Sit-Up
Also known as: Situp, Full Sit-Up, Prisoner Sit-Up, Sit-Ups, Abdominal Sit-Up
Body region
Muscles
Main
Helps
Holds
Technique
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, anchored under a pad or held by a partner if needed.
- Cross your arms over your chest or rest your fingertips lightly beside your head.
- Curl your head and shoulders off the floor, then keep rolling up until your torso is upright.
- Lower yourself back down one vertebra at a time until your shoulders touch the floor.
Cues
- Lead with the chest, not the chin.
- Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down.
- Control the descent instead of dropping back.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on the head or neck with the hands.
- Using momentum to swing up from the floor.
- Arching the lower back off the floor at the start of the rep.