How to do a Kettlebell Turkish Get Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Kettlebell Turkish Get Up
Instructions for Proper Form
A complex full-body exercise focusing on mobility, stability, and strength. This exercise targets multiple muscle groups, including the shoulders, core, and legs. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to build functional strength, as well as mobility.
- Lie flat on your back while extending your left leg and bending your right knee to place your foot flat on the ground.
- Extend your right arm over your shoulder, palms facing in, and your left arm should be extended on the floor, palms down, about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Roll onto your left elbow and then your hand to sit upright keeping the kettlebell over your shoulder.
- Lift your hips off the ground before swinging your leg underneath your hips. Lift your hand off the ground to position yourself in a tall half-kneeling position.
- Stand upright before duplicating the path you came up with.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Kettlebell Turkish Get Up standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps20lbs1 Rep Max25lbs
- intermediate8reps22.5lbs30lbs
- advanced8reps25lbs30lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Kettlebell Turkish Get Up
1. Turkish Get Up
61.2 mSCORESWAPPED 18 TIMESTurkish Get Up is a complex, compound exercise that improves overall strength and stability throughout the body. This movement primarily targets the shoulders, core, and legs, involving a series of coordinated steps to move from lying to standing while holding a weight overhead. The exercise enhances muscle control, mobility, and balance, making it particularly effective for functional strength and injury prevention.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
2. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMESKettlebell Upright Row is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. This compound exercise primarily targets your shoulders. The benefit to using a Kettlebell is the ability to pull the handle in opposite directions at the top of the movement. This can help improve muscle activation compared to other variations.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
3. Dumbbell Front Raise
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESDumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
4. Kettlebell Windmill
45.3 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESThis is a unilateral exercise that primarily targets the core. By holding the weight in a single hand, you can more easily identify and address imbalances between sides. This is a great exercise for developing core strength and stability.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Kettlebells
5. Kettlebell Swing
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 6 TIMESKettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
6. Machine Shoulder Press
92.5 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESis a variation on the more standard shoulder press that utilizes a machine. Like other shoulder presses, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of the machine restricts your movements, and adds more stability. This allows you to focus more on exertion than stabilization. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to learn the basic movement, and develop the strength needed for other similar exercises or functional applications.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Shoulder Press Machine
7. Kettlebell Thruster
38.6 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more common Thruster. This exercise primarily targets your shoulders, triceps, and quads. By using a kettlebell in each hand, you ensure that you aren’t compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides. This is a great exercise for improving strength and power.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
8. Iron Cross
80.2 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESIron Cross is a compound movement that combines multiple movements together, and targets a wide variety of different muscle groups. Keeping your arms extended and parallel to the floor helps to keep your shoulders engaged throughout the movement. Adding this movement to a squat helps to recruit more muscles than performing similar exercises in isolation.
9. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
10. Pike Push Up
59.8 mSCORESWAPPED 3 TIMESPike Push Up is a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. It's a more advanced variation of a standard Push Up, with the added difficulty of having your hips raised high in the air, mimicking a handstand push-up position. This position shifts more of the load onto your shoulders, making it an excellent exercise for developing shoulder strength and stability.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders