We won’t sugarcoat it: Turkish attire is a complicated and challenging move. But taking the time to learn this advanced exercise can reduce risk of injury and increase your performance on the bike, and they just make you feel like a badass. That’s why every rider should consider adding a variation of this full body exercise to your exercise routine.
Turkish attire is “a great move because it’s really the whole body,” he says. Katie Pierson, Certified Spin Instructor and Certified Personal Trainer based in Denver. It addresses the main muscles used in cycling–Think: hamstrings, glutes, quads, hips, and core, as well as your back, shoulders, traps, and forearms.
Here, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about the Turkish lift, including how to do it safely and correctly, its amazing benefits for cyclists, and a step-by-step progression that can help you learn how to master the move effectively. .
How to make a proper Turkish outfit
Learn how to make Turkish attire safely and correctly with these step-by-step instructions from Darci Revier, DHSc, CSCS, Director of Education at the National Association of Exercise Trainers (NETA) and NETA-certified cycling instructor in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Startup: Place a kettlebell on the floor and lie next to it on your right side so the weight is just outside your right shoulder. Bend your knees and place your left leg on top of your right. Bend your hands toward your chest, elbows at your sides, and grasp the handle of the bell with your right hand below and your left hand above. This is the starting position: it should look similar to the fetal position. Now here is where the fun begins:
- Tilt the bell towards your body. Keep the bell as close to your body as possible and roll onto your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground. As you roll back, bring both hands to the center of your chest. Use both hands to press the bell directly over your right shoulder, arms straight. Keep your right hand extended, holding the bell, and place your left arm on the floor at a 45-degree angle to your body. Straighten your left leg and place it at a 45-degree angle to your body. Keep your right knee bent, foot flat on the floor.
- Leading with your chest and pressing your left foot and left arm into the ground, lift your body up on your left forearm, sitting on a slight diagonal. Watch the weight the entire time and make sure it stays stacked directly over your right shoulder.
- Press through your left hand, lift your left forearm off the floor, and curl your hand so your fingers are diagonally behind you, so you feel taller. Keep an eye on the weight at all times and make sure it’s still stacked directly over your right shoulder.
- Press through both feet and your left hand to lift your hips into a high bridge. He continues to look at the weight and make sure he is still stacked on the right shoulder.
- Bring your left leg under your body and place your left knee on the ground, in line with your left hand. Make sure your toes are tucked under.
- Press through the palm of your left hand, shift your hips to the right side, and lift your left hand off the floor, using your obliques to come into a high-knee position, left shin perpendicular to your right foot. Keep looking at the weight and make sure it is still stacked over your right shoulder.
- Wipe the windshield with your leg so that your foot is now behind you, in a normal half-kneeling position. Expect.
- Drive through your right front foot and back left foot to stand up, weight overhead, biceps by your ear. This is the middle point.
- From here, step your left foot back into a reverse lunge, both knees bent and your left knee back down to the ground.
- Wipe the windshield of the left foot so that the shin is perpendicular to the right heel.
- Now look back to the weight, rotate your hips, sending them to the right, and place your left hand on the floor, making a T with your arms.
- Keep your right foot firmly planted on the ground and bring your left leg under you, extending it fully out as you lower to a sitting position, eyes still on the hood.
- Lower your back to your forearm, then slowly lower your back, neck, and head to the floor. That’s 1 repetition.
- Position the kettlebell slowly and securely with both hands, then repeat on the other side.
Is there a common mistake that people make with Turkish attire?
A classic mistake during step one of the Turkish outfit is to sink into the shoulder of your grounded arm, allowing it to ride up your ear, which can compromise your spinal alignment. Instead, be sure to create space between your shoulder and ear, says Pierson, pressing your arm and hand into the mat.
Another common form mistake when sitting from the ground is shifting your weight onto your toes, which can put too much pressure on your shoulder, says Pierson. Remember: the weight must remain stacked directly on your shoulder at all times. If it’s in the right position, you shouldn’t feel like your arm is working too hard to hold the bell, Revier says, but your the shoulder should be working remain stable all the time.
