Turkish Get-Up
Holding a kettlebell locked out above one shoulder, you move from lying on your back to standing and back down in a set sequence, training your shoulder, core and glutes.
- Primary muscles
- Front delts, Abs, Obliques, Glutes
- Secondary
- Quads, Triceps, Hamstrings
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
It's less a strength lift than a slow, coordinated sequence: your shoulder holds a load overhead while your core and hips carry you through the roll, bridge, kneel and stand. People use it as a warm-up, a conditioning piece or a test of shoulder control one side at a time. Unlike a press, the arm barely moves; the challenge is keeping it vertical while everything under it changes. Learn the steps with no weight, or with a shoe balanced on your fist, before you pick up a kettlebell.
How to do it
Lie on your back holding a kettlebell locked out above your right shoulder, right knee bent and left arm and leg out at 45 degrees.
Roll onto your left elbow, then your left hand, keeping the kettlebell pointed at the ceiling.
Lift your hips, sweep your left leg back under you into a kneeling position and straighten your torso.
Stand up from the lunge, then reverse every step back to the floor. Keep your eyes on the kettlebell throughout and learn it with no weight first.
Common mistakes
Taking your eyes off the kettlebell
Looking away lets your arm drift off vertical without you noticing. Keep your eyes on the bell from the floor to the top and back down.
Letting the elbow bend
A soft elbow puts the load on your triceps and lets the bell wobble. Keep the arm locked and your wrist straight, knuckles toward the ceiling.
Rushing through the steps
Blurring the roll, bridge and lunge into one quick motion skips the positions that make the exercise worthwhile. Pause in each one on the way up and the way down.
Adding weight before it's automatic
A heavy bell on a half-learned sequence is how the arm buckles mid-rep. Practice it unloaded or very light until every step feels smooth.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
