I’m a big advocate of foundational lifts such as the deadlift, bench press, and squat for overall strength building.

While I train primarily for size and strength, I believe everyone should incorporate exercises that promote functional movement regardless of their age or fitness goals.

Though I may spend quite a lot of time in the gym, I want to dispel the notion that you need a commercial gym to improve your health.

There are many useful exercises that you can perform at home or outdoors with simple and basic equipment. 

All you need is a kettlebell for this next exercise I’m about to cover.

What is a Turkish Get Up?

The Turkish Get Up (TGU) is an exercise for anyone interested in improving their overall stability, mobility, and functional health.  

The TGU is an exercise that recruits different muscle groups and stabilizers to cross several planes of motion.

Because of the various mechanics involved in performing a successful TGU, it doubles as a full-body exercise.

Since this can be quite an advanced exercise to master, try starting with a light and manageable weight. 

Once you’ve sufficiently understood the foundations of the movement patterns, you can try the TGU with a heavier kettlebell.

Benefits of a Turkish Get Up

Think of the TGU as oil for your joints. It’s perfect for rehabilitation and incredibly useful for building muscle memory to become more proficient and efficient at functional movement patterns.

Here’s how it works:

  1. We generate movement by pushing into the ground. 
  2. By the laws of physics, a resultant force from the ground pushes back.
  3. If we tighten our midsection, we can direct that force to our upper body and into actions like throwing or pushing.
  4. Performing the TGU helps you develop this connection between your lower and upper body. 
  5. The TGU’s movement patterns and muscle activations create motor memory, improving our coordination and dexterity.

Here are some other physiological advantages of the TGU:

  • Achieve thoracic extension and rotation
  • Build hip and leg mobility
  • Enhance shoulder stability
  • Improve spatial and body awareness
  • Gain functional flexibility and agility

How to perform a Turkish Get Up

  1. Place the kettlebell on the floor and lie flat beside it. 
  2. Get into a fetal position. Use your right hand to grab the kettlebell, with your left hand supporting it.
  3. Roll onto your back while still holding the kettlebell in your right hand. Keep your right arm bent with the kettlebell leaning against the back of your wrist and hand. Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg flat on the ground at a 45-degree angle.
  4. Then, press the kettlebell upwards over your right shoulder using your right hand. Lock your gaze onto the kettlebell and keep your right arm straight.

  1. Tighten your midsection. Roll up, bring your right shoulder off the floor, and lean over onto your left elbow. Keep your right arm vertically extended with the kettlebell directly over your right shoulder.
  2. Drive your right foot into the ground while using your left elbow to push your right arm skywards. Straighten your right arm as you slowly get closer to an upright seated position.
  3. Keep your left shoulder down and straighten your left hand backward for support. Maintain your gaze on the kettlebell.

  1. Then, tighten your midsection. Drive your right leg into the ground, angle your hips upwards and extend your left leg out. Next, bring that left leg backward and underneath you, so you’re kneeling on your left knee.
  2. Stand up like you would from a bottom lunge position while holding the kettlebell overhead. 
  3. Congratulations you’ve just performed a successful Turkish Get Up!

How to descend properly

While it’s tempting to just go in reverse and complete the descent quickly, you’ll want to keep body control throughout. 

Maintain tightness in your midsection. Don’t round your shoulders and keep tension throughout the motion.

Lunge back down on your free leg and slowly sweep it backward. This allows you the space to slowly lower your hips. Next, use your free hand to find a spot on the floor for support.

Turkish Get Up Routines

You can use the TGUs to supplement your weightlifting routines, such as a warm-up before you perform your press and push.

Warm-up: 

  • Use a lighter kettlebell and perform one to two sets of about eight to ten reps per arm. 
  • Complete all reps on one arm before switching to the other.
  • Rest only after you’ve completed all reps for both arms.

You can use TGUs in a strength-focused workout and possibly increase your deadlift and press.

Strength:

  • Try performing a set number of repetitions in 5 minutes. 
  • Rest for a minute. 
  • Then repeat the process but for a longer duration, say 8 minutes.

Working progressively to increase your repetitions helps increase your overall strength and trains your mind to recognize these patterns. 

And because the TGU mimics many of our basic movement patterns like crawling or sitting up, it’s excellent for rehabilitation and restoring loss of motor control.