Sit-up: how to do it, muscles worked and variations
Full trunk flexion from lying down to sitting.
- Main muscles
- Rectus abdominis, Obliques
- Secondary muscles
- Iliopsoas
- Equipment
- Bodyweight, Suspension trainer
- Variations
- 3
All 3 variations
Sit-up
Full trunk flexion from lying down to sitting with the knees bent, working the rectus abdominis and hip flexors.
Form. With your feet planted and knees bent, curl the spine lifting head and shoulders first, come up to sitting and lower one vertebra at a time with control.
Common mistake. Pulling on your head with your hands, coming up with arm momentum, lifting the feet, or dropping on the way down.
Twisting sit-up
Sit-up that ends by rotating the trunk to one side, alternating on every rep to involve the obliques more.
Form. Come up as in a sit-up and, once up, rotate the trunk bringing your shoulder toward the opposite knee; return to center, lower with control and alternate sides.
Common mistake. Turning only the arms or the head, coming up with momentum, lifting the feet, or lowering by dropping.
TRX-assisted sit-up
Sit-up holding the handles of a suspension trainer, which help you up and let you control the descent; a progression toward the free sit-up.
Form. Lying facing the anchor with your knees bent and the handles in your hands, curl the trunk up to sitting using the straps only as much as you need and lower slowly one vertebra at a time.
Common mistake. Pulling only with the arms, lifting the feet, dropping on the way down, or coming up with momentum.
Other exercises for the same muscles
