Turkish Get Ups are a house specialty at Iron Pirate Strength & Conditioning ... performed – and hated – by all.

It’s a perfect core exercise in that it works the entire cylinder, not just the abs of the back or any single muscle group. Push yourself on this exercise and you’ll feel it as you acquire better balance, more stability and a solid core.

Beginners should start with a single 5-pound dumbbell and get comfortable with this core strength lift before moving up in weight..

Again, you’ll be surprised at how difficult each rep is.

Unlike many of the exercises we do, this one can be done any way you’d like to, as long as you do it correctly and keep proper form. 

Start on your back, holding a dumbbell in one hand over your body with your elbow locked. Any way that you can, get to your feet, just make sure to keep the dumbbell held as high as it can be, with a straight arm and directly overhead.

Return to your back and switch hands. Then, get back to your feet, pause and return to your back.

That’s one repetition.

Be careful NOT to let the weight get out in front of you or behind you, it can pull you all over the place.

Thanks to Alex Eidson of Grand Haven High School for his help making this video.