How to Do Russian Get-Ups Exercise

Kettlebells are generally credited as originating in Russia, which may explain why the kettlebell exercise typically known as a Turkish get-up is sometimes called a Russian get-up instead. This challenging exercise challenges all your core muscles -- including your abs, glutes and back -- intensely, along with your shoulders and lower body. Proper form during this exercise is critically important, so start with a kettlebell as light as 5 or 10 pounds until you've mastered the technique.

Lie down on the floor, with a kettlebell in your right hand. Press the kettlebell straight up above your right shoulder -- this is your starting position.

Extend your left leg. Perform an oblique crunch toward the left, continuing the motion to roll onto your left forearm. Use pressure from your right leg -- still bent, with your foot flat on the floor -- to help yourself into place.

Sit up straighter, straightening your left arm to rest on your hand instead of your forearm.

Squeeze your glutes and your core to lever your left hip off the ground, making room to swing your left leg all the way through and behind you. Once your left leg is behind you, kneel on that leg and shift your upper body over it, straightening up and off your left hand.

Shift your weight slowly forward onto your right leg, powering yourself up into a standing position.

Reverse your movements, slowly and carefully, to return to your supine starting position.

Tips

Quality is much more important than quantity during this exercise. Five repetitions is a reasonable goal when you're first starting out with a light weight. Depending on your goals, you may maintain that goal as you progress on to heavier weights, or do as few as three repetitions.

Warnings

Always keep control of the kettlebell; because it's poised directly over you throughout the exercise, any loss of control can result in serious injury.