The sit-up takes you all the way to seated: more range than a crunch, and more work for the hip flexors.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor — hook them under something or have a partner hold them. Cross your arms on your chest. Curl up from your head and shoulder blades, then sit all the way up.
Execution
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet anchored, arms crossed on your chest.
Exhale and curl your torso up to sitting.
Inhale and lower slowly.
Common mistakes
Yanking your head with your hands — arms on your chest, don't pull your neck.
Rising with a flat back from the hips — curl first, then sit up.
Flopping back down — lower one vertebra at a time.
