Abs & core
Straight Leg Sit Ups
A full sit up with your legs straight out on the floor. You roll all the way down and all the way up to reach for your toes, which works your abs through a long range.
- Works
- Core, hip flexors
- Equipment
- A mat
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Sit on a mat with your legs straight out in front of you, feet flexed, arms reaching toward your toes.
- 2Tuck your chin a little and roll down slowly, one part of your spine at a time, until you're lying flat with your arms overhead.
- 3Bring your arms forward, brace your abs and curl up, lifting your head, then your shoulders, then your back off the mat.
- 4Sit all the way up and reach for your toes, then roll back down with control.
Cues
- Roll up and down one part of your spine at a time.
- Ribs down and lower back on the mat when you're lying flat.
- Breathe out as you sit up.
Common mistakes
- Throwing yourself up. Swinging your arms hard takes the work off your abs. Curl up smoothly instead.
- Legs lifting off the floor. Press your heels into the mat. If they still pop up, bend your knees a little.
- Dropping back down. Lower slowly. The way down works your abs as much as the way up.
Easier
Bend your knees and plant your feet, or hold the backs of your thighs and walk your hands up them as you sit up.
Harder
Take 3 or 4 seconds to roll down, or cross your arms over your chest instead of reaching.
Try it: 3 rounds of 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off.
What's the difference between a sit up and a crunch?
A crunch lifts only your head and shoulders. A sit up comes all the way up to sitting, which brings in your hip flexors as well as your abs. Straight legs make it harder than a bent knee sit up.
