Muscles worked
The V-sit hold is one of the harder static core exercises. Your hip flexors do much of the work of holding your legs up, while the rectus abdominis keeps your pelvis and upper body in position so you do not tip backwards. Straight legs give a long lever and are the hardest version, while bent knees make it much easier. Arms reaching forward help your balance, and raising them overhead makes it harder.
Common mistakes
- You sit on your tailbone. Leaning too far back puts the pressure on your tailbone. Find your balance just behind your sit bones and lean back no further than you need to.
- You insist on straight legs from day one. Your legs shake, your back gives way and the set lasts a few seconds. Start with bent knees and straighten your legs a little more each week your form holds.
- Your feet sink during the set. As your hip flexors tire, your feet drift down and the V opens. Choose a height before you start and end the set when your feet no longer stay there.
Variations and alternatives
- The hollow hold is done lying on your back and is good groundwork, as balance plays no part.
- V-ups turn the V into a movement: you open and close your body instead of holding it still.
- The seated knee tuck trains the same muscles in motion from a bench and is easier to dose.
Sets and reps
Three to five sets of 10 to 30 seconds, with the same rest or a little more, is a good plan. If you are new, split a set into short holds with a few seconds' pause until you reach the time. In the guide to sets and reps you can read more about how rest affects the next set.
Make the exercise harder in three steps: straighten your legs more, move your arms from forward to overhead, and hold for longer. That is progressive overload with your own body as the load. Pain in your lower back or hip is not the same as tiredness: if you feel it, stop the exercise and have a doctor or physiotherapist look at it.