The Turkish Get-Up: How to Master the Full-Body Toner
By Jaclyn Emerick
Photos by Arthur Belebeau and Mckibillo
The Turkish Get-Up is a four-fer. You’re basically doing a crunch, shoulder stabilizer, lunge and windmill with each rep. You can get the benefits of strength, cardio, yoga and pilates—a smaller waist; lean, strong arms and thighs; and a tighter butt—all in a single move.
Your expert: Kevin Purvis, a trainer and the owner of Fortune Training and Coaching in Austin, Texas, breaks down his favorite move. “I don’t think there’s another one out there that does this much at once,” he says.
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How to begin: Use a water bottle (or nothing) to start. Focus on getting the technique down first: The movement is slow but fluid—don’t hold any poses. Once you’ve nailed the form, graduate to a light dumbbell or kettlebell. (Hold the kettlebell handle so that the weight rests on the back of your wrist.) Aim for 2 or 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps per side three days a week on alternate days.
Lie faceup with legs extended, a weight in left hand, left arm raised straight over shoulder, right arm out to side, palm down. Look at weight.
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Squeeze abs and press left hand up, propping yourself up on right elbow. Keep eyes fixed on weight.
Bring right foot under left knee, creating a figure four with your legs.
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Push right palm into floor, rise up onto right hip, and straighten right arm. Bend left knee, sliding left foot in.
Push right hand off floor and, keeping core tight, come into a lunge with left leg forward, right knee on floor. Gaze forward.
Press left foot into floor to stand, feet hip-width apart. Reverse move for 1 rep. Switch sides; repeat.
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