Stronger

Sit Up

Sit Up demonstration

Category

isolation

Difficulty

beginner

Equipment

bodyweight

Force Type

pull

How to Perform the Sit Up

  1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
  2. Place your hands lightly behind your head or cross them over your chest.
  3. Engage your core by bracing your abdominals as if you are about to be punched in the stomach.
  4. Curl your torso upward, lifting your shoulder blades off the ground first, then continuing to rise until your torso is upright.
  5. Exhale as you reach the top position and squeeze your abdominals.
  6. Lower yourself back down slowly under control, keeping your core engaged throughout the descent.
  7. Lightly touch your shoulder blades to the ground before initiating the next rep.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pulling on the neck with the hands

Keep your hands light behind your head or cross them on your chest; your core should do the work, not your arms.

Using momentum to swing up

Perform each rep with a controlled tempo, pausing briefly at the top and bottom to eliminate momentum.

Anchoring feet under something heavy and using hip flexors exclusively

Keep your feet unanchored or lightly held, and focus on initiating the movement by curling your spine, not pulling with your hip flexors.

Muscles Worked

Benefits

  • Strengthens the rectus abdominis and builds core endurance
  • Requires no equipment and can be performed anywhere
  • Improves trunk flexion strength important for sports and daily activities

Pro Tips

  • Exhale forcefully as you rise to fully engage the abdominals.
  • To increase difficulty, hold a weight plate against your chest or perform the movement on a decline bench.
  • Focus on the curling motion of your spine rather than just folding at the hips.

Variations

Recommended Sets & Reps

Strength

4-5 sets of 8-12 reps (weighted)

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 15-20 reps

Endurance

2-3 sets of 25-40 reps

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