Ben Shear's 5 Week Fitness Program

Golf Digest has run two articles by their fitness advisor Ben Shear, which I'm linking here as 5-Week Program, Part 1 and 5-Week Program, Part 2. These 12 exercises -- 6 in each article -- are supposed to get you in golf shape in just 5 weeks. A crash course, if you will.

I don't know if I believe they will work that fast, and I think 12 exercises is definitely nearing the limit of how many you should try to do during a single workout. (Personally, I would prefer a limit of 7 or 8 exercises.) Still, this is a good mix of exercises if you're looking for a new routine.


There are 3 mobility exercises:

• 90-90 Knee Drop (pictured above)
• Bretzel (what a strange name!)
• Shoulder Wall Slide

3 stability exercises:

• Medicine Ball Lift
• No-Arm Side Plank
• Dead Bug

3 strength exercises:

• Bulgarian Split-Squat
• One-Legged Glute Bridge
• One-Legged Row

and 3 power exercises:

• Rotational Jump
• Vertical Leap
• One-Legged Lateral Jump

The stability and strength exercises all require equipment of some sort, but you may find items around the house that you can substitute.

Shear says you can do all 12 exercises in less than 30 minutes, which is a reasonable amount of time to devote to a workout. And he says to do two sets of 10 reps for each exercise, which is also a reasonable number if you're going to do this many different exercises in one session. If you try it, just make sure you don't move so fast that you hurt yourself, trying to finish within that 30-minute session.