Sandy Sommer, Baltimore Kettlebell Instructor Demonstrates 40 KG Turkish Get Up

I've been working on my Turkish Get Ups quite a lot and have made some real progess the last few weeks. "Kettlebells From The Ground Up" is the resource I've referenced in order to get more proficient in this kettlebell movement. And I've practiced and practiced. I want to be able to press the 40 KG Kettlebell and the Turkish Get up will help me get there.




Sandy Sommer, RKC

Today's Workout

Today was another kettlebell variety day and I chose to do 30 minutes of Turkish Get Ups. I didn't try to count them and I focused on the quality of each repetition and felt very strong and relaxed. Nice practice.



I finished with 100 kettlebell snatches with my trusty 24 kg Kettlebell in easy sets of 10. Felt nice and easy. Did them on the top of each minute.

Sandy Sommer, RKC

Turkish Get Up Practice

Today was my kettlebell variety day. I did Turkish Get Up for 20 minutes alternating reps, left and right with the 24 kg kettlebell.

After that I worked on my Tactical Pull up. I hung the 24 from my foot and alternated just doing a lat engagement. Worked my way up to doing about 3/4 of the pull up. Really felt good tension and increased ability. Will keep working though this as it is my weakest link.

Sandy Sommer, RKC

Viking Warrior Practice

Today is a variety type day. I imagine I will focus most of my energy on Turkish Get Ups most Wednesday sessions. Today I practiced with the 24 KG Kettlebell.

I won't do much volume but the intensity will be there.I did 5 sets of 2 today.

Additionally, I did 20 "deadhangs to lat and ab engagement" with the 24 kg Kettlebell attached to my foot. Switched feet after each one so did 10 per side. Felt good and have never done this. Suggestion by Will Williams, Sr. RKC to help make gains towards the RKC tactical Pull up requirement for the RKC II. I am becoming an RKC in 2010.

Please comment if you are to and I'm here to help anyway I can.

Sandy Sommer, RKC

3 Movements To Evaluate

Today’s focus is the foundation of RKC “Hard Style” Kettlebell Training. Just these three movements uncover your areas of concern as well as the areas of strength. Remember….A Chain is as strong as it’s weakest link.

Turkish Getup Alternate 1 rep per side for 6:00 (I labored over this time….Remember this is done for perfection and not speed. Stay slow and under tension)

Rest 2:00

swing 1:00 (gut this out. Gluteus muscles extra tight…..Your arms should be attached to your torso by engaged lats. Don’t go over 90 degrees!)

Rest 1 Minute

Prisoner Lunges 1:30 (Hands interlaced and back behind your head. Reverse lunges alternating. Tap your knee to the deck and lengthen stride)

2 Rounds

Nice effort ! See you tomorrow!

Sandy Sommer, RKC

Charm City Kettlebells

410-812-0816 cell

PS Email me if you have any questions or concerns.

PPS I will be holding a One Hour Session on just the Turkish Get Up soon in Baltimore area soon. Let me know if you are interested!

Focus On Quality With These Three

I have nothing against Cross Fit per se or other kettlebell methodologies either. Here's what leaves me scratching my head. Why count reps that aren't in good form? At best, poor form isn't your intent and at worst, it leads to injury and the related down time. The late, great John Wooden once said, "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you?"

I try to always target prescribed form so that I get the most out of each movement with the least risk of injury. That seems reasonable to me.

Today, I worked on three different calisthenics. The Turkish Get Up. The tactical pull up and the bodyweight one-legged pistol. Down correctly, each exercise is safe and extremely effective. I used all of my body and did three things. Simple is nice.

The Turkish Get Up may be my favorite kettlebell exercise. The essence of the movement is that you get the kettlebell from the ground to over head. It requires 7 specific coordinated movements under muscular tension to perfect it and get the full benefit. Any asymmetries or weakness will be exposed.

The one-legged pistol is an amazing movement that requires strength, balance and flexibility. I love doing them because they once were inconceivable to me. I couldn't do them as my flexibility was terrible, my strength was mediocre and my balance was just OK. Here is a nice tutorial on one-legged body weight squats, better known as the pistol.

Finally, I did tactical pull ups or thumbless, overhand pull ups. These require that you start and finish with a dead hang with a pause. No using hips to help! A found an article a few weeks ago that should really help the men. Here's one for ladies. Yes you can train yourself to do them!

I did 10 rounds today. Each round was 2 Turkish get ups on each side followed by 2 pistols each side and then finally 3 pull ups. Total was 110 reps and my time was 43 minutes and I burned 594 calories. These were real reps. Strict and safe form.

Try it out!

Sandy Sommer, RKC

Kettlebell Practice

I just got back from the gym and it was all I could do to hold my tongue. As many of you know, I have a favorite saying, "just because you are swinging a kettlebell doesn't mean you are doing a kettlebell swing." Well tonight the swingers were out in force. I

I sometimes workout in a Big Box Gym as a change of pace and I like to sauna. I saw 2 women and 1 man doing a bootcamp type class and not only was there no intensity to the workout, they were doing at least the swing incorrectly. Not, I don't mean that there form was less than perfect. I mean that it was unsafe as well as less than perfect. I held my tongue but man oh man.

For me, I did an easy movement session with the kettlebell.

5 sets of 5 snatches left and right with a Turkish Get Up on each side between sets. Total of 50 snatches and 10 Turkish Get Ups. Stole this from Rob O'Brien, AKC.

Sandy Sommer, RKC and the Turkish Get Up

What is a Turkish Get Up, and why is it such a stable element of Hard Style Kettlebell Training? Is there a "hardstyle" or "RKC" form of the Turkish Get Up, and why should you care - or care to practice this form rather than any other? These questions and more are explored in the following:

Simply put the Kettlebell Turkish Get Up may be on of the most elegant of all exercise. Your body works machine like as one to do the work.

I could never get the information to you better than Dr. Schraeflel:

Here's my video



Sandy Sommer, RKC

Turkish Get Up Work

Very simple workout today.

Joint mobility to get the joints lubed up and then did 20 minutes of non-stop Turkish Get Ups.

Really great to full body workout requiring mental focus as well.

Sandy Sommer, RKC

Kettlebells, Sweat and Hard Wood Floors

I kettlebell workout in one of two places ordinarily. Outdoors or sometimes at the gym...Hey I do enjoy steam and sauna from time to time I have to admit. SO today I decide to work out barefoot on a hardwood floor in my Towson home. Not smart at all. I guess the absinthe from last night short-circuited my brain today because when you combine sweat, kettlebells, a Turkish Get-Up and Hardwood flooring you end up tweaking your back.

Today' Workout

Using a 24kg kettlebell:

5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
10 Swings, Left and Right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
5 Racked Squats, Left and Right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
2 Turkish Get ups, left and right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
10 snatches, left and right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right

For 1 circuit and then the 2nd circuit:

5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
10 Swings, Left and Right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
5 Racked Squats, Left and Right
5 Long Cycle Clean and Press, Left and Right
2 Turkish Get ups, left and right and oops tweaked back.

Time was 32 minutes and average heart rate was 144.

Be Fit, Sandy