Turkish What?

Turkish Get Ups. My new favorite exercise.

Yesterday Mandi was not able to make it to training so I had Rob all to myself. In his eyes, it was the perfect time to introduce a new move into our training program – The Turkish Get Up. Rob says that basic kettlebell swings and the Turkish Get Ups are the foundation for our kettlebell training program. Once we master the Turkish Get Up, we’ll be well on our way to hardcore kettlebell stuff. I like it!

Learning the Turkish Get Up? Not so easy for my uncoordinated ass, so it’s a good thing I had Rob alone yesterday to work with me on it. For the uninitiated, the Turkish Get Up combines pretty much every exercise we’ve been working on into one, fluid motion. I start with lying on my back. Next I do kind of a sit up. Then I swing a leg behind me to get into a lunge position. Finally, I lunge up to a standing position. Once you’re up, you do the whole thing in reverse. Oh yes, all while keeping a kettlebell above your head.

I’m super into the Turkish Get Up. It works my arms, abs, butt, back and legs. Really, it’s a pretty compete body workout. And its fun! Never, in a million years would I ever say working out is fun. I’m quite possibly the laziest person on the face of the planet, so for ME to say working out is fun, well… It’s kind of like the apocalypse. Or maybe now that I’m down some poundage, I like working up a sweat? Or maybe I just really vibe on the kettlebells. Who knows? At this point, who cares??

Rob was all kinds of happy about teaching me the Turkish Get Up. In previous training sessions, he’d been making me do all kinds of lunges, squats, bridges, etc… all to get my body to understand how to move the right way so when he teaches me things like the Turkish Get Up, my muscles will instinctively know what they’re supposed to do. It all clicks! You have to do the boring, not so fun leg work to work up to the cool kettlebell moves.

I can’t wait to learn more and more kettlebell activities. Bring.It.On.