Turkish Get up? What for?

Written by Squad 5 Training

On September 23, 2024

I heard you! It sounds like there are a handful of members who don’t love Turkish Get Ups. They’re boring, pointless, too many are in the workout, etc. We heard a lot of different reasons. BUT, that’s the beauty of following a program; sometimes you do things you don’t love. Sometimes you do things that you otherwise would NEVER program yourself. And that’s exactly how you get better.

If we all just trained what we loved, we would never work on the things we don’t love, which are often things we’re not naturally great at. A good program doesn’t only include movements that you love or are “fun”; it includes all types of movements that will make you better.

Let’s get back to some Turkish get-ups. Honestly, this movement is one of the most impactful exercises I’ve ever used for building strong, healthy shoulders. With my shoulder injury, the Turkish get-up is always my go-to for healing, endurance, and stability.

The magic of the Turkish get-up lies in how it works through positions one through five, taking your shoulder in a straight-arm, supported position under load, and moving it through various angles. This straight-arm strength training develops your rotator cuff, increases mobility, and enhances stability—all of which are key to long-term shoulder health.

That’s why I love incorporating Turkish get-ups as a preparatory exercise in warm-ups, and also as a strength balance movement. After you’ve done your intense lifts, like a shoulder press or bench press, try 3 to 5 reps of Turkish get-ups with moderate or light weights. This helps target the accessory muscles that support the shoulder girdle, promoting shoulder health and stability.

In Aesthetic, where conditioning often blends cardio with weight training, we emphasize managing intensity. You don’t want to go so hard that you sacrifice control and movement quality. That’s where the Turkish get-up really shines. It forces you to slow down, focus on strength and stability, and still gives you a full-body breather. If you alternate arms for 10 consecutive Turkish get-ups with good form, you’ll not only elevate your heart rate and breathing, but you’ll also feel the strength benefits across your entire body.

I hope this inspired you to give the Turkish get-up a try or master it even further.

Wissem

 

You May Also Like…

Protein

Protein

Happy Friday, Let's talk about protein, a macronutrient you've probably heard plenty about. Protein provides essential amino acids that help build and repair tissues in your body, particularly skeletal muscle. Since muscle is composed of these...

read more
AES-13: New Cycle starting Sunday 8th of September

AES-13: New Cycle starting Sunday 8th of September

SQUAD FAM, Welcome to a new training cycle! Aesthetic 13 is structured to maximize muscle building through targeted weight training sessions spread over five days a week. We're going to pack your time in this program full of resistance training. We...

read more
Consistency Meets Variety

Consistency Meets Variety

Where does SQD5 stand out among the different of training approaches in the fitness industry? We craft engaging workouts that infuse variety and enjoyment into a consistent training framework. When SQD5 was established, I aimed for our Aesthetic...

read more