Turkish Getup – Exercise of the Week
You may have heard of the Turkish getup exercise and / or may have seen some people completing it in the gym. It is a movement with many steps and while watching someone perform it you may not see clearly what muscles it works; it is actually a full body exercise that works most of the muscles in some way. With may steps to complete to do this somewhat complex exercise correctly; it can take up to sixty seconds to complete. Learn the steps to this powerful exercise here.
Turkish Getup
To start, select a kettlebell (or dumbbell) with a weight that you can easily manage. When you become more proficient with this exercise, you can increase the weight as needed – this is called progressive overload and is a key factor in strength and muscle mass gains. Lie down on the floor and position the kettlebell up near your shoulder. Grip the handle with one hand and the kettlebell itself with your other hand as you prepare to lift it off the ground.
Turn over so that your back is lying flat on the floor and extend your arm straight up so that you are holding the kettlebell directly above you. Note the position of your legs also here as the leg on the same side of the kettlebell should have the foot flat on the floor while the either leg stays straight down on the floor.
Using your free hand, firmly place your hand flat on the floor to anchor your body as your other hand reaches for the ceiling. Your torso should naturally follow this movement so that you are in a position where you are beginning to stand up fully. See the picture above as to how this should look – taking note of where each of your hands and feet should be placed.
Next, lift your hips up off the floor and pivot the kettlebell that you are holding so that your balance remains. To correctly complete this part of the movement, your leg that was flat to the floor will also have to come upwards so that you can use your heel / foot to balance on the floor.
With this foot that has just come upwards to help with balance, you will next sweep this backwards so that you come to kneel just under your shoulder. Make sure at all times to keep the kettlebell aloft with your arm extended fully straight towards the ceiling.
Take your hand up from the floor and turn your body so that you are down on one knee. It is important at this stage of the movement especially to not let your hips or back sag – keeping them strong and stable while you continue to support the weight of the kettlebell that remains in the air.
Lastly then, drive your body upwards to stand up straight and tall; all the while keeping the kettlebell directly above with your arm straight in the air. This is one repetition of the Turkish getup complete! But it is only one side – you will also need to hold the kettlebell in the opposite hand to work the other side of your body too for a true full body workout from this super exercise.
As you can see, there are many steps and movements to consider to complete the Turkish getup correctly. We hope that this blog post helps you as a guide, but do of course always feel free to ask any of our friendly fitness team for a demonstration of it and to assess your form when doing it too.
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