all posts post new thread

Kettlebell I failed a Turkish Get Up and broke my wrist

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Getting back on topic, let me give you a quick feedback on my decision to switch to sandbag getups beyond 24K for safety's sake.

Along with the mighty kettlebell from earlier, I also picked up a medium size sandbag from Rep Fitness. It came with two filler bags. I also picked up two pea gravel bags from Lowes. Total cost of filled and assembled sandbag is $65, excluding shipping... I live 45 minutes away from Rep Fitness' warehouse.

The sandbag capacity is rated at 25-75 lb and Rep Fitness recommends not exceeding 3/4 fill for each filler bag. I can attest that when filled to this suggested limit with pea gravel, the sandbag will indeed reach up to 70-75lb, though it might be a bit stiff. I topped it off at 28K (62 lb) and it is malleable enough to drape over my shoulder at this weight.

I'll report back once I progress from the mighty 'bell to this sandbag. ?
 
North Coast Miller said:
I contend TGU doesn't work the shoulders enough to justify.

If hitting the shoulders concurrently is a concern, run the bag across chest and out about even with upper bicep so you have to exert lateral effort to keep it up there. Your delts and traps will be screaming.

To me, the stabilizing effect on supporting shoulder musculature is just not that potent, and limits the weight you can use. Also, being technique dependent the ability to track the load over the body with vertical arm actually reduces resistance on the anterior chain during roll to elbow.

They are not interchangable, but the sandbag GU is a good alternative in the scheme of things
Click to expand...
watchnerd said:
I concur. I like TGUs more for the cross body core work than shoulder focus.

For contrast, try a KB Sots press.

Tell me which you think works shoulder mobility more at a given weight.
Click to expand...

These are all valid points. I guess the standard get-up is just like the Swiss Army knife. It’s not a best tool for a single job, but rather versatile to be just enough for most folks needs on an everyday basis.

Once past a certain weight, it’s something else, but that’s an individual thing to where this point is. One should not attempt maxing out or going beyond a certain weight without a spotter, but that is no different to benching or squating.
 
Molson said:
These are all valid points. I guess the standard get-up is just like the Swiss Army knife. It’s not a best tool for a single job, but rather versatile to be just enough for most folks needs on an everyday basis.

Once past a certain weight, it’s something else, but that’s an individual thing to where this point is. One should not attempt maxing out or going beyond a certain weight without a spotter, but that is no different to benching or squating.
Click to expand...

I think it's mostly a programming issue, and knowing when it's time to swap in other movements to achieve certain goals.

For proprioception, movement patterning, and cross body stabilization, I think the TGU is best in class. But you don't need to go real heavy to get those benefits.

For qualities where TGU is not best in class (hypertrophy, shoulder-specific strength, full body systemic impact), there comes a point past the newbie phase where it may make sense to swap out TGU for other exercises (presses, deadlifts) to achieve those qualities.

If I were writing a 2-lift program minimum, I'd have a 'Phase 2' where people switch over to a KB C&P with lunge / split stance once they're able to do a 24 kg TGU (for men).
 
Last edited:
Molson said:
How does it work the shoulders?
Click to expand...
Realizing I'm late to this party, but one summer when much younger(& stronger) I carried bundles of standard shingles on my shoulder up a ladder to a roofing crew. At the time I was doing a lot of overhead pressing with barbells. My shoulders and traps were absolutely wore out after a day or two. A sandbag or shingle-bundle doesn't just rest on your shoulder, you have to really flex and hold it in the bodybuilder pose during the ascent or descent. Sort of the static hold of a tgu, without the tricep involvement.
 
I actually wish I could reach out to Dan John and tell him my story. Maybe he's seen this post, who knows.

I'll probably never do a weighted getup again- unless it's with a sandbag, maybe :)
 
barrak said:
Getting back on topic, let me give you a quick feedback on my decision to switch to sandbag getups beyond 24K for safety's sake.

Along with the mighty kettlebell from earlier, I also picked up a medium size sandbag from Rep Fitness. It came with two filler bags. I also picked up two pea gravel bags from Lowes. Total cost of filled and assembled sandbag is $65, excluding shipping... I live 45 minutes away from Rep Fitness' warehouse.

The sandbag capacity is rated at 25-75 lb and Rep Fitness recommends not exceeding 3/4 fill for each filler bag. I can attest that when filled to this suggested limit with pea gravel, the sandbag will indeed reach up to 70-75lb, though it might be a bit stiff. I topped it off at 28K (62 lb) and it is malleable enough to drape over my shoulder at this weight.

I'll report back once I progress from the mighty 'bell to this sandbag. ?
Click to expand...

