Sit-UpMuscles Worked
Sit-ups work your abs, mainly the rectus abdominis, as you curl your torso up off the floor. Unlike a crunch, you rise all the way toward your thighs, so your hip flexors help finish each rep.
PrimaryAbs
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat, tucked under a pad or held by a partner.
- Cross your arms over your chest, or rest your fingertips lightly beside your head without pulling on it.
- Breathe out and curl up one vertebra at a time, starting with your head and shoulders, until your chest comes close to your thighs.
- Pause briefly at the top with your abs tight.
- Lower yourself back down slowly, rolling down through your spine until your shoulders touch the floor.
Form tips
- Lead with your chest, not your head, and keep about a fist's distance between your chin and chest.
- Control the way down instead of dropping back, since the lowering half trains your abs too.
- If you can only get up by swinging your arms, shorten the range or work on crunches until your abs get stronger.
Why it made the list
More ab exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Sit-Up sets in KasMaker and watch your abs fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
