Turkish Get Ups for Single Parents: Learn It in 7 Steps

Think about how many times a day you get down to the floor and back up again. Changing a nappy, building Lego, fishing a shoe out from under the sofa, picking up a child who has decided their legs no longer work. The Turkish get-up is that exact skill, slowed right down and practised on purpose. It is one of my favourite moves for solo parents because it trains almost everything at once, it is calm rather than frantic, and you can start with nothing heavier than a shoe. This guide to Turkish get ups for single parents teaches it in 7 steps before you ever pick up a weight.

Why the get-up suits a tired solo parent

• It is slow. One rep can take 30 seconds or more. No jumping, no noise, nothing to wake the kids.
• It is full body. Shoulders, core, hips and legs all work together, which is how your body moves in real life.
• It needs very little space. Roughly the size of a yoga mat plus an arm’s length.
• It is oddly calming. You have to focus on each step, which leaves little room for the mental to-do list.

Start with a shoe on your fist

Before any kettlebell, balance a shoe flat on the knuckles of your closed fist, arm pointing straight up. If your arm wobbles or bends, the shoe falls. It is the simplest feedback tool there is. If the shoe stays put through all 7 steps, your arm is stacked and you are ready for a light weight. Kids love being the “shoe checker” too.

Turkish get ups for single parents: the 7 steps

Practise each step slowly. Below, the shoe (later the bell) is in your right hand.

1. Set up. Lie on your back. Right knee bent, right foot flat on the floor. Left arm and left leg out at about 45 degrees. Right arm straight up to the ceiling, shoe on your fist. Eyes on the shoe.
2. Roll to the elbow. Push through your right foot and roll up onto your left elbow, keeping the right arm straight up. Think “chest to the ceiling”, not crunching forward.
3. Up to the hand. Push from your left elbow onto your left hand. Sit tall, shoulder away from your ear.
4. High bridge. Push through your right foot and left hand to lift your hips off the floor.
5. Sweep the leg. Bring your left leg back under you and place the left knee on the floor, roughly under your hips, in line with your left hand.
6. Windscreen wiper and lift. Turn your left foot and knee so you are in a half-kneeling lunge, then lift your left hand off the floor so your body is upright.
7. Stand up. Drive through your front foot to stand tall, arm still locked out overhead.

Then reverse every step, just as slowly, back down to the floor. Up and down is one rep.

Form cues that matter most

• Eyes on the weight for the first half of the move. Once you are kneeling, you can look forward.
• Straight arm, always. A bent elbow under load is how shoulders get hurt.
• Shoulder “packed”. Keep the top shoulder pulled down, away from your ear.
• Pause at each step. If you cannot hold a position for a breath, you are rushing.
• Stop if it hurts. Sharp pain in the shoulder, wrist or knee means stop and get it checked by a physio.

A 4-week plan

Week	What to do (2 or 3 times a week)
1	Steps 1 to 3 only, shoe on fist. 3 slow reps each side.
2	Full get-up, shoe on fist. 2 reps each side.
3	Full get-up with a very light bell (4kg for most women, 6 to 8kg for most men). 2 reps each side.
4	Same light bell, 3 reps each side, with a 2-second pause at every step.

That is it. Get-ups do not need to get heavy quickly. Many people stay at a light bell for months and still feel big changes in their shoulder stability and core control.

Is the get-up right for you?

I will be honest: the get-up has a lot of moving parts and some people find it frustrating at first. If your shoulder is painful, you cannot lie on the floor comfortably, or getting up from the floor is a struggle right now, start with simpler moves like half get-ups (steps 1 to 3 only) or sitting-to-standing from a low chair. If you have a shoulder or back injury, or you are pregnant or recently had a baby, check with your GP or physio before trying it.

Fitting it in with kids around

• Use the shoe version while kids play nearby. A shoe falling is no drama.
• Only use a kettlebell when children are asleep or well out of the way. You are holding a weight above your face, so you need full focus.
• Do one slow rep each side while the bath fills. That is genuinely enough on a busy day.

Where a class fits

The get-up is easiest to learn with a coach checking your arm and hip position. My SYP Built To Last functional strength class uses get-ups and other ground-to-standing moves with plenty of coaching. If you want to add it to a short session at home, try it as a finisher after my 20-minute kettlebell workout, and for a related slow kettlebell move see kettlebell windmills for single parents. The single parent fitness hub has more ideas.

FAQs

What does the Turkish get-up work?

Shoulder stability, core strength, hip mobility and leg strength, all in one move. It also trains coordination and balance.

Is the Turkish get-up good for beginners?

Yes, if you learn it without weight first. The shoe-on-fist method and the step-by-step approach make it beginner-friendly.

How heavy should a Turkish get-up be?

Light. Start with no weight, then a small bell. Control matters far more than load.

How many get-ups should I do?

2 or 3 slow reps each side is a good session. Quality beats quantity with this move.

Book your first class

Come and learn the get-up with someone checking every step. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class, with easier and harder options for every exercise. Book your £15 class here, or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215 for the timetable. If you would like to know what 1-1 coaching would look like for you, here is how personal training with me works.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.