Written by In Part One of our Kettlebells guide, we discussed The Swing, a great starting point for anyone using these versatile weights for the first time. In tis article we’ll start by describing how to do the Get Up. Where The Swing was limited in it’s range of muscles worked, the Get Up is an amazing full body work and it’s a great exercise for the torso.. The basic exercises are listed below:
- The Swing
- The Get-Up
- The Clean & Press
- The Windmill
- The Goblet Squat
Be warned though, there are some dangers with this exercise as most of it required you to hold the weight above your head. For this reason start with a light, manageable weight which you have no chance of dropping or even no weight at all. Don’t forget to warm up. There’s a few steps to follow so it may take a few tries to get it right.
- Lie down on a soft, firm surface with your arms by your sides and the kettlebell within reach of your right hand.
- Grab the weight underhand in a curl position then do one curl until your forearm is pointing upwards and keep going until your arm is pointing straight upwards.
- Keeping your arm straight, raise your upper body to the left, supporting yourself on your left elbow. The weight will shift across to the left slightly as you move.
- Now swap from your elbow to your hand, raising yourself at the same time, while also changing to a kneeling position – your right foot will be planted in front of you and your left knee on the ground.
- Now use your right leg to propel yourself into a standing position.
- As soon as you are standing, reverse the procedure by first kneeling with the left leg, then bending over to the left to support your upper body with your left hand.
- Move to your elbow then slowly lower yourself onto your back to the starting position. The starting position is when you are lying on your back and your arm is outstretched towards the ceiling.
A variation of this exercise is to start in the standing position with the arm pointing towards the ceiling, then work your way down to the lying posture (still keeping your arm straight), then returning to the standing position.
Start by performing five reps on one side and then swapping to the other.
Check out the instructional video below for a breakdown of the various stages of the exercise:
The Get Up in some ways is the best example of the versatility of Kettlebells. In one extended movement and using only one weight, the user is able to provide a complete body exercise in a short period of time. It’s practical for limited spaces making it ideal for home users with limited time.
