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
