A full body golf workout for beginners

by Mountain Man Performance | Mar 17, 2018 | 19th Hole, Practice Range

Your performance on the golf course, just like any other sport, can see huge improvement with repetition and on-course practice. But one aspect of your game that’s often forgotten is building a strong and powerful body to really make the most of all that practice.

With golf carts being a whole thing, we won’t worry about building the endurance to walk a full 18 right now. (Though, due to some horrible drunken golf cart ramping incident, many of you may have found yourself in that situation, but that’s another post all together.) When developing a personal exercise program, one must think sports-specific, so we’re focusing on a strong, powerful swing with this full body workout.

A golf swing is very quick and powerful, using the ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate and phosphocreatine) energy system. Our body uses the ATP-PC system for short, strong movements; it requires no oxygen and good for about 12 seconds of maximum physical effort. 20 minutes on a treadmill isn’t exactly going to translate to more yards from the tee — strength, power, mobility, and stability are on the menu.

The following will put you on track to become an ironman on the course (12 oz. curls not included):

Strength

Your golf swing uses nearly every muscle in the body, so training the entire body throughout the week would be wise. This is where resistance training comes in. Start with some of the key muscles in your core (glutes, abdominals, obliques), as well as your hamstrings, lats, deltoids, and your adductors. Focus on big, compound movements that use multiple muscle groups to see the most bang for your buck — exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench press, for example.

Form is of the utmost importance with these strength-building exercises. Master the easiest progressions of each exercise before moving on to something harder (ex. body weight squat, goblet squat, barbell squat). And don’t overwork yourself: when training for strength, 3-6 sets of 3-6 reps is ideal. (If you’re wanting to put on some size, stay in the 8-12 rep range.)

Power

Strength alone isn’t going to translate into more yards off the tee, power brings the speed we need to put maximum force on the ball. You need to be able to access that power quickly. To do that, you need to add quick, explosive movements to your training.

This can be done with lifts like the bench press, squats, and deadlifts, at 60-80% of your 1-rep max for very few reps (1-3) and as quickly as possible. The key here is to maintain your form while making explosive movements. Try a rotational power exercise like medicine ball toss for a more swing-specific movement, and more advanced lifters can add olympic lifts and plyometrics to the program.

Mobility/Stability

Mobility and stability are equally as important in a strength program. A golfer’s mobility and stability is crucial to maintain correct alignment throughout the swing, and important for injury prevention and longevity. When training for mobility, the hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine are the big players. Exercises like scapular shrugs, thoracic spine rotations, and fire hydrants condition all of these major parts of the body. Sets of 6-8 reps are very effective for mobility, too.

The focus should be on the core with stability training. Building strength in the abs, obliques, low back, and glutes is what we are after here. Exercises like the plank, bird dog, and glute bridge will get the job done, and you will reap the rewards on the course.

The following is a sample full body workout for beginners looking to make the most of that time on the course (you’ll look better naked, too, and who doesn’t want that?):

Full body body golf workout for beginners

Warm Up

Mobility

Bird Dog (2 sets): 6 reps each side; rest 10 seconds

Fire Hydrant (2 sets): 6 reps each side; rest 10 seconds

Scapular Shrug (2 sets): 8 reps; rest 10 seconds

Glute Bridge (2 sets): 8 reps; rest 10 seconds

Power

Rotational Med Ball Toss (3 sets): 3 reps each side; rest 30-60 seconds

Strength

Goblet Squat (3 sets): 10 reps; rest 60-90 seconds

Dumbbell Chest Press: (3 sets): 10 reps; rest 60-90 seconds

Romanian Deadlift (3 sets): 10 reps; rest 60-90 seconds

Single Arm Dumbbell Row (3 sets): 10 reps each side; rest 60-90 seconds

Stability

Plank (3 sets): 20 seconds; rest 30 seconds

Pallof Press (3 sets): 8 reps each side; rest 30 seconds

Cool Down

**Remember, it’s important to ask your doctor before participating in physical activity. These exercises are just recommendations and may not be right for you.**

Tyler Necaise owns and operates Mountain Man Performance personal training in Colorado Springs, Colorado.