By RealJock Staff

This exercise provided courtesy of Billy Polson, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.

Benefits
Not many exercises let you be creative in your movements, but the dumbbell Turkish get-up is one of them. This exercise trains your entire body to work as a unit as you rise up from lying on your back on the floor to a standing position, all while continuously holding a dumbbell straight up above you. Dumbbell Turkish get-ups will improve your overall strength, balance, and coordination.

Muscles Worked
Full Body

Starting Position
Lie flat on the floor with one arm holding a dumbbell. Extend the arm holding the dumbbell straight up above you so that it is perpendicular to the floor (see Photo 1).

Exercise

1. From the starting position, using any route possible, rise up to a standing position, keeping your dumbbell arm perpendicular to the floor at all times (see Photos 2 through 5).
2. Once you have achieved a standing position, slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position on the floor, again keeping your dumbbell arm perpendicular to the floor (see Photos 6 through 8).
3. Do a full set of eight repetitions with one arm, then switch to your other arm and do another eight repetitions. Be creative with trying new routes each time you go up and down.

About Billy Polson: Billy Polson is the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, which was voted the best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006. A competitive swimmer and triathlete in his own right, Polson has over 15 years of experience working as a coach and trainer, and was recently named by Men's Journal Magazine (December 2005) as one of the Top 100 Trainers in America.