Straight Leg Sit-up

Description

How to Do Straight Leg Sit-up

1. 1
   Setup

   Lie supine on the floor with your legs extended straight, feet together, and arms either extended overhead or crossed over your chest.

2. 2
   Setup

   Actively engage your core, pressing your lower back into the floor to maintain a neutral spine and prevent arching.

3. 3

   Exhale as you initiate the movement by contracting your rectus abdominis, rolling your torso up off the floor towards your knees.

4. 4

   Continue to lift your torso until your chest is close to your thighs, ensuring your legs remain straight and your heels stay grounded.

5. 5

   Inhale as you slowly and with control reverse the movement, articulating your spine segment by segment back down to the starting position.

Tips

• Control the descent: Avoid flopping back down; control the eccentric phase to maximize muscle engagement and protect your spine.
• Keep legs straight: Actively press your heels into the floor and engage your quadriceps throughout the entire movement to prevent your knees from bending.
• Focus on core engagement: Initiate the movement from your abdominal muscles, not by yanking your neck or using excessive momentum from your arms.
• Vary arm position: Crossing your arms over your chest increases difficulty, while extending them overhead can provide counter-leverage, making the exercise slightly easier.

Common Mistakes

• ×Using momentum: Avoid swinging your arms or yanking your neck to get up; instead, focus on a slow, controlled abdominal contraction to lift your torso.
• ×Lifting heels or bending knees: Keep your heels pressed firmly into the floor and your legs straight throughout the entire movement by engaging your quads and glutes.
• ×Arching the lower back: Do not allow your lower back to arch excessively off the floor during the movement; maintain a slight posterior pelvic tilt by engaging your core.