Last Updated on 17 June 2025 by Greg Brookes
The kettlebell Turkish Get Up (TGU) is one of the most powerful exercises for building full-body coordination, shoulder integrity, and core control. Unlike ballistic lifts like swings or snatches, the Turkish Get Up demands precision and patience. You’re not just lifting a weight, you’re rebuilding movement from the ground up.
It’s a movement I’ve used for years to assess and improve clients’ real-world strength. From injury prevention to postural control, there’s no better tool for developing what I call “earned movement.”
What Is the Kettlebell Turkish Get Up?
The Turkish Get Up is a slow, controlled sequence of movements that takes you from lying on your back to standing upright, and back down again, all while holding a kettlebell overhead. It’s equal parts strength, mobility, balance, and precision.
This movement dates back to ancient wrestling traditions and continues to serve as a litmus test for physical readiness. It challenges your body across multiple planes of motion while demanding total-body integration.
Why the Turkish Get Up Matters
The TGU isn’t just a strength lift. It develops movement intelligence, your ability to coordinate, stabilise, and control under load.
- Shoulder health: Stabilises the scapula, trains rotator cuff strength
- Core integration: Strengthens the cross-body sling system from shoulder to hip
- Joint mobility: Opens hips and thoracic spine while building end-range control
- Postural re-education: Reinforces alignment and neuromuscular coordination
- Full-body resilience: Teaches transitions, sequencing, and patience under load
- Injury prevention: Highlights imbalances and restrictions before they become issues
Turkish Get Ups help you move like a human again, grounded, stable, and adaptable.
Muscles Worked
Every major muscle group is called into action during a full Get Up. The movement also requires many small stabilisers to fire consistently.
- Shoulders: Deltoids, rotator cuff, trapezius, rhomboids, serratus anterior
- Core: Obliques, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, erector spinae
- Hips: Glutes, adductors, hip flexors
- Legs: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves
- Arms and grip: Forearms, triceps, wrist stabilisers
Coach’s Insight: Greg’s Take
I’ve used the Turkish Get Up with nearly every type of client, athletes, seniors, rehab patients, and everyone in between. It tells me more about a person’s movement than any assessment screen. If you rush it, it humbles you. If you respect it, it rewards you.
When someone flows through a beautiful Get Up, you’re seeing control, trust, and strength working together. The kettlebell just makes it harder, but the movement is the real teacher.
Watch a Video of the Turkish Get Up in Action:
How to Perform the Turkish Get Up – Step-by-Step
Throughout these steps, assume the kettlebell is held in the right hand. Repeat all steps on both sides.
Step 1: Arm Extension
Roll from the fetal position onto your back. Use both hands to guide the kettlebell into position. Lock out your right arm and anchor your shoulder down and into its socket. Make sure the kettlebell rests comfortably on the back of your forearm, wrist straight, and arm perpendicular to the floor.
Common Mistakes:
- Cocked wrist or soft elbow
- Arm not vertical
- Shoulder elevated or loose
Step 2: Knee Bend
Bend the right leg slightly out to the side, with the foot flat on the floor, keeping the left leg extended. The left arm should be at a 45-degree angle to your body. Engage the core and brace.
Common Mistakes:
- Right foot too close or too wide
- Right heel is not on the floor
- Inadequate bend for drive
Step 3: Sit Up to Post
Drive through the right heel and sit up diagonally along your arm to your left elbow. Don’t lose visual contact with the kettlebell. The movement should come from the core, not momentum. From the elbow, continue the movement to post up on your left hand.
Common Mistakes:
- Rolling laterally instead of diagonally
- Pulling with the kettlebell or left arm
- Shoulder disengaged
- Keep your left heel on the floor
Assessment Insight: If this step is jerky or difficult, it may highlight weakness in the obliques or tightness in the posterior chain. Practice slow bodyweight sit-ups and thoracic mobility drills.
Weakness in your cross-body core sling system can also cause issues. Your single leg deadlift will also suffer on the same side.
Step 4: Hip Bridge
Drive through your right foot and extend your hips as high as possible. Your glutes should be fully engaged, creating a platform to clear your leg. Maintain strong shoulder integrity and keep a straight line from the kettlebell to your support hand.
