The best exercise is …. the Turkish Get Up

The old answer to the best exercise used to be the squat or deadlift; however the new answer most people will say is the Turkish Get Up (TGU).  The TGU is an exercise that is over 200 years old.  Strongmen of that era would not teach you complex lifts until you could do a 100 pound get up.  This exercise is simply the most effective way to go from lying to standing up and back to lying down again.

The TGU promotes the use of whole-body movement and reveals your weaknesses and asymmetries.  I use this exercise a lot in my own daily practice and in the rehabilitation of my patients.  There are 6 steps to a good TGU.  Each step almost acts as its own exercise and the transition between each step promotes good movement patterns.  There are many nuances to this exercise that make it great.

It has taken me months to learn to do this exercise well.  Currently I’m still working on my form and challenging myself with appropriate weight.  Also, I have used portions of the get up for my own shoulder rehab.  If you decide to learn this exercise I would advise you to learn from someone who knows how to do it well.  If you have any questions please send me an email (poh@formfunctionclinic.com), call (905-604-9355) or drop by.