FYSM: The Turkish Getup

The Hardstyle kettlebell Turkish getup is an elaborate (and weird) name for an elaborate (and weird) powerhouse of an exercise. It showcases many essential functional movement patterns (hinge, lunge, push, carry) and incorporates the three planes of motion.

The TGU has a wide variety of benefits including total body stability, mobility, and active flexibility. It features both closed and open chain shoulder stability, which is especially important since the shoulder joint is the least stable joint in the body. When done not like an asshole, the getup can help strengthen and mobilize the shoulder joint, which can help reduce the risk of shoulder injury. AND since we’re talking shoulders, thoracic extension and rotation are both challenged, which are hugely important to helping avoid shoulder, back, and hip injuries. It also makes the upper and lower extremities work reciprocally, promotes stability with the legs in two different patterns, and it develops upper body, trunk, and hip strength. Oh and that big toe gets some serious action, too. You guys know how apeshit I go for the big toe.

And yes, it does require some athletic capability. But some of the less sexy but hugely important benefits include stimulating the vestibular system (balance and coordinating head and eye movement), building kinesthetic awareness (body control and awareness), encouraging the proprioception system (proprioceptors are sensory organs that are kind of a “sixth sense” by giving us detailed and continuous info about about where we are in space), grip strength, and overall coordination. We can ALL benefit from working those use-it-or-lose-it skills as we age.

It looks intimidating, and yes, it’s definitely not simple. BUT believe it or not, it can be a lot easier to practice and master on your own than a lot of Hardstyle kettlebell ballistic movements (like swing, snatch, and clean). First off, it’s multiple movements woven together, each of them punctuated, which means you have time to think your way through it. And you can practice each of those individual movements on their own. AND each of those individual movements can be turned into even MORE movements, many of which I like to program for my strength athletes for either corrective, warmup, or accessory work.

I created my own version of a workout called The Furnace Drill as a step-by-step way to learn each phase of the Turkish getup starting from the top down. It’s not a misnomer, I can tell you that much, so you should be prepared for a workout. I recommend some experience with the basic KB goblet squat and swing. If you have any injuries (especially neck, shoulder, wrist, or elbow) I recommend you learn it privately or in a more scaled-back workshop (TGU 101 will be out soon). If you have difficulty getting your arms overhead (back by your ears with mostly straight elbows and not arching your back like a hoochie), I would also wait for the 101. And of course, I’m happy to help you decide if this is good for you. But talk to your doc first with any concerns! Don’t be a jackass and come to a workshop like this if you aren’t sure your body can handle it.

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