Common Mistakes:
- Overextending through the lower back rather than the hips
- Rounded shoulder or collapsed ribs
- Poor alignment between top and bottom hands
- Letting the head drop or losing kettlebell tracking
Step 5: Leg Sweep
Sweep your extended leg underneath the body, aiming for a strong half-kneeling position. Your back leg should be directly under the hip and the front shin vertical. Adjust hand placement as needed before lifting off.
Common Mistakes:
- Sweeping too wide or dragging the foot
- Unstable back leg positioning
- Rushing the transition before securing balance
Step 6: Tall Kneel and Stand
Remove your hand from the floor and align your torso upright, keeping your glutes engaged. Tuck the back toes under and drive through the front foot to stand up. Finish tall with the kettlebell still overhead, arm locked out.
Common Mistakes:
- Pushing from the rear foot
- Collapsing torso or drifting forward
- Soft or bent kettlebell arm
Controlled Descent
Reverse each step with intention, tracing your movements exactly in reverse order. The only exception is that you don’t need to re-bridge the hips in the descent, instead, move directly from hand to elbow to floor.
Take your time and stay braced throughout. Each descent is a chance to refine control, proprioception, and technique with the same control and patience.
Programming the Turkish Get Up
This isn’t a high-rep exercise. It’s best performed slowly, under load, and with full focus. I often use TGUs as:
- Movement screen
- Mobility warm-up
- Strength primer
- Core training
- Active recovery
Don’t rush it. Think of the Turkish Get Up as movement meditation, each step reinforcing structure, control, and attention.
Progression Strategy
When teaching or learning TGUs, I always recommend starting from the ground up. Master each segment before advancing.
- Naked Get Up (No Load) – Learn the pattern
- Half Get Up with Kettlebell – Build sit-up and hip bridge strength
- Full Turkish Get Up with Kettlebell – Own the complete movement
Watch a Tutorial on the Half Turkish Get Up
Recommended Weights
Start light and go heavier only when your form is flawless.
- Men: 12–16kg to start
- Women: 8–12kg to start
Sample TGU Workouts
These workouts combine the Get Up with other key kettlebell movements to improve fluidity, coordination, and work capacity.
1. Turkish Get Up Ladder Climb one step higher each round:
- Step 2 to Step 3 → back down
- Step 2 to Step 4 → back down
- Build up to Step 6
2. Swing + Get Up Combo
- Reverse Get Up Left x1
- Two-Handed Swings x20
- Reverse Get Up Right x1
- Repeat x5 rounds
3. Windmill Get Up Flow
- Reverse TGU Left x1
- Windmill Left x3
- Reverse TGU Right x1
- Windmill Right x3
Each variation adds a specific challenge. Try each and see which best enhances your stability, control, and endurance.
Turkish Get Up Variations to Explore
Want to challenge yourself further or adapt the Get Up for different goals? These variations can add complexity, intensity, or strategic load shifts.
- Reverse Turkish Get Up – Easier transitions, starts from standing
- Double Kettlebell TGU – For symmetry, max stability
- TGU with Windmill at Top – Shoulder + hamstring demand
- TGU to Snatch – Explosive conditioning finisher
- Side Plank Variation – Balance and control overload
When to Use The Turkish Get Up
Turkish Get Ups can serve many roles in a smart training program:
- As a movement screen
- As a warm-up for shoulder days
- For rehab and mobility sessions
- To teach posture and breathing
- To reinforce asymmetrical strength patterns
Use it with intention. A few well-performed Get Ups often beat dozens of sloppy reps.
Want More Smart Kettlebell Training?
Explore my tutorials, weekly workouts, and progression plans to help you move better, train smarter, and stay injury-free for life. The Turkish Get Up is just the beginning — it’s your gateway to resilient, intelligent strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. TGUs create time-under-tension across nearly every muscle. Add load and volume gradually.
2–3x per week is ideal. Daily use is fine with light weight and mindful technique.
Likely a form issue, check for wrist extension, shoulder elevation, or poor bell alignment.
A full Get Up should take at least 30 seconds. If you’re rushing, you’re missing the point.
Break the movement down into steps, film yourself, and work on control with no load before increasing kettlebell weight.
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