The Turkish Get Up

[Cole Dano]

IMHO the Turkish Get Up is one of those exercises that everyone should know. It addresses both strength and flexibility and promotes excellent shoulder health. I recently reinstalled this as part of my warm up and found my rotator cuff issues to respond very quickly. For me working better than the bands have been. The rotator cuff is allowed to act as a stabilizer as the shoulder is rotated through a large range of motion with lots of time under tension.

Another nice thing with this move, as it is so complex, it can be modified to work any given part of the body, just be working that part of the movement range.

Some examples, work the core by just doing the press to elbow and back, work active hip flexibility and rotator cuff at the same time - do a windmill upon standing, and so on.....

Here is an excellent 3 part series that shows a very refined version of the TGU, which with a lighter weight seems very suitable for warm up, note the addition of hip extension work....

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[Nicholas Sortino]

It's been a little while since I've done these. Thank you for reminding me. I think I will start throwing them into some of my warmups.

Kettlebells are great for this exercise, but I think it really starts to get real when you use a bar. I personally find an empty bar (45lbs) to be harder than a 1.5pood KB (24kg, 54lbs). It is just that much harder to find your balance and it really works the forearms keeping the bar flat.

[Tarun Suri]

Did you "feel" a difference with your rotator cuffs? How did you quantity this improvement? ...if you don't mind me asking.

[Cole Dano]

Did you "feel" a difference with your rotator cuffs? How did you quantity this improvement? ...if you don't mind me asking.

Subjectively, the sense of less irritation in the shoulder when at rest.

To test this. Push ups or military press would irritate the RC. I tested the Military Press starting with a light weight which would normally be enough to cause the irritation, and prevent me from pressing. There was none. I then tested with the next two bells up and had no problem lifting them. Naturally in this kind of test there no idea to push the limit, but its quite clear when and where the irritation comes in the MP, and how load affects it.

Again, i'm looking at this as a rehab prehab move, not as much as strength move, and note that in at least this case its been as effective as the bands. I realize this isn't a scientific study. I got the idea from Gray Cook, who is well known in the world of physical therapy.

[Nicholas Sortino]

What kinda weight are you using for as a rehab/prehab exercise?

[Cole Dano]

Not much only 12kg, but thats what my shoulder says its happy with right now. I'd say that part is pretty subjective.

I am really amazed at how much better it is though after only doing it for a few days of the routine.

My routine has been very slow get ups, keeping the weight up for a i'd guess a couple of minutes with the very mini-exercises, lay and pump the weight, up to elbow and back down, all the way up, windmill, walk around pumping the weight back down.

[Nicholas Sortino]

For your enjoyment:

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