Also, in the kneeling position and rising from the kneeling position, make sure your front knee is directly over your ankle and doesn’t extend past it, as that can put too much pressure on your knee, says Pierson. Make sure both knees are at 90-degree angles before standing up, he advises. You can make any small adjustments you need as you kneel to ensure this happens.
Last tip: always use both hands to lift and lower the weight over your shoulder when you start and finish this exercise. This helps protect your shoulder.
How do you make Turkish outfit easier?
If you are new to Turkish attire, get into the movement wearing only your body weight to start and master one step at a time. Practice the following sequence, demonstrated by Mallory Creveling, Associate Editor for Health and Fitness at Bicycling and certified personal trainer and kettlebell instructor, so you can learn proper form. Do not proceed to the next step until you feel confident in your ability to perform the previous steps.
Step 1: Quarter Raise (up to the forearm):
Steps 1-2: Half Raised (by hand):
Steps 1-3: Rise to the bridge position:
You can also practice kneeling down to your T and getting back up:
Once you’ve mastered these steps with just your body weight, try a full outfit with one shoe:
Make a fist with the arm that’s supposed to be holding the weight and balance a shoe on those knuckles. Your goal is to get through the entire movement without the shoe falling off, says Revier. This iteration helps with shoulder mobility and awareness of shoulder position.
Once you’ve mastered the full outfit with one shoe, you’re ready to try the move with a Russian weights. the correct weight it will feel challenging, but still allow you to maintain proper alignment throughout the movement, says Pierson. If you’re having trouble maintaining good form, switch to a lighter weight. Practice each step of the lift again with the weight, before performing the entire exercise with the weight.
Quick warning for those with lower back pain or knee problems: The transition from bridge to kneeling or lunge to standing can be difficult, respectively. In that case, keep half or a quarter of the outfit.
Also, if you can’t fully extend your arm overhead, you’ll want to avoid loading this movement and work on shoulder mobility exercises First.
Do you already have the exercise ready? You can increase the difficulty of the lift by selecting a heavier weight and/or increasing the number of repetitions. Keep in mind: Turkish attire should never be done at a fast pace, says Revier. But once you’ve mastered the movement patterns, you can increase the difficulty by removing some of the pauses between steps (which will also come with practice).
What are the benefits of Turkish attire?
Many cyclists have tight hips due to the hours spent sitting in the saddle, and the hip bridge component of Turkish attire can help combat this stiffness. That, in turn, can increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury, explains Pierson.
In addition, Turkish attire is ideal for core activation and strengththat can help riders stay stable on the bike, especially when pedaling on twisty roads or unstable terrain, adds Pierson.
Also, the part of the Turkish lift when you go from a half-kneeling position to a standing position is an abrupt and powerful movement that can translate into better leg drive and a downward stroke. pedaling motion on the bike, says Revier.
Another benefit of the Turkish lift: It’s a unilateral movement (meaning one side is working at a time), which can help riders identify and ultimately correct strength and mobility. imbalances that exist when one side is stronger (or weaker) than the other.
Finally, Turkish clothing can improve shoulder mobility and stabilitywhich can help counteract the stooped posture that many cyclists develop due to leaning forward on the bike.
How often should you do Turkish attire?
Cyclists must do full body strength training two or three times a week, and Turkish attire is a great step to incorporate into those sessions, says Pierson. Just make sure you’re not strength training the same muscle groups on consecutive days. As a general rule of thumb, Revier recommends giving your muscles a rest of at least 48 hours between strength sessions.
Because the Turkish lift is a complex movement, Revier recommends starting with just one rep per side per set and doing three to five sets total. Once he is more proficient in the movement and can do it with fewer pauses, he can increase the intensity by doing several reps per set.
If you’re still learning Turkish attire, and therefore doing it with light or no weights, you can do it more regularly than two (or three) times a week, says Revier. However, once he starts using a heaviest weight, reduce it to the recommended two or three weekly sessions; this will ensure that you don’t overwork your muscles.
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