So I've been learning and practicing sandbag getups for the past week, starting from the top; clean to shoulder, get down to a full stop in supine position then grind my way back up. I noticed a few things from my experiment:

1. Leg sweep after the tall sit on the way up is problematic as the heavy bag would shift and load my neck. Instead, I would smoothly shift my weight on my leg rather than sweep it to a tripod position, then lunge up.
2. Sandbag getup with 28K is easier than 24K kettlebell getup. If I do 2-3 consecutive left shoulder sandbag getups followed by same on right shoulder, I get an equivalent work compared to a single L+R 24K kettlebell getup.
3. There is no drama with the sandbag getup, other than the initial clean to the shoulder, which I expect will go away as I dial in the clean.

By next week, I'm scheduled to start introducing 32K getups. I intend to load my sandbag to 32K, then introduce it as two getups for every one kettlebell getup as per S&S 2.0 schedule.
 
I far prefer to do my sandbag getups as demo'd by MTI, with a single rapid movement that brings me from supine to lunge position.

Not sure what my max load is. Have done these with 90lbs and was not at my limit, but normally use anywhere from 55-75lbs for reps in a circuit.
 
North Coast Miller said:
I far prefer to do my sandbag getups as demo'd by MTI, with a single rapid movement that brings me from supine to lunge position.

Not sure what my max load is. Have done these with 90lbs and was not at my limit, but normally use anywhere from 55-75lbs for reps in a circuit.
Click to expand...

Yes, MTI getup is what I was trying to describe, except I avoid the leg kick for momentum to challenge my core more.

I plan to do the latter when going for fast tempo reps on days when I don't do swings. That will have to wait till I gain more fluidity in the movement. I'm still learning the nuances of the sandbag getup.
 
Dpkg said:
I actually wish I could reach out to Dan John and tell him my story. Maybe he's seen this post, who knows.

I'll probably never do a weighted getup again- unless it's with a sandbag, maybe :)
Click to expand...
Well you can e-mail him....
 
Hello,

I really like the GU with a bell but I think they are less 'natural' than a sandbag GU. If I have to get up with something, I am more likely to do it with the weight on my shoulder than with a straight arm. From this standpoint, sandbag GU seem safer

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I am in the "diminishing returns (relative to risk) after about 32kg (for men)" camp on the TGU.

From a couch potato, working up a TGU from unweighted/shoe to a competent 32kg (male) rep should be enough of a base to get started C&P or MP the 16-20kg. I understand the place of TGUs in the SF system (especially as laid out in ETK) with the swing and getup as preparation for the clean & press and snatch.

If one is after just "work capacity" type training, heavy explosive swings and heavy sandbag getups seem like a better combo. Swings in Q&D format of 10 reps on-the-minute x 2 in 3:00-4:00 series, sandbag getups for 3-5 reps per side. Sandbags can be incrementally loaded (not as easy as barbell, but certainly easier than kettlebell), so you can make weekly linear progression. And I would care to venture that working up to 5 reps L, 5 reps R, in 10:00 with 100lbs will do more for the average person physically than 32kg+ overhead getups, and at much lower risk.
 
Needing to TGU 32kg to press the 16kg is ridiculous.

I am (was) a strong-ish guy. I was clean and pressing the 32kg for 3 clean reps with each hand and still had this mishap.

I'm just not sure the TGU as a strength move has the risk reward profile to build an entire strength qualification around. Mobility? Yeah. More than 16-24kg for someone pressing a 32 already? I just...don't know. Just don't f*** it up and drop it on/around yourself and you'll be fine.
 
Hello,

IMHO, if one wants to keep safe and heavy GU, I would use sandbag. You can load them way more than a kettlebell, while being safer

For a safe GPP with the heavy GU mentioned above, my go to would be:
- Swings (Q&D format, S&S format)
- Clean & Press (or even only the press if we perform the swings), using ladders (RoP format, or something like 5x5)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Heavy get-ups are very Instagram friendly. I like them because its a fun movement but Im not sure if they have done much for me. Earlier I have said that they realign my body but I’m not sure anymore.

thank you @Dpkg for sharing your story! It could have been me.
 
Sorry to hear about your injury. I myself had had a few "whoa" moments with the get-up when using above 24kg weight. The great thing about the SFG I cert is you never need(depending on your weight)to do get-ups with more than a 24kg.(Theoretically you could stop at 24kg bell for everything you would just need 2-24kg for double front squats)Same For SFG II(as far as get-up, you would need 1/2 bodyweight bell for MP,which I feel is a much safer lift)I have a friend who is a SFG and only has/uses a pair of 16/20/24kg bells
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom