Front delts exercise
Turkish Get-UpHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Front delts, Abs
- Also works
- Glutes, Triceps
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Level
- Advanced
How to do it
How do you do the Turkish Get-Up?
- Lie on your back with the kettlebell pressed straight up and the same-side knee bent.
- Roll onto your opposite elbow, then push up onto your hand.
- Lift your hips, sweep your straight leg under you into a half-kneel, and lift your hand.
- Stand up from the half-kneel, then reverse each step slowly back to the floor.
Cues
- Arm locked, bell over the shoulder.
- Eyes on the bell.
- Move your body under the weight.
Common mistakes
- Bending the weighted arm: lock the elbow and squeeze the handle.
- Hips too low before the sweep: press up into a full bridge first.
- Rushing: pause briefly at each step.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Full kettlebell get-up with the bell in the right hand, using the high bridge and leg sweep to half-kneeling, a lunge to standing, and the same path back down. Learn it unloaded first (ACE suggests a shoe balanced on the fist).
Starting position
Lying on the back. Right arm straight up, kettlebell over the right shoulder, wrist straight, knuckles to the ceiling. Right knee bent, right foot flat about 30 cm from the buttock. Left leg straight on the floor angled out about 30–45°; left arm on the floor about 45° from the body, palm down. Eyes on the bell.
The movement
Roll to elbow: drive through the right foot, lift the right shoulder and curl up onto the left forearm. Post to hand: press up onto the left hand, arm straight, sitting tall. High bridge: press the right foot and left hand down and lift the hips to full extension. Sweep: bring the left leg back under the body and set the left knee down behind the left hand; lift the hand and straighten the trunk to half-kneeling (left knee, right foot), turning the back shin in line. Stand: lunge up, bringing the feet together. Reverse every step to return to lying. The bell stays vertical over the shoulder with a locked elbow the whole time; the body moves under it.
Breathing
Short breath out at each transition; breathe steadily in the holds; never hold for long.
Tempo
About 1.5 s per phase: elbow, hand, bridge, sweep, kneel tall, stand (9 s up), 1 s pause standing, then the same six phases back down (9 s).
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Working arm: elbow 0°, upper arm vertical in every phase, wrist neutral (ACE, Breaking Muscle).
- Half-kneel: front knee 90° over the ankle, back knee under the hip, trunk vertical.
- Eyes on the bell until half-kneeling, then forward.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Turkish Get-Up is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
