Turkish Get-Up Tip: Vertical Knee
The Turkish Get-Up.
Some people love them.
I mean, really love them.
And others are indifferent maybe even skeptical.
I know some strength coaches who view them as a valued asset to their programs, providing insight on their athlete’s movement quality as well as highlighting any “weak links” that may exist.
And I know some strength coaches who could make a list of other things more valuable or worth their time:
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Arguing with a vegan
- Running a 5K
- A basket of dicks
I, for one, do find value in them. Of course, whether or not I transplant them into someone’s program depends on several factors; namely, their goal(s).
Sorry, but if someone’s goal is hypertrophy I can think of roughly 412 other exercises more prudent to get the job done than the Turkish get-up.
I’m not saying it’s a waste of time to include them in a program designed to get someone jacked – maybe include them as part of an extended warm-up to get the joints primed for larger, compound movements, or, say, if someone has the movement quality of a pregnant pig (they’re a nice addition to GPP days) – however, I’d raise an eyebrow (or two) to any coach who places heavy precedence on including them in such a program.
That said, I find the get-up to be one of those universal movements I use with my athletes and general fitness clients alike. For athletes it’s a great way to control fatigue and reduce axial loading. Not to mention we’re accomplishing a lot with regards to scapular stability, hip mobility, glute activation, as well as working on primitive patterns such as rolling, half kneeling, to standing.
I pepper them into programs for general fitness clients because, well, it’s good for them (and I like to LOL when they call me an a-hole for making them do it).
There are a lot of moving parts to the get-up. Not surprisingly, this makes the learning curve a bit tricky for some with regards to honing technique
Much like how I prefer to layer the KB Swing, I think it’s wise to also break down the get-up to more bite-size portions.
Today I’d like share a tip I learned from StrongFirst Team Leader, Artemis Scantalides, on a subtle “technique trap” many seem to fall prey to.
Maintaining a vertical knee (which helps to keep the glute engaged during the initial roll to press).
