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Exercise library · Full body

Turkish get-up

Core stability for the whole body with a kettlebell.

How to do it

1 of 5

Bell straight up, same knee bent

  1. Starting position

    Lie on your back with the kettlebell straight above one shoulder, the knee on that side bent and your opposite arm and leg angled out.

  2. The movement

    Rise through your elbow, hand and half-kneeling to stand with a straight arm, then reverse the same path.

Most common mistake

Don't let the kettlebell drift away from your shoulder, keep your wrist straight and your arm vertical throughout.

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Muscle group
Full body
Equipment
Kettlebell
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The Turkish get-up takes you slowly from lying to standing with a kettlebell held straight above you. The shoulder holding it works the whole time: your deltoids, upper back and the small muscles around the shoulder joint keep your arm still, and your triceps keep it straight. Your obliques do much of the work as you roll up onto your elbow, your glutes lift your hips in the bridge and your thighs take you from kneeling to standing. The exercise builds control more than maximal strength, and it often shows clearly if one side is weaker.

Common mistakes

  • You take your eyes off the kettlebell. Once it is out of sight, your arm easily drifts. Watch it from the first roll until you are up on one knee, then look ahead.
  • You sweep your leg through before your hips are up. Your leg then catches and you lose your balance. Push your hips up high into a bridge first, so your leg has room to pass.
  • You rush between positions. Pause for a second in each position and check that you feel steady before moving on, both up and down.

Variations and alternatives

  • The side plank trains the side of your trunk and the supporting shoulder, without weight overhead.
  • The reverse lunge trains the step between kneeling and standing, with more load and more reps.
  • The standing shoulder press builds shoulder strength for when you want to move up a kettlebell size.

Sets and reps

Get-ups are counted in reps per side. A common approach is 3 to 5 sets of 1 to 3 reps per side, or switching sides every rep for a few minutes. With a light kettlebell it also fits into your warm-up. The guide to sets and reps has more on structuring your training.

Learn the steps unloaded first. Many practise with a shoe balanced on their fist: if it falls off, your arm has drifted. The jump to the next kettlebell size is very noticeable with your arm straight up, so add reps and longer pauses in each position first. That is progressive overload with the same kettlebell. If your shoulder hurts, as opposed to feeling heavy, put the kettlebell down and get a doctor or physiotherapist to check it.

Also called

  • turkish get up
  • tgu

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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