Turkish Get-up (TGU)

How about half a dozen Playboy models, a million dollars, and Rachael Ray as a personal chef?

What if I told you that you could achieve all of that - well, at least half of it - with one exercise?

An exercise that used to be more for MMA fighters, Crossfit freaks and other crazies, the Turkish Get-Up (TGU) is the best exercise you're not doing. You've put in the work and learned how to deadlift, squat, bench and reposition properly, but I still think there are valuable resources you're not utilizing.

Training the TGU will be one of the best investments you can make for your body. You'll get more than a few strange looks from fellow exercisers, no doubt about it. Guys who pull their abs in front of the mirror get weird looks too, but it hasn't affected their egos yet.

There are plenty of fat guys and skinny guys everywhere, and there are quite a few exercisers with decent physiques, but it's not easy to come across a guy with a functional, symmetrical musculature. And if there's one thing I've learned so far, it's that you have to train unconventionally to get unconventional results.

If you want a better physique, a new and challenging exercise, or just a little bit of that old-fashioned mobility and mid-body strength, the TGU is perfect for you.

Seven steps

The TGU can be divided into seven steps, which in themselves can be considered as periodisation. A beginner can simply take the first few steps, and they too will have an effect. More on that later. The bottom line is this: don't take any of the steps lightly.

Some may seem easy, but it is better to pay attention to details. Then the results will come more easily and you will avoid the unpleasant situation when, for example, a unicycle might land on your head. You need to master each of the steps before you can put it all together.

Step 1: Roll to Press

It looks simple, but you need to learn the move properly so that you can easily build on it with the other steps. Not only does this movement get your weight off your straight back and over your head, but it also positions you correctly for overall safety in the other movements.

How to do it

Assume the fetal position on your right side. Hold a single arm or kettlebell in your right hand. In one motion, roll onto your back and push the kettlebell into the air. Hold it there firmly and steady. Your right knee should be bent, the toe pointing away from your body, and your heel close to your butt.

Your entire upper body should be pressing against the floor and your shoulder blades should be together. I often see the mistake of the working arm being lifted off the ground at the beginning of the exercise. Your left leg should be extended and your heel planted into the ground. Keep your left arm resting on your stomach.

Key points

• Squeeze into a fetal position, rolling away from the weight while pushing it overhead.
• Push the shoulder blades together.
• Keep the heel of your right foot close to your butt and point the toe slightly away from your body.

A quick note on breathing: the TGU is a challenging movement. It's not smart to hold your breath for the entire repetition, as it can take as long as 60 seconds. However, you should never fully exhale because you want to hold some of that tension during all phases of the movement.

Practice short, shallow breathing to maintain a balance of tension in the lats, midsection and shoulders and relaxation in the neck and face.

Step 2: Press to Elbow

It is important to press the heel of the working side into the floor, as if you were about to lift the pelvis off the floor. The arm on the strong side should remain extended because at this stage you don't want to exert any more pressure with the weight. (In fact, pressure should never occur during the TGU other than during the first part of the movement.) In a controlled movement, shift the weight away from the working side and lift yourself up onto the forearm of the opposite hand.

Your chest should remain up, the foot of your working side is on the floor and close to your buttocks, and the heel of your non-working foot remains planted on the floor.

Key points

• Push the heel of your working side against the floor and start the movement with your hips.
• Keep the heel of the opposite leg pinned against the floor and the toes pointing up.
• Keep the chest turned out.
• Clench the lats. They will be your armor to keep your weight stable and not allow pressure to transfer to your shoulder.
• Keep your eyes on the weights or the ceiling throughout the movement.

Step 3: Post-Up Position

This step involves straightening the arm of the non-working side. Again, keep in mind that you need to push the heels of both feet into the ground, as you don't want to push it all with just your forearms. Make sure you are carefully straightened in the top position. You don't want to be leaning sideways on your outstretched arm, as this could cause discomfort and possibly injury to your shoulder.

Key points

• Keep the opposite arm close to your body to avoid putting your shoulder at risk unnecessarily.
• Do not hunch. Sit up straight in the top position, puff out your chest and lift your chin.

