TGU Workshop
Welcome to our TGU workshop. Here we will break down the exercise into planes of movement, transitions, grips, pauses and physiology. Discussed step-by-step, with details about how to flow with the correct form from one transition to the next.
Introduction
Collecting The Kettlebell
- Lie on your back in a starfish position with your legs straight out at a 45-degree angle and arms out at a 45-degree angle.
- Ensure the KB is next to the shoulder on the side you’re working.
- Roll onto your side facing the KB. Using both hands ‘cradle’ the KB. The working hand grips the kettlebell handle, and the opposite hand covers the base for support.
- Roll onto your back, taking the KB with you. The KB will now rest on your stomach.
Collecting The Kettlebell
- Press the KB so your arm is now perpendicular to the floor, using either one hand or both. Once the KB is in position above your head/upper torso, return the supporting arm to the floor. The leading arm should now be fully extended with the KB above your body.
- Lockout the elbow, and pull the loaded shoulder into its socket. This is known as ‘packing’ the shoulder to help stabilize the load. Keep the wrist neutral and don’t let it bend back on itself. The leading arms wrist, elbow, and shoulder should now be in alignment.
Positioning the KB
- Press the KB so your arm is now perpendicular to the floor, using either one hand or both. Once the KB is in position above your head/upper torso, return the supporting arm to the floor. The leading arm should now be fully extended with the KB above your body.
- Lockout the elbow, and pull the loaded shoulder into its socket. This is known as ‘packing’ the shoulder to help stabilize the load. Keep the wrist neutral and don’t let it bend back on itself. The leading arms wrist, elbow, and shoulder should now be in alignment.
Positioning the KB
- Press the KB so your arm is now perpendicular to the floor, using either one hand or both. Once the KB is in position above your head/upper torso, return the supporting arm to the floor. The leading arm should now be fully extended with the KB above your body.
- Lockout the elbow, and pull the loaded shoulder into its socket. This is known as ‘packing’ the shoulder to help stabilize the load. Keep the wrist neutral and don’t let it bend back on itself. The leading arms wrist, elbow, and shoulder should now be in alignment.
- Bend the knee on the side of the ‘leading arm’ (the arm that is holding the KB). The knee should be bent at approximately 90 degrees and moved slightly outwards. The leading leg’s foot should be flat on the floor, inches from and slightly external (to the outside) of your hip.
- Place the opposite arm on the floor approximately 45 degrees from the body.
- The opposite leg should be straight, with the heel only touching the ground.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
- Bend the knee on the side of the ‘leading arm’ (the arm that is holding the KB). The knee should be bent at approximately 90 degrees and moved slightly outwards. The leading leg’s foot should be flat on the floor, inches from and slightly external (to the outside) of your hip.
- Place the opposite arm on the floor approximately 45 degrees from the body.
- The opposite leg should be straight, with the heel only touching the ground.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
Sitting up
- Inhale and hold the breath for the first part of the lift. Contract the core muscles.
- Push up through the floor using your lead foot and supporting with the opposite to come up to a raised position. Your opposite hand and the lead foot will be the two main areas of support here and under a lot of pressure.
- Your opposite elbow should now be on the floor, with the KB in the lead arm overhead. Pause briefly here for half a second and exhale.
Sitting up
- Inhale and hold the breath for the first part of the lift. Contract the core muscles.
- Push up through the floor using your lead foot and supporting with the opposite to come up to a raised position. Your opposite hand and the lead foot will be the two main areas of support here and under a lot of pressure.
- Your opposite elbow should now be on the floor, with the KB in the lead arm overhead. Pause briefly here for half a second and exhale.
- From here roll up onto the hand. The transitions are important here so make sure you don’t miss any steps along the way. It’s very easy to go straight up onto the hand and bypass the elbow.
- Your chest should be facing the wall in front of you, not facing the ceiling. Whilst in this position, your supporting shoulder should be packed.
- From this position, place your left palm on the floor and push into the floor to raise your body further. Contract your abdominals to pull your body into a seated position. Keep the supporting shoulder packed throughout the transition.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
- From here roll up onto the hand. The transitions are important here so make sure you don’t miss any steps along the way. It’s very easy to go straight up onto the hand and bypass the elbow.
- Your chest should be facing the wall in front of you, not facing the ceiling. Whilst in this position, your supporting shoulder should be packed.
