MOST FITNESS-MINDED folks have advanced their gym goals around some form of getting bigger, faster, and stronger. You can't be any of those things—or do anything, really—without being able to perform one simple task: getting up off the floor.
That might sound simplistic to those who regularly lift heavy weight, run long distances, and jump as high as possible. But practicing this fundamental act with an exercise like the Turkish getup is a unique opportunity to demonstrate essential physical qualities. The Turkish getup requires you to lift yourself up from the ground to a standing position and then back down again, all while holding a weight above your head the entire time.
It sounds easy compared to other physical challenges, but this complex, all-around move might challenge you more than you expect—and it can be more useful than you might expect, too. “Understanding the Turkish getup is going to teach you a lot about yourself,” says Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel C.S.C.S. “It might reveal a couple of injuries, and it might reveal a couple of areas where you're not strong that you should really work on strengthening.”
Benefits of the Turkish Getup
The Turkish getup requires you to do several common but necessary everyday activities: lying down, lifting yourself up, standing, then getting yourself back down. The move is methodical, especially when you begin adding weight.
Mastering the Turkish getup will help you:
- Increase shoulder stability
- Enhance total-body strength, especially as you work through multiple planes of movement
- Develop plenty of core and rotational strength.
“So this winds up being a great functional move that again, has us doing that basic idea of getting up off the ground,” Samuel says.
Who Should Do the Turkish Getup
For a variety of different reasons, the Turkish getup is a great tool for just about everyone. It can be great for athletes and experienced trainees to help develop greater shoulder stability and rotational strength. It’s also beneficial for less experienced gym-goers or older folks who aren’t necessarily looking to build muscle.
In these instances, the Turkish getup should be classified as more of a testing mechanism as it can be indicator of injuries, mobility issues, and other physical weaknesses. Importantly, this exercise isn't necessarily the best choice to build muscle and strength—so it's not the type of move you'll use for progressive overload in every workout.
Muscles Involved in the Turkish Getup
The Turkish getup is a full-body movement. Nearly every muscle involved in this lying-to-standing movement—from legs to core to chest to shoulders to arms—is required for completing just one rep. You’re even getting some grip work as well, since holding a weight over your head will test your wrists and fingers.
Again, although it hits every muscle, the Turkish getup shouldn’t necessarily be thought of as a muscle or strength building exercises for any specific body part. What you’ll gain however, is a greater test of muscle stabilization, a fitness element necessary for any training goal you may have.
What Equipment You Need to Do the Turkish Getup
The Turkish getup is versatile enough in which you can gain benefits from using just your bodyweight (although the main goal is to work your way up to holding an implement equal to half your bodyweight).
You can also use dumbbells and barbells—even try using a full and uncapped water bottle if you want to get creative. However, the kettlebell is probably the most common and most effective tool for doing Turkish getups due to its design which helps keep your shoulder in a nice and stable position throughout the movement. Kettlebells offer a variety of options, including the bottoms up Turkish getup, which will really challenges your stability.
How to Do the Turkish Getup
- Starting from a lying position, hold a kettlebell straight over you. (Throughout the entire movement, be sure to never take your eye of the kettlebell.) With your wrist curled slightly over you, make sure your joints—wrist, elbow and shoulders—are stacked. Keep this position throughout the movement.
- With your same-side (the one holding the kettlebell) leg bent, drive your foot into the ground, while driving your opposite hand (extended straight out) into the floor as your opposite heel is extended away from torso and planted into the floor.
- In a slow and methodical motion, drive your loaded shoulder up and across your body while at the same time bracing yourself with your opposite elbow. Maintain the stacked position while eyeing the bell. Using your core, extend torso upward while lifting off elbow and planting hand on floor.
- Squeeze your glutes—while still watching the kettlebell—as you perform a glute bridge and begin driving up. You should be extended taller, while both wrists, arms. and shoulders remain stacked.
- From here, thread your back leg until you get into a kneeling position, while still keeping an eye on the kettlebell. Now using your core—this will require great oblique strength—straighten that back leg till in a lunge position. Now stand—you’ve completed the first half of the move.
- From there, it’s the same in reverse, nice and slow till you return to the lying position.
“Again, it’s a very slow and methodical motion,” Samuel says. “It's the kind of thing where we're being attached to each step, keeping our eye on the bell continuing to create tension and continuing to drive whatever load we have up as high as we can keep our core nice and tight and keep ourselves strong. And it winds up being a very, very taxing move, and winds up being something you can do in a lot of workouts.”
How to Include the Turkish Getup in Your Workouts
For many people, using the Turkish getup can be best utilized once or twice each month as an assessment tool. In this case, you’re not using the move to get stronger, but instead to ascertain weakness in your movement patterns.
You can also break down the Turkish getup into separate elements if you find yourself struggling at certain points. For example, if you see a hitch in your form while maintaining the stack position or as you bridge or even thread your leg to a lunge position, you can work just those specific sections a few times in order strengthen that area of weakness.
Three sets of about eight to 10 reps of the problem spot should be enough to break the struggle. This will help build a stronger mind muscle connection, then come back in about a month and test yourself again.
You can do the Turkish getup more often, but keep it in mind that you won't be building muscle or (as much) strength.
The Best Sets and Reps for the Turkish Getup
If you’re one of those people who prefer to incorporate Turkish getups more often, you can add it into your warmup. Start with three to five reps on each side for three sets, using moderate weight and progress your way up. This should be enough to fire up your CNS.
Still not enough? Then throw the movement into one of your workouts by choosing a challenging weight and work for about three sets of about three to five reps.
“Your body will wind up feeling great and again you work that great fundamental idea that we all got to know you get up off the ground every single time you need to get up,” Samuel says.
