Get-up Variations Kettlebell and Bodyweight

This post is to provide additional details about the many Get-up variations covered in our Youtube video. The video is for all people and covers exercises from beginners to advanced, more importantly, it covers progression to the Turkish Get-up and more advanced variations of the Get-up.

TGU = Turkish Get-up

This video will take a complete beginner from knowing nothing about the TGU to the most advanced TGU. It’s a video that covers almost everything there is about the TGU and people will refer back to it as they progress, i.e. the first week they do the bodyweight TGU, the second week they come back for the Dumbbell TGU, the third week starting with a Kettlebell and so on.

There simply is no other video out there that progresses a novice to the advanced moves as this video does with 8+ variations/progressions.

About the TGU

The TGU is a grinding movement, and always to be performed slowly, not explosive or too fast.

Pre-requisites

To do the TGU with Kettlebells properly you should know how to rack and hold a kettlebell properly, note, this is not covered in the video. To be able to do a full TGU you need good shoulder stability, good shoulder ROM/flexibility, shoulder strength, core strength, and leg strength.

Getting used to the movement

  1. Bodyweight TGU
    To get used to the movement, for safety and progression, start with the bodyweight TGU
  2. Dumbbell TGU
    Add resistance, use a dumbbell first as the weight distribution is easier to handle. Once you’re good at the TGU/Get-up you can use almost any type of weight resistance you can imagine, examples; deadball, dumbbell, sandbag, human, etc.
  3. Half TGU
    Adding a kettlebell with more weight – progressing. To get used to the kettlebell which has a different weight distribution than the dumbbell, we will start with a half TGU.
  4. Racked Full TGU
    The next progression is the Racked Full TGU (keeping the Kettlebell to the chest)
  5. Turkish Get-up Lunge Style
    This is the most common version of the Get-up, the Turkish Get-up Lunger Style. You should only progress to this if shoulder stability and strength are there, otherwise, stick with the previous exercises till you have built up your strength.
  6. Turkish Get-up Squat Style
    To perform what is a more advanced Get-up you need good hamstring hip flexor flexibility and good leg strength.
  7. Gladiator
    More advanced TGU variation which requires a lot more shoulder ROM/flexibility, I’ve been battling between positions 6 and 7 for this variation, as the get-up part itself is easier than some of the others, what you do need is more shoulder strength, and range of motion.
  8. Shin box Style Double Kettlebell
    This super advanced move requires you to first master all other variations and meet all strength and flexibility requirements. Extreme core and shoulder strength plus shoulder flexibility/ROM required. Always warm up with the shin box and hip extensions first to get used to the movement and see whether the flexibility is there or not.
  9. I’ve got a few more rolling get-ups, but won’t put them on the list yet.

The steps below for the Racked Kettlebell Turkish Get-up can be applied to most variations of the TGU/Get-up

  • Lay down on the ground
  • Safety roll
  • Rack the kb with right arm
  • Elbow tight against the body
  • Hand tight against the chest
  • Bring right foot flat on the ground (knee bend)
  • To initiate the TGU push the right foot into the ground and contract the abs while pulling yourself onto your left elbow
  • Come fully onto the left arm and lock out the elbow
  • Lock the left knee out, and keep the leg straight
  • Pull the lats down to keep the shoulders safely in their sockets
  • Now put your weight onto the left arm and right leg by pressing into the ground
  • Keep an active core and push the hips up into the air as high as you can, but don’t hyperextend
  • Move the kettlebell to the shoulder, and let it rest on the shoulder, it’s no longer resting on the chest
  • While bending the left knee pull it directly under the hip and shift some of your weight on it
  • Now come upright and put all weight on the left knee and right leg while moving the Kettlebell back into the racking position
  • Now fully Get-up by using the strength of the right (front leg) only, push the foot into the ground, activate the quads
  • Stand up straight, pause for a split second
  • Lunge backward with the left leg while keeping all the weight onto the right leg
  • Come gently onto the left knee, shift some of your weight on it
  • You’ll be tempted to sit back, don’t, this will cause a lot of stress on the knee
  • Instead, bend sideways at the hip and place your hand in line with your hip (not next to it, leave space)
  • Move the kb back to the shoulder and let it rest there
  • Activate the lats
  • Now kick the left leg out or slide it out
  • Lower the buttock onto the ground
  • Bend the left elbow
  • Lower the torso fully to the ground

The steps below are for the Kettlebell Turkish Get-up

  • Lay down on the ground
  • Safety roll
  • Rack the kb with the right arm
  • Press the kettlebell up
  • Lock the elbow out
  • Bring right foot flat on the ground (knee bend)
  • To initiate the TGU push the right foot into the ground and contract the abs while pulling yourself onto your left elbow. It should be noted that one can also roll onto the elbow rather than pulling yourself up with the abdominals, this is a cheap version, but great when you’re using serious heavyweight.
  • Come fully onto the left arm and lock out the elbow
  • Lock the left knee out, and keep the leg straight
  • Pull the lats down to keep the shoulders safely in their sockets
  • Keep an active core and push the hips up into the air as high as you can, but don’t hyperextend
  • While bending the left knee pull it directly under the hip and shift some of your weight on it
  • Look at the kettlebell when your hand is on the ground, this is to avoid it from going all over the place – also when moving back towards the ground (down phase)
  • Now come upright and put all weight on the left knee and right leg
  • Now fully Get-up by using the strength of the right (front leg) only, push the foot into the ground, activate the quads
  • In the lunge position always place all weight on the front leg, not the back leg, it’s not in a good position to take the weight and exert force
  • Come up more explosive on the front leg when in the lunge position during the up phase, i.e. faster than on the down phase, the down phase is more controlled and slow. push up through the heel, not the ball of the foot
  • When lunging, keep the legs under your hips, don’t cross or get them in one line, you’ll lose balance
  • Stand up straight, pause for a split second
  • Pull the bicep to the ear to keep the kettlebell nicely overhead, arm locked out
  • At all times you should be resting the kettlebell on the skeletal system, not the muscular system, i.e. if your elbow is bent, it’s being supported by the muscles, if the elbow is locked out, it’s being supported by the skeletal system, if the kettlebell is not directly above the shoulder, it’s supported by the muscles
  • Don’t forget to push the chest out and pull the shoulder blades down to keep the bell nicely above the shoulder and arm locked out
  • Lunge backward with the left leg while keeping all the weight onto the right leg
  • Come gently onto the left knee, shift some of your weight on it
  • You’ll be tempted to sit back, don’t, this will cause a lot of stress on the knee
  • Instead, bend sideways at the hip and place your hand in line with your hip (not next to it, leave space)
  • Activate the lats
  • Now kick the left leg out or slide it out
  • Lower the buttock onto the ground
  • Bend the left elbow
  • Lower the torso fully to the ground

NOTES

– on the down phase when the hand is on the ground, the leg is on the ground and you need to get the back leg forward, the knee goes outwards (away from the other leg), the foot comes towards the leg planted on the ground and moves past it (the shin is in line with the ground), once the foot passed the one planted the leg flexes (straight) – this only applies for the lunge versions of the TGU

– the safety roll, the thing I do when getting the bell to the chest, is to protect the shoulders/delts, I roll onto my side, insert one hand, place the other over, and roll back onto my back, if the bell is very heavy one can assist the press with the other hand

– when your right hand is down on the ground and you’re on one knee (right knee) while the other leg is lunging forward, you want to get up while pressing the knee into the ground and contracting your left obliques, when coming down for this position you want to pull yourself down gently, you can fall down and you can pull yourself down controlled, you want to do the later

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