Lauren Brooks, RKC Team Leader, doing a 53lb (24kg) Turkish Get Up:
Neghar Fonooni, RKC Level 2, doing a 64lb (28kg) Turkish Get Up
Directions:
1.) Roll onto side and grab the kettlebell with both hands.
2.) Roll onto back, bringing the kettlebell to your stomach with both hands.
3.) Press the kettlebell up into “Firing Range Position” with both hands.
4.) Bend your knee on the SAME SIDE as the kettlebell. Arm opposite arm out at 45 degrees.
5.) Drive through the foot of the BENT KNEE LEG and ROLL onto your elbow.
(this is where people make a huge mistake of doing a sit-up forward instead of rolling to the side)
6.) Press up from elbow to hand.
7.) Drive off the heel of the foot on the bent knee leg and bridge your hips up to the sky.
8.) Bring your leg back, all the way back, behind you, and point it towards your planted hand.
9.) Flex your butt, and like a diagonal swing, drive your hips underneath you.
10.) Wheel the foot out so you’re in a lunge position
11.) Stand up.
The Verbal Cues I Use For Each Movement:
1.) Grab the kettlebell with both hands.
2.) Roll back.
3.) Press to Firing Range Position
4.) Bend same side knee.
5.) Drive off your foot and roll.
6.) Press to hand.
7.) Hips to the sky.
8.) Breakdance (knee way back).
9.) Flex your butt and drive your hips underneath you.
(or if people are advanced enough to have done the windmill, I just say “Kneeling Windmill”)
10.) Wheel the foot.
11.) Stand up.
About Your Shoulders
While the Turkish Get Up is arguably the most full body shoulder exercise in existence, you do have to remember that it is a shoulder exercise.
The Kettlebell Get Up works your shoulder stabilizers (which are very, very important muscles to work) through nearly every range of motion.
When you first start doing Get Ups, they’ll feel like a whole body ass kicking. As the weight gets heavier, they’ll start to feel more and more like a shoulder exercise.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that BOTH SHOULDERS need to stay BACK and DOWN the whole time. You should feel like you are working really hard to keep your shoulder blades together in back, and pulled down into your back pockets.
How To Start, And Where To Go
Start light (like a 5lb dumbbell) and work your way up slowly.
Eventually (as you get good at the form, and your shoulder stabilizers strengthen) you’ll be able to do Kettlebell Get Ups with much more weight than you can military press.
Enjoy!
Josh Hillis, RKC, CPT, PES, ZMIS
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