This may sound like blasphemy to my fellow
RKCs... but I really don't like
Turkish Get-ups. Meaning I avoid them like the plague. I know, I know, I probably shouldn't say this much less write it in my blog, but it's the truth and I'm trying to be honest and real with my blog.
The
Turkish Get-Up, or TGU goes along with one of the RKC's mottos of "
safety as a part of, not the opposite of, performance". The TGU has been touted for its ability to increase shoulder stability and mobility while that very same exercise is also known to increase military pressing strength. I know how much weight (pardon the pun) my fellow RKC Comrades give it: when deciding which three exercises are most important and should be taught at the new one-day HKC certification, the Get-Up made the list. Anybody who's anybody in "the community" knows the importance of TGUs in a good kettlebell routine.
I just don't like to DO them.
I'm more of a ballistic girl. I L-O-V-E swings and snatches. They are my go-to exercises and I have no trouble working them into my routine.
Come to think of it, I really like grinds as well- as long as they're HEAVY! I'm all about maximum bang for my buck. If I do something slow, I want it to be so heavy I couldn't go fast if I tried. You
can do heavy TGUs, but you have to put in the work with the light weights to get to that point.
It's easy to do what you love and what you're good at, but that doesn't make you a better person. I want to be a better Turkish Get-Uper-er...
So, I'm going to do what I encourage my friends, family members, and clients to do all the time.
Don't just practice what you love and what you're good at, practice the things you don't like and that need work! Hamilton Holt said,
"Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Work, continuous work, and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last." And that's what I promised my friend and fellow RKC,
Josh Hillis I would do. I'm working TGUs into my weekly routine.
Gabby, you would be so proud!
My compromise for this week:
40-min of TGUs with a 12kg Kettlebell; broken up by 20 swings with 20kg Kettlebell every 5-minutes
It looked something like this:
- 5-min R/L Alternating Half Get-Ups; buzzer goes off
- 20 swings with 20kg kettlebell
- 5-min R/L Alternating Full Turkish Getups; buzzer goes off
- 20 swings with 20kg kettlebell
Repeat for 4 total rounds (40 total min)
I had to get my swings in and that was the "compromise" to myself. Made for quite the workout!
I hope I don't offend anyone, namely
Dr. Mark Cheng who came to my studio last year and taught an entire seminar on the Get-Up. Or my RKC Team Leader
Brett Jones who has
multiple dvd's on the Get-Up.
My promise is that I will do at least one TGU workout every week. Now that I'm posting for the world to see, I have to do it! Wish me luck!