- From this position, place your left palm on the floor and push into the floor to raise your body further. Contract your abdominals to pull your body into a seated position. Keep the supporting shoulder packed throughout the transition.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
Sweeping the Leg
- From the seated position, squeeze the glutes and lift the hips off the ground high enough to be able to ‘sweep’ your extended leg underneath your body.
- Performing a glute bridge with the extended leg, keeping the supporting arm extended and stable on the floor. Hold briefly and tense the core.
- At this point, you’ll support yourself at three points. The supporting extended arm on the floor; the heel of the straight leg, and the surface of your flat foot.
- Don’t slouch the shoulder of the supporting arm (easy to ignore). With both arms ensure you maintain the vertical alignment of the shoulder, elbow and wrist in the KB in the lead hand.
Sweeping the Leg
- From the seated position, squeeze the glutes and lift the hips off the ground high enough to be able to ‘sweep’ your extended leg underneath your body.
- Performing a glute bridge with the extended leg, keeping the supporting arm extended and stable on the floor. Hold briefly and tense the core.
- At this point, you’ll support yourself at three points. The supporting extended arm on the floor; the heel of the straight leg, and the surface of your flat foot.
- Don’t slouch the shoulder of the supporting arm (easy to ignore). With both arms ensure you maintain the vertical alignment of the shoulder, elbow and wrist in the KB in the lead hand.
- Now ‘sweep’ your extended left leg underneath your body so that it ends up underneath you. Your supporting knee should be in alignment with your supporting hand on the floor. The supporting knee should also be stacked directly underneath the hip and the distance between the knee and supporting hand should be about the same length as your torso.
- You’ll end up in a position that makes your legs appear to be 90 degrees from each other. One knee will be pointing straight ahead, and the other should point directly at the hand on the floor.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
- Now ‘sweep’ your extended left leg underneath your body so that it ends up underneath you. Your supporting knee should be in alignment with your supporting hand on the floor. The supporting knee should also be stacked directly underneath the hip and the distance between the knee and supporting hand should be about the same length as your torso.
- You’ll end up in a position that makes your legs appear to be 90 degrees from each other. One knee will be pointing straight ahead, and the other should point directly at the hand on the floor.
- Keep your eyes on the KB at all times.
From Kneeling to Lunge
- From this position, shift the weight back towards the heel of your supporting knee. Using the oblique muscles come to the half-kneeling position Take your support hand off the floor and move your body upright, keeping the kettlebell overhead.
- Here your lead knee should be at 90-degrees, pointing directly ahead of you and the support knee should also be at a 90-degree angle but pointing towards your side.“Windshield wiper” the leg that’s on the ground so that both legs are now parallel to each other, in a lunge position.
From Kneeling to Lunge
- From this position, shift the weight back towards the heel of your supporting knee. Using the oblique muscles come to the half-kneeling position Take your support hand off the floor and move your body upright, keeping the kettlebell overhead.
- Here your lead knee should be at 90-degrees, pointing directly ahead of you and the support knee should also be at a 90-degree angle but pointing towards your side.“Windshield wiper” the leg that’s on the ground so that both legs are now parallel to each other, in a lunge position.
- Sweep the supporting lower leg outwards, so that the knee is no longer pointing out to the side but is instead directly in front of you. All of your lower limbs should be in alignment now and the body in a lunge position. Only the lead foot and the supporting knee should be in contact with the floor.
- The load should be stacked vertically overhead in the lead hand.
- At this point, shift your gaze so you are looking straight ahead.
- Sweep the supporting lower leg outwards, so that the knee is no longer pointing out to the side but is instead directly in front of you. All of your lower limbs should be in alignment now and the body in a lunge position. Only the lead foot and the supporting knee should be in contact with the floor.
- The load should be stacked vertically overhead in the lead hand.
- At this point, shift your gaze so you are looking straight ahead.
Standing from the lunge position
- Drive through your back foot and hips, up onto your front leading foot.
- Step forward while engaging the core and supporting the load overhead. Come stable in the standing position.
- Keep looking forward throughout this transition.
- Pause briefly in this position.
- You are halfway there.
Standing from the lunge position
- Drive through your back foot and hips, up onto your front leading foot.
- Step forward while engaging the core and supporting the load overhead. Come stable in the standing position.
- Keep looking forward throughout this transition.
- Pause briefly in this position.
- You are halfway there.
Reversing the TGU
Don’t be fooled into thinking the descent will be easy, this part will be relying much on eccentric muscle contractions as opposed to concentric. The emphasis is on slow control and stabilization rather than the big power pushes associated with the ascent.
