How To Make The Turkish Get-up More Effective

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

How To Make The Turkish Get-up More Effective

One of the best exercises for the core is the Turkish Get-up. Here is how
it is done. Lie on the floor and press a dumbbell or kettlebell to full
extension. Keeping the weight locked out at all times, roll to the
opposite side and use your free arm to push you into a lunge position.
Look at the weight and stand up. Now reverse the position back to the
floor. As effective as the TGU is, my friend and top strength coach Steve
Maxwell found a way to make it even more effective, ?I have come up with
some very evil variations to make the TGU even more effective for the
torso muscles. Because the shoulder muscles are usually the weak link, I
often have my charges perform sit-ups prior to doing the get-ups. The
abdominals now become the weak link. You will be amazed at how your abs
will cramp and burn during the get-ups after performing the sit-ups first.
Immediately do the getups with minimal rest after the sit-ups.?

2

Thanks Mike!!
I love that exercise and now it seems that it will only get better!!!

Just one more reason(besides the hair) that other gym members look at me askance.

-Dave

3

I hate TGU! Whoever invented them was an evil mofo. It seems so simple, yet its so tiring. And you want to make it harder???

4

Your welcome Dave and yes Sonny I want to make the exercise harder! A lot harder!

Mike Mahler

5

I welcome ANY exercise that you can make more effective, except GHR I can only do like 3 reps per set… then I die.
But eventually I will do more, so later I can make it tougher (if that is possible)
So anyways, post all of the ways that you have to make exercise more effective and harder.

-Dave

6

you got it Dave, here is another one. Try doing the Military Press in a full squat. Clean two dumbbells go into a full squat. Now stay in the bottom position of the squat and press the two dumbbells overhead. This exercise is called the sots press.

Mike Mahler

7

Great tips MM, thanks! I’ll have to try it.

8

Mike you are one sick sick man. I can’t wait to be well enough to try that one too.

-Dave

9

lol…i stopped doing other ab work before TGU because it was harder to do and my gut would cramp up easy…now you are saying to do some ab work before TGU? You’re brutal, I like it!

10

Another variation of the TGU that is hard is a coffin sit-up with a dumbbell locked out. I like to call this the guard sit-up. Lie on the floor with your legs straight ahead. Press one dumbbell to the lockout position. Flex your abs and butt as hard as possible and sit up. In the beginning use your free hand to get to the sit-up position and then do a slow negative.

This is a killer exercise which is not as technically demanding as the TGU.

Mike Mahler