Step 4: High Pelvis Bridge

If the TGU can do anything for your hip mobility, mid-body strength, and shoulder stability, this phase is to blame. You'll create a high pelvic bridge, pushing your hips up, stretching your hip flexors beautifully and activating your glutes. There should be a straight line between the knee of the working side and the top of the head, which will allow the opposite leg to slide under the body in the next step.

Key points

• Concentrate on breathing. It's a weird position and you don't want to complicate it further by breathing poorly.
• Balance is key. In terms of internal tension, there should be no noticeable difference between the two sides of the body.

Step 5: High Pelvis to Knee

If you performed the previous step correctly, there should be enough room underneath you to accommodate your opposite leg. This will probably be the hardest step. Controlling it requires a tremendous amount of flexibility in your hips and shoulders.

This is also where most beginners lose track of their breathing and suffer through the entire movement. The knee and arm of the non-working side form a straight line.

Key points

• Take your time. Breathe before each step and regain awareness of your body and focus for the next step.

Step 6: Knee to Kneeling

In this step, you simply stand up from your three points of contact (foot, knee, hand) into a normal lunge position. A common mistake is to push into the weights when you lift your body. As with the other steps, there should be minimal movement of the working arm because you want to push up with your whole body, not just the weight. Don't create too much of an arch in your back. You want to be as straight as possible.

Key points

• Don't get into position by bouncing off the opposite arm. Start the movement with your center of the body and move the opposite leg into a normal lunge position.

Step 7: The Stand

Stand by digging into the ground with both feet. Again, do not try to push the weights with your hands.

Key Points

• This should look like an overhead weighted lunge, which by the way is a great supplemental exercise for the TGU.

Stand up and get back on the ground

When you've mastered all the steps, you can pat yourself on the back, but you're only halfway through. Now you need to get back to the floor.

Reverse all the movements until you get back on the floor. Your arm is tense the whole time. (For some people, this is harder than getting up.) When you look at the ceiling again, you have successfully completed one rep.

Keep the reps low at the start (no more than three each side), as execution is crucial in the TGU.

I recommend taking each step slowly and incorporating the TGU after the general warm-up and before whatever main exercise you have planned that day. If you can't do all seven steps fluently, start with the first one and practice until you can do the whole thing.

How to incorporate TGU into your training program

Weeks 1-4 (Use it as a warm-up)

Do each phase of the movement three times before the main mid-body exercise, but after the initial warm-up.

For example, do the first step three times, return to the starting position, and then start step 2, which you will also do three times. This will ensure that by the time you move, your body will have a vivid memory of the previous step.

Weeks 4-8 (Use this as the first exercise of the day)

Again, use each step as a warm-up. Then do three sets of the complete TGU on each side with just a slightly heavier weight than you used for the warm-up.

One repetition is a Complete TGU (up and down), on each side. Rest as long as you need between sides and sets.

Weeks 8-12 (Use this as your main exercise)

After warming up with progressive steps, do five heavy sets of deuces. Use the same protocol as the previous four weeks, but with more weight.

Thoughts at the end

- A good warm-up involves a fair amount of foam rolling, especially the thoracic spine, Iliotibial Band, rectus femoris, quadriceps and hip flexor areas.

- Make sure you have enough space for the exercise. You may have to kick out the mom with the bosu ball and steal a corner of the gym for yourself.

- Never try to salvage the exercise when the weights are out of your control. Drop it! It's better to make a dent in the floor than to blow out your shoulder.

Summary

The Big Five exercises are great, but the Turkish Get-Up may be the missing piece needed to create an overall strong, coordinated, and muscular physique. Give it a try and let us know how it goes for you. (Oh, and you're not a real badass until you can do it with a loaded big axle.)

Sources
Cheung, Mark. Cook, Gray. Jones, Brett. "Kettlebells From the Ground Up - The Kalos Sthenos" (Supplementary manual for Kettlebells From the Ground Up - The Kalos Sthenos).