The Turkish Get-up

November 19, 2009 // Al Kavadlo

Turkish Getup

Start by lying on your back with the weight straight up in the air

Want one strength training exercise that can work your entire body and get your heart pumping?

The Turkish Get-up is a classic exercise that involves pretty much every major muscle group in the body.

It’s the type of feat that you might expect to see performed in a circus act, but it is also a great way to give yourself a challenging workout!

The exercise starts with you lying flat on your back with one arm up in the air. Then you stand up.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

Transitional phase of the get-up.

Transitional phase of the get-up.

Well, that’s pretty much what the exercise boils down to in the most basic way, but there is a technique that’s a bit more complicated.

While one hand is holding the weight overhead, you post off the ground with your opposite hand, using your core strength to sit up. Next, lift yourself up and slide your hips through until you’re on one knee. From here simply stand up like you would getting out of a lunge. You can practice with your hand empty at first to get a feel for it, but the idea is to perform the exercise holding a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell.

There are a few different ways to approach this exercise but the basic idea stays the same: lie on your back holding a weight and stand up. The weight stays straight overhead and your arm stays locked the whole time.

Check out my video segment for a more detailed demonstration.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogo289xOic4