Sit Up
Trains the abdominals. No equipment needed. 2 of our free programs use it, across 6 sessions.
Free to use. The app counts your sets, times your rest and remembers every rep.
In the programs
How our programs run the Sit Up
These numbers are counted from the programs themselves, not averaged off the internet.
2of our 50 programs use it
1×15–30the shape they run most (4 sessions)
1:00typical rest between sets
| Program | Session | Sets × Reps | Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madcow 5×5 | Monday — Heavy, Wednesday — Light | 3×15 | Fixed weights |
| Strong Curves (Beginner) | Workout C — Phase 2 | 1×15–30 | Fixed weights |
See it in action
Watch the Sit Up progress week by week
Full runs of 2 programs that use it, session by session, in the real app.
Muscles worked
What Sit Up trains
Technique
How to do the Sit Up
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands lightly behind your ears.
- Engage your core and curl your torso upward, lifting your shoulders and back off the floor until your chest approaches your knees.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower your torso back to the floor with control. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Form cues
Getting it right
- Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands; let your abs do the work.
- Exhale as you sit up and inhale as you lower back down.
- Use a slow, controlled motion rather than momentum to maximize abdominal engagement.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout; anchor them under something stable if needed.
Substitutes
Swap Sit Up for
The app's swap picker ranks these the same way: same muscles, similar movement, similar equipment.
Let the app run the Sit Up for you
Durata times your rest and puts last session's reps in front of you, so you always know the number to beat. That works on any of our 50 free programs, or on a session you put together yourself.