Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

Turkish Get-Up
The Turkish get-up (TGU) is one of those exercises that, if you never saw it before,
probably wouldn’t strike you as a core exercise. That’s because there are so many
other things going on from head to toe. Unlike every other exercise in this chapter, the
TGU improves full-body strength and mobility at the same time.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Lie on your back with your left knee bent to 90 degrees and the left foot flat on
the ground. Your right leg is straight, toes pointed up, and angled out slightly
(see figure a). Hold a kettlebell in your left hand at arm’s length, with your right
arm flat on the ground and angled outward.
2. Drive through your left heel, and prop your trunk up on your right elbow as your
right heel stays on the ground (see figure b). The left knee remains pointed
upward, or the leg can shift slightly inward if you experience an impingement in
the left hip.
3. Push through your right forearm to make the trunk more vertical as your left arm
remains straight and perpendicular to the ground. Move your right hand back
behind your body where it feels most comfortable (see figure c).
4. Push through your left foot to elevate your hips as high as possible, using your
straightened right arm for support (see figure d).
5. With your hips held high, bend your right knee and place it on the ground directly
below the kettlebell (see figure e).
6. Shift your torso to vertical as your left arm remains perpendicular to the ground,
and then internally rotate your right hip until the right lower leg is perpendicular
to the trunk, chin tucked and eyes facing forward (see figure f).
7. Stand up by pushing equally through both feet while keeping your left arm perpendicular
to the ground, chin tucked and eyes facing forward (see figure g). Reverse
the steps to return to the starting position and repeat for reps, then switch the
kettlebell to the right hand and repeat the steps on the opposite side of the body.
FULL-BODY CORE
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