The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [142]
Lift up to right knee:
15 lbs × 11 reps
Two workouts later, I was using 45 pounds for both sides in the chop. The worst imbalance had been corrected, and the back soreness I experienced from extended writing had all but disappeared along with it.
You will be amazed at how many other core issues clean themselves up by simply finding the weakest quadrant and addressing it.
EXERCISE #2—TURKISH GET-UP (TGU)
If Gray could pick just one movement from our Critical Four, he would pick the Turkish get-up.
The TGU can be a complex move, and it should be viewed as a long-term investment. If it gets frustrating, view it as a low-weight warm-up that you practice for a few minutes before each workout, and just focus on increasing resistance with the other movements until you’re 100% comfortable.
This is the movement that Gray used most with Michelle Wie, along with the basic swing.4 The TGU is an elegant solution that includes nine discrete movements which, in combination, address all of the major muscle groups and planes of movement. Gray underscores why the mainstream usually doesn’t see it:
“The Turkish get-up and swing just aren’t sexy enough for the glossy magazines. Am I actually saying that you can be a world-class athlete and only do TGU and swings for injury prevention? Yes, pretty much.”5
Once Michelle was able to do a full TGU with a 16-kilogram (35.2-pound) kettlebell, supervised by TGU phenom Dr. Mark Cheng, the gains she’d made with rehab, chopping and lifting, and the single-leg deadlifts were integrated and locked in place. The TGU can be thought of as your “Save Document” function. In other words, the C&L moves the upper body while freezing the lower body; the SDL (coming next) moves the lower body while freezing the upper body; and once both halves have been strengthened, the TGU is what pieces them together. If you don’t “Save Document” at the end of a workout with the TGU, the lower-body and upper-body gains aren’t incorporated for full-body movement.
The TGU is also stunningly effective as a stand-alone exercise.
Jon Torine, head strength coach of the Indianapolis Colts, states in no uncertain terms: “My job is exercise, injury prevention, and performance enhancement. I start with the TGU. I finish with the TGU. I check progress with the TGU.”
The amount of weight you should use depends on your TGU experience, not your strength in other exercises. For dumbbells or kettlebells:
FEMALE
Beginner: 4–6 kg (8.8–13.2 lbs)
Intermediate: 6–8 kg (13.2–17.6 lbs)
Advanced: 8–12 kg (17.6–26.4 lbs) or larger
MALE
Beginner: 8–12 kg (17.6–26.4 lbs)
Intermediate: 12–16 kg (26.4–35.2 lbs)
Advanced: 16–24 kg (35.2–52.8 lbs) or larger
Though there are many versions of the TGU, on this page is one designed as a systemic corrective exercise. It provides the most detailed feedback. Some other forms—those that omit certain pauses, for example—allow for more compensation and make it easier to miss weak links.
Demonstrated by Brett Jones from the left side on the following page, steps 1–9 are illustrated in the photo sequence, which would then be reversed in exact order to return the kettlebell to the ground.
The photos can be used for reference and for spot-checking, but please view a video of proper execution before attempting (www.fourhourbody.com/tgu).
If the complete TGU is too difficult, you can stop at the arm post (step 5) and identify the left-right discrepancies up to this point. This “half-TGU” is outstanding for shoulder rehabilitation, and is now prescribed in some high-end physical therapy clinics specifically for this purpose.
EXERCISE #3, #4—THE CROSS-BODY ONE-ARM SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT (1SDL)
The standard deadlift is simple: grab a barbell just outside of the knees with both hands and stand to a fully erect position.
The single-leg deadlift, as the name implies, is this movement performed on a single leg.
The deep muscles of the hip are designed to be stabilizers as much as movers, and the single-leg deadlift allows them to function in this role, making left-right imbalances