Hey Jim and everyone,
What’s your opinion of the TGU as an assistance exercise? Obviously, it would be considered an ab exercise but I was wonder how you would use it in your program. Dan John seems to love them and I used them and swings to fix my back after I herniated 3 disks so I assume there is some merit to it. Thanks for your opinion!
I never really write TGU into my programs, but I actually like them a lot. Maybe I’ll use them in my next cycle. I would just use them as ab exercise on some lower body day. Due to shoulder and arm involvement isometrically I would maybe try not to do them the day before lifting upper body if you do a upper/lower split, but either way this shouldn’t be a huge deal. When I do them I like to go heavy for something like 3 sets of 5 each arm.
Also from jimwendler.com
Question: would you recommend doing the turkish get up and kettlebell/barbell windmills? and how would you fit them in your 5/3/1 program? before doing the main lifts or as assistance work?
Answer: I guess ? just do them as a warm-up or as an assistance lift.
They suck. That’s my opinion.
But as I’ve learned over the years, people will do what they want to. So if you feel they will make you great, by all means.
Message received. Should have figured that out when all the people that thought they were awesome were skinny and weak.
I have never done a Turkish get-up, so I can’t really say if/how they should be programmed. I just found it weird how in your 1st post you say Dan John seems to love them and in your last you say that everyone who thinks they’re awesome is skinny and weak.
Doing heavy turkish getups can strengthen the entire body. They are great for the shoulder joints, thoracic spine, and “core” muscles. The problem is many people do not go heavy enough. They were also a staple in old time strongman regimens. I personally do them at the end of my overhead press and bench days.
I do them every once in awhile. I treat them more as a conditioning movement than a strength movement… kind of on par with doing a barbell complex as cardio. I like them because they force me to move through a bunch of positions I wouldn’t normally do, but I’m not really convinced they’re worth programming… just something I do every once in awhile to alleviate boredom during conditioning.
[quote]some_dude wrote:
I do them every once in awhile. I treat them more as a conditioning movement than a strength movement… kind of on par with doing a barbell complex as cardio. I like them because they force me to move through a bunch of positions I wouldn’t normally do, but I’m not really convinced they’re worth programming… just something I do every once in awhile to alleviate boredom during conditioning.[/quote]
Good point about conditioning. Anything that requires you to get on the floor then get up again I have found to have a good conditioning benefit.
[quote]jkt123 wrote:
Doing heavy turkish getups can strengthen the entire body. They are great for the shoulder joints, thoracic spine, and “core” muscles. The problem is many people do not go heavy enough. They were also a staple in old time strongman regimens. I personally do them at the end of my overhead press and bench days. [/quote]
When you say “heavy enough”, how heavy do you mean? Heavy enough to only be able to do 3 or 4 of them without a break?
I’ve always thought they were a great movement for building whole-body coordinated strength – to strengthen all the transitional “stabilizer” muscles and improve the ability for everything to work together. I wouldn’t ever consider them a primary strength movement though.
Not so much a primary strength movement but using a kettlebell or dumbell you can do for a tough couple of reps. You cant go heavy enough to use it as a primary strength movement. But using a 48kg bell for sets of 3 is borderline torture
[quote]jkt123 wrote:
Not so much a primary strength movement but using a kettlebell or dumbell you can do for a tough couple of reps. You cant go heavy enough to use it as a primary strength movement. But using a 48kg bell for sets of 3 is borderline torture[/quote]
I can imagine. Thanks for the answer.
Seriously, google Turkish get-up and tell me how many jacked guys you see doing them. I was mostly just curious because I was reading an article by Dan John, thought I might add them back into my program, but thought I should see what the creator of 5/3/1 had to say about them before I went and bastadized his program. To be honest, I think just getting around and moving and not putting weight on my back was what ultimately made me better and not necessarily the exercises, mainly the TGU.
I hope that seems a satisfactory response to why I changed my opinion, if not sorry. Needless to say, I tried a lot of different programs and training methods over the last 12 years and decided that Jim is pretty much the most honest, no bullshit guy around and if he is believes something works maybe I should listen.
I see what you’re saying. No worries mate. Its natural to want the creator of the program youre runnings opinion before adding in an exercise. Personally, I have been doing getups for years and it hasn’t been bad for me so I continue to do them. And yes I agree there aren’t a lot of jacked guys doing them but also remember there aren’t a lot of jacked guys who can clean and press the 106lb kettlebell either. Its all what you make of it. I respect Jims opinion of the getup and 531 is and has been my program of choice for years
Hey I don’t take much personally especially when I ask for peoples opinion. Thanks to everyone that chimed in.
I sometimes use the TGU as part of a warm up for my upper body days. I start with a light weight (12kg KB), Get up, walk 20m with the weight above my head and then repeat with the other side. I normally work up to 24kg KB.
I used to suffer with shoulder injuries and added the TGU as a warm up exercise to push the shoulder through different states while contracted. I find it helped me out, but mostly use it as a warm out or ‘fun’ session. In my opinion, there is nothing more impressive than TGUing with a bar loaded with 60kg/135#
If it works, and its important to you, why not add it for a 6 week cycle?
I think they’re a good mobility exercise, and honestly, they could work for assistance as long as your main lifts plan’s solid.