Sit-Up
A full-range supine trunk curl that sits the torso up from the floor with the knees bent.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with the knees bent and the feet on the floor.
- Cross the hands on the chest, or keep them ready to reach toward the shins.
- Brace the abdominals and keep the neck from yanking the head forward.
- Curl the trunk off the floor, then continue until the torso is near upright.
- Pause briefly at the top without using a jerk to finish the sit.
- Lower slowly to the start without thumping the spine into the floor.
Key technique cue
Don't yank with the neck — lift with the abs and lower without a thud.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pulling on the head if the hands go behind the neck.
- ✕ Letting the neck lead instead of curling from the trunk.
- ✕ Dropping back and slamming the spine into the floor.
- ✕ Using a hip jerk so the legs do the sit instead of the abdominals.
Benefits
- ✓ Trains the abdominals through a full flexion range rather than a short crunch.
- ✓ Needs no equipment, so it fits home, hotel, and test-day programming.
- ✓ Scales by arm position, from hands on the chest to a reach toward the shins.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Sit-Up
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Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The sit-up is a full-range abdominal curl. You lie on your back, bend the knees, and curl the trunk until the torso is near upright, then lower under control. Where a crunch stops as the shoulder blades clear the floor, the sit-up continues into hip flexion, so the hip flexors work with the abdominal wall. Hands may rest on the chest or reach toward the shins at the top. The feet stay on the floor throughout.
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