floor. Return back the the plank position and then twist your right hip to the floor. These are great for hip mobility and strength.
Tuesday
This day focuses on mobility. Mobility is the arguably the most important part of the golf swing. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of Eddie Hall swinging a golf club. He has deadlifted over 500kg, but can’t effectively swing a golf club because he lacks mobility. I guarantee he could crank a golf ball if he had the proper mobility. Here is the mobility routine:
Low Impact Cardio (~20 Minutes)
This is meant to get your heart rate up and you blood flowing. It is much easier to stretch and perform mobility drills with a warm body. You pick what to do: light run, fast walk, elliptical, bike, stairmaster, rowing, etc. It really doesn’t matter as long as you feel warmed up when you are done.
Hip Mobility
90/90 Hip Stretches (10-12 reps each side)
These are my absolute favorite. Your hips will feel incredibly tight when you start this exercise. Don’t worry, they will feel nice and limber when you are done.
Start by sitting on the floor with one leg in front of you and the other behind, similar to a hurdler. Now bend both your knees to 90 degrees and lean slightly forward and feel the stretch. Hold it for a few seconds then lift your torso up and switch your legs around. Lean forward again and stretch for a few seconds. Do this 10-12 times on each side or until you feel limbered up.
Wall Quad Stretch (60 seconds each side)
Now its time to stretch the front of your hips. For this stretch, you will need to stand with your back against a wall. Now step out in front of you with one foot while placing the opposite knee at the base of the wall (you may want a pad of some sort). This position will look very similar to a lunge, only that your back foot will be raised. Try to keep your torso upright and feel the stretch in your quad on the front of your hips. Hold the stretch for at least sixty seconds then switch sides.
Orange Whip (12 swings each way)
If you are really into golf, you’ve likely seen the orange whip trainer before. The orange whip is great for developing a strong core and keeping your swing on plane. It also helps with flexibility in you hips and shoulders. Now that you are all limbered up, it’s time to train your muscles to do what you want: swing a club harder.
Take the orange whip and make 12 full swings with no pauses. Repeat with your non-dominant side. I recommend doing three sets of orange whip, but don’t wear yourself out if you are planning on golfing within a short time frame.
Wednesday
Lateral Lunges (3 sets of 10 each side)
Nothing works your lower body quite like a lateral lunge. Begin in standing position with your feet about hip width apart and your hands in front of your chest. Take a wide step to your right, bending your right knee as you step outward and keeping your hips back. It should feel like you are trying to sit on a chair that is directly behind your right heel. Once you hit a comfortable depth, push off your right foot and return to the starting position. Now do the same thing with your left leg.
Glute Bridges (3 sets of 8)
This exercise strengthens your glutes and lower back. To perform a glute bridge, lay down on your back with your knees bend and your feet flat on the ground. Your heels should end up about six inches away from your glutes. Begin the movement by contracting your glutes and raising your hips towards the ceiling. Go as high as you can without arching your back and hold for 10 seconds. You should feel most of the weight in on your heels and shoulders.
180 Jumps
Same as Monday, this exercise is essential for explosiveness in your swing.
Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Load your body by bending the knees and lowering your arms. Push through your feet to jump up, spinning to the right 180 degrees. Now load your body again and jump to the left 180 degrees. It’s that simple.
Spider Crawls
Core Work
Russian Twists (3 sets of 12 reps)
sit on the floor and create a V position with your torso and thighs. Your spine should be at about a 45-degree angle with the floor. Reach your arms out in front of you and clasp them together. Using your abdominal muscles, turn you body to the right, then back to the center, then to the left.
Plank Hip Rotations (3 sets of 8 reps)
begin in a plank position on your elbows and toes with your feet close together. Keeping body rigid and your core engaged, twist your left hip down to the floor. Return back the the plank position and then twist your right hip to the floor. These are great for hip mobility and strength.
Thursday
Another mobility day. This really is essential for a powerful, fluid golf swing. Don’t skip it.
Low Impact Cardio (~20 Minutes)
This is meant to get your heart rate up and you blood flowing. It is much easier to stretch and perform mobility drills with a warm body. You pick what to do: light run, fast walk, elliptical, bike, stairmaster, rowing, etc. It really doesn’t matter as long as you feel warmed up when you are done.
Hip Mobility
90/90 Hip Stretches (10-12 reps each side)
Remember, your hips will feel incredibly tight when you start this exercise. Don’t worry, they will feel nice and limber when you are done.
Start by sitting on the floor with one leg in front of you and the other behind, similar to a hurdler. Now bend both your knees to 90 degrees and lean slightly forward and feel the stretch. Hold it for a few seconds then lift your torso up and switch your legs around. Lean forward again and stretch for a few seconds. Do this 10-12 times on each side or until you feel limbered up.
Wall Quad Stretch (60 seconds each side)
Now its time to stretch the front of your hips. For this stretch, you will need to stand with your back against a wall. Now step out in front of you with one foot while placing the opposite knee at the base of the wall (you may want a pad of some sort). This position will look very similar to a lunge, only that your back foot will be raised. Try to keep your torso upright and feel the stretch in your quad on the front of your hips. Hold the stretch for at least sixty seconds then switch sides.
Orange Whip (12 swings each way)
Now that you are all limbered up, it’s time to train your muscles to do what you want: swing a club harder.
Take the orange whip and make 12 full swings with no pauses. Repeat with your non-dominant side. I recommend doing three sets of orange whip, but don’t wear yourself out if you are planning on golfing within a short time frame.
Friday
Bodyweight Squats (3 sets of 10)
We saved the most foundational movement for the end of the week. Start by getting in a comfortable standing position with your feet about shoulder width apart. You can go a little wider, a little narrower, it doesn’t matter as long as you are comfortable. Now turn your toes out a bit. Stabilize your core and lower yourself into the squat while focusing on squeezing your glutes. Once you have reached a comfortable depth, return to a standing position. That’s it!
Lunge Rotations (3 sets of 10 each side)
The golf swing is all about balance, rotation, and leg strength. This exercise will get all three. Stand straight up with your feet at hip width and your arms lifted in front like a zombie. Take a big step forward with your right leg and rotate your torso and arms to the right. Return to the starting zombie position and repeat with your left side.
Push Ups
Push ups again? Yup. These are too good at strengthening your upper body and shoulders.
Begin by lying face down on the floor. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart with your palms flat on the floor and fingers pointing forward. Extend your legs straight behind you. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels, with your core and glutes engaged.
Push yourself up by straightening your arms while engaging your core muscles and avoid arching your back. Lower yourself down by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body. If you need to, start doing pushups with your knees contacting the floor instead of your toes.
180 Jumps
This is exercise is so good for your swing you will be doing it three times this week.
Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Load your body by bending the knees and lowering your arms. Push through your feet to jump up, spinning to the right 180 degrees. Now load your body again and jump to the left 180 degrees. It’s that simple.
Core Work
Russian Twists (3 sets of 12 reps)
sit on the floor and create a V position with your torso and thighs. Your spine should be at about a 45-degree angle with the floor. Reach your arms out in front of you and clasp them together. Using your abdominal muscles, turn you body to the right, then back to the center, then to the left.
Plank Hip Rotations (3 sets of 8 reps)
begin in a plank position on your elbows and toes with your feet close together. Keeping body rigid and your core engaged, twist your left hip down to the floor. Return back the the plank position and then twist your right hip to the floor. These are great for hip mobility and strength.
Weekend
Don’t be working out too hard on the weekend. Relax and play golf!
Jacob is a Professional Engineer, professional gym-goer, and golf enthusiast. He is obsessed with golf-specific fitness, golf simulators, and hitting long drives.