People always ask me what the best exercise to losing weight is, and time and time again I tell them that weight training with a proper diet is their best bet at losing those unsavory pounds. I guess that I should get a little more specific as to what kind of exercises are the best bang for the buck so to speak.

About a year or so ago I was looking into doing some new exercises and routines and a friend of mine had introduced me to a kettle bell workout. At the time it was a great way to shake things up and it really helped keep my heart rate going while building some serious core strength. There was one exercise in particular that really stood out and forced me to get out of my comfort zone. Let me introduce to you THE TURKISH GET UP! This exercise is a good indicator of your full body strength and will push the limit as to what your body can really handle. As I am sure most of you know I am a big supporter of compound exercises but the Turkish Get up is much more. It is a full body workout with significant benefits for those looking to lose weight or just get stronger. When done properly the movement engages your Quads, Core/Abs, lower back, shoulders, arms, ham strings, glutes and calves. I dare anyone to find another exercise that works all those muscle groups in one exercise.

Lets go through the movements of the exercise.

1) Lay flat on the floor with your right arm pointing towards the ceiling holding a dumbelland your right leg bent at 90 degrees so your knee is pointing to the ceiling and your left arm is on the ground pointing 45 degrees outward with your left leg flat on the floor.

2) Start by performing a crunch and slowly turning your core so that your body turning to its left side. Then push your body onto your left arm so that all the weight is now pushing on to your left fore arm. the dumbell should still be facing the ceiling.

3) Post your left arm so that you are now on the palm of your hand and lift your butt off the ground. Your left leg should also be 3-4 inches off the ground with your butt and the dumbell should still be facing the ceiling.

4) Swing your left leg backwards so that you are in a lunge position with the dumbell facing the ceiling.

5) From this position all you want to do is stand straight up.

Did you get all of that? Cmon it sounds easy right?? Ideally you want to do about 5-8 reps per side. Below I have attached a video that should better explain the movements. Try to incoporate this into your routine at least once a week. This exercise is guaranteed to make you sweat and lose weight!

Turkish Getup