Straight Leg Sit-up

Description

How to do Straight Leg Sit-up

1. 01
   Setup

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

2. 02
   Setup

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

3. 03

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

4. 04

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

5. 05

   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.