Muscles worked
What the turkish get-up trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Clear your space. Give yourself room on all sides, about a body length, with nothing and no one in the zone where the bell could come down.
- 02
Get the bell up safely. Lie on your side in a curled position, grip the handle with both hands, roll onto your back with the bell close to your chest, then press it up with both hands. Never curl or press a heavy bell up with one arm.
- 03
Lock the arm. Hold the bell straight over your shoulder with a straight elbow and a straight wrist, the handle running diagonally across your palm and the bell resting on the back of your forearm. Pull the shoulder down into its socket, away from your ear.
- 04
Set your legs. On the bell side, bend your knee and plant your foot flat, about a foot from your hip. Put the other leg straight out on the floor at about 45 degrees.
- 05
Set the free arm. Lay the free arm flat on the floor at about 45 degrees from your body, palm down. Look at the bell and keep looking at it until you reach the half kneel.
Step by step
How to do the turkish get-up
- 01
Roll to the elbow. Push through the heel of your bent leg and reach the bell toward the ceiling as you roll up onto your opposite elbow. Lead with your chest, not your head, and keep the bell arm vertical.
- 02
Post to the hand. Push off the elbow until you are sitting up on a straight arm, hand flat on the floor slightly behind you. Keep that shoulder pulled down too, not hunched up by your ear.
- 03
High bridge. Drive through the heel of your bent leg and lift your hips until they are fully extended, so your body forms a straight line from the heel of the straight leg through your hips to your shoulders, with the bell arm still vertical.
- 04
Sweep the leg. Swing the straight leg back under your body and set that knee on the floor under your hips, roughly in line with your posted hand. You are now kneeling on one knee with your hand still down.
- 05
Rise to half kneel. Push the floor away and lift your torso until it is upright, then swing the back shin around so it points straight back, with the back knee lined up behind your front foot. You are in a half kneel with the bell still locked overhead.
- 06
Stand. Look forward, brace, and stand up out of the half kneel like the top of a lunge, bringing your feet together with the bell straight above your shoulder.
- 07
Reverse to the floor. Step the free side's leg back into a half kneel, swing the back shin out to the side, hinge to place your hand down, sweep the leg back through into the high bridge, lower your hips, come down to your elbow and roll back to the start. Go as slowly on the way down as on the way up.
Cues to say in your head
- Eyes on the bell
- Punch the ceiling
- Shoulder away from ear
- Chest leads the roll
- Hips all the way up
- Slow and smooth
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Bent elbow or wrist under the bell
Keep the arm locked and the wrist straight, with the bell on the back of your forearm. If the elbow keeps bending, the bell is too heavy.
Crunching up instead of rolling
Roll toward the elbow side and let the chest lead. A straight sit up throws the bell off line and strains the neck.
Shrugging the posted shoulder
Push the floor away so the shoulder stays down from your ear. A collapsed post puts the load on the joint instead of the muscles.
Half height bridge
Lift the hips until they are fully extended, or the leg has no room to sweep through and you end up dragging it.
Looking away from the bell
Watch the bell until you reach the half kneel, then look forward. Losing sight of it is when it starts to drift.
Rushing the steps
Pause in each position until you are stable before moving on. The get-up is a slow drill, not a race to standing.
Stay safe
Learn the whole sequence with no weight, then with a shoe balanced flat on your fist; if the shoe falls, your arm drifted off vertical, so fix that before you add a bell. When you move to a kettlebell, start light and get it into position with both hands, never by curling it up one handed. Clear the floor around you. If the bell starts to drift and you still have control, bend the elbow and guide it down to the floor beside you. If it is falling, let it go and move your body out of its path; never try to catch a falling bell. Stop if you feel pinching or sharp pain in the shoulder, and get help from a qualified coach or clinician if it persists.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | 3 to 5 | 1 per side | 20–40% 1RM | As needed, alternate sides |
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 1 per side | 70–85% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Endurance | 5 to 10 min | 1 per side, alternating | 40–60% 1RM | Minimal, rest at the top or bottom |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Strength sets
151–183lb
3 to 5 sets of 1 per side reps, 1 to 2 min rest. Heavy, slow singles. Only move up a bell size when every rep looks the same as your light ones.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Turkish Get-Up questions
What are the steps of the Turkish get-up?
Roll to your elbow, post to your hand, bridge your hips, sweep your leg under to a kneel, rise to a half kneel and stand, keeping the bell locked overhead the whole time. Then reverse each step in order to lie back down.
What muscles does the Turkish get-up work?
Mainly the shoulder of the bell arm, the obliques and the glutes, with the quads and abs helping. The triceps, serratus and upper back hold the arm and shoulder blades steady.
How do you do a kettlebell windmill?
Press the bell overhead and lock the arm, turn both feet roughly 45 degrees away from the bell side, then push your hip out toward the bell and hinge, sliding your free hand down the inside of your front leg while you keep your eyes on the bell. Stand back up the same way, and go only as low as you can with a flat back.
How heavy should a Turkish get-up be?
Start with no weight, then a shoe on your fist, then a light kettlebell you could press several times. Add weight only when every step stays clean and slow.
How many Turkish get-ups should I do?
Most programs use single reps, alternating sides, for about 3 to 5 reps per side or a 5 to 10 minute practice block. Quality matters more than volume.
Can I do a Turkish get-up with a dumbbell?
Yes. Hold the dumbbell straight overhead the same way. A kettlebell tends to sit more comfortably on the forearm, but the steps are identical.
Train in Protocol
Log your turkish get-up by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.