Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Marine Corps Times

Chisel your core with the Turkish get-up

Gyms — excuse me, fitness centers — have come a long way. Today they’re filled with shiny equipment that can isolate every muscle in your body and cardio machines that talk to you. Gyms of the past were sparse, comparatively. Dumbbells, ropes, parallel bars, rings, Indian clubs, medicine balls, boxing bags and jump ropes constituted the majority of equipment. But man, did they have some great exercises.

One was the “Turkish get-up,” a core exercise that will help you build a base of steel. It engages your arms, shoulders, obliques, hip flexors, quads and glutes, among other muscles. Do a practice run without weight to help you understand and feel comfortable with the motion.

Here’s the drill:

1. Pick a dumbbell or kettle bell with enough heft to challenge you. (Kettle bells are hand weights that look like a cannonball with a handle on top.)

2. Lie on the floor, on your back, and hoist the weight with your left arm until it’s locked.

3. Flex your left leg, keeping your foot flat on the floor and your heel as close to your butt as possible.

4. Engage your abs, roll slightly to the right and start to lift your trunk. Use your right arm for leverage until you’re sitting.

5. Press your right shoulder down and away from your ear and, pushing off your left heel, lift your right hip and slide your right leg underneath you, finishing on your right knee. Your right arm, still planted on the floor, will form a straight line with your left arm. Your trunk will be turned slightly to the right.

6. Pushing off your right hand, twist your trunk so it is vertical and straight. Move in your left arm so it is straight overhead. You should be kneeling on your right knee with your left leg flexed to 90 degrees.

7. Press off your left heel and stand.

Reverse the process to get back to the starting position. Swap the weight to your right arm and repeat. That equals one rep.

Start with five reps and work up to 10. Then increase the weight.