- From the standing position, it is simply a case of reversing each stage of the TGU, until you are back where you started on the floor.
- Looking straight ahead, step back into a reverse lunge position so that your knee is making contact with the floor.
- “Windshield wiper” the supporting back leg so it is perpendicular to the leading front leg (as in facing slightly sideways again). So you are back again in the ‘open’ kneeling position.
- Fold into the hips of your supporting side and place the supporting hand in front of the same side knee on the floor. It should be roughly a torso’s length away from the knee.
- At this point change your focus from staring straight ahead to eyes back on the KB once again.
- Shifting your weight back onto your supporting hand (now back on the floor). ‘Sweep’ the supporting leg out from under you. Then once again sit your butt down on the ground with the support leg extended.
- Rollback down onto your supporting elbow, keep your supporting limbs from slouching (can impinge the shoulder muscles!!) Keep the shoulder packed so the head of the humerus rests firmly in your shoulder joint socket. From there, roll down back onto your shoulders and finally onto your back.
- Lower the kettlebell with two hands to your stomach, then roll back onto your side and return the KB to the floor.
Standing from the lunge position
Don’t be fooled into thinking the descent will be easy, this part will be relying much on eccentric muscle contractions as opposed to concentric. The emphasis is on slow control and stabilization rather than the big power pushes associated with the ascent.
- From the standing position, it is simply a case of reversing each stage of the TGU, until you are back where you started on the floor.
- Looking straight ahead, step back into a reverse lunge position so that your knee is making contact with the floor.
- “Windshield wiper” the supporting back leg so it is perpendicular to the leading front leg (as in facing slightly sideways again). So you are back again in the ‘open’ kneeling position.
- Fold into the hips of your supporting side and place the supporting hand in front of the same side knee on the floor. It should be roughly a torso’s length away from the knee.
- At this point change your focus from staring straight ahead to eyes back on the KB once again.
- Shifting your weight back onto your supporting hand (now back on the floor). ‘Sweep’ the supporting leg out from under you. Then once again sit your butt down on the ground with the support leg extended.
- Rollback down onto your supporting elbow, keep your supporting limbs from slouching (can impinge the shoulder muscles!!) Keep the shoulder packed so the head of the humerus rests firmly in your shoulder joint socket. From there, roll down back onto your shoulders and finally onto your back.
- Lower the kettlebell with two hands to your stomach, then roll back onto your side and return the KB to the floor.
Summary of how to undertake a TGU:
Summary of how to undertake a TGU:
TGU Standards
- The wrist on the kettlebell side is neutral.
- The elbow on the kettlebell side is locked and the shoulder is packed.
- The shoulder of the free arm does not shrug up.
- The heel of the foot on the kettlebell side stays planted during the low sweep, the lunge up to standing, and the reverse of these actions.
- The knee touches the deck slightly on the descent into the half-kneeling position.
- The arm holding the kettlebell is vertical or almost vertical. The neck is neutral for the top half of the movement, from the lunge up. In the top position, the knees are locked and the lower back does not hyperextend.
- It is recommended that the movement is smooth, without jerky transitions.
- This TGU can take some time to perfect. Be patient and disciplined and get each of the transitions right before adding weight. The many benefits the TGU provides far outweigh any fall shorts this exercise may have. Take the time, and the patience to master this movement and add another vital tool to your training arsenal. You won’t regret it.
TGU Standards
- The wrist on the kettlebell side is neutral.
- The elbow on the kettlebell side is locked and the shoulder is packed.
- The shoulder of the free arm does not shrug up.
- The heel of the foot on the kettlebell side stays planted during the low sweep, the lunge up to standing, and the reverse of these actions.
- The knee touches the deck slightly on the descent into the half-kneeling position.
- The arm holding the kettlebell is vertical or almost vertical. The neck is neutral for the top half of the movement, from the lunge up. In the top position, the knees are locked and the lower back does not hyperextend.
- It is recommended that the movement is smooth, without jerky transitions.
- This TGU can take some time to perfect. Be patient and disciplined and get each of the transitions right before adding weight. The many benefits the TGU provides far outweigh any fall shorts this exercise may have. Take the time, and the patience to master this movement and add another vital tool to your training arsenal. You won’t regret it.
If you have found our TGU Workshop helpful please share or feel free to comment below 
Related Posts
