Trunk-curl sit-up

Bodyweight

Also called modified sit-up

A bent-knee sit-up that curls the spine up one segment at a time instead of hinging up stiff from the hips, so the abs do more of the work and the hip flexors less.

Tuck the chin and curl the ribs toward the pelvis first
Keep curling until you sit up
Roll back down one segment at a time

Movement

Pattern: Trunk flexion
Type: Isolation, one joint moves
Sides: Both sides together
Equipment: None
Variation of: Sit-up

Muscles worked

Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.

Core

AbsMain
ObliquesHelper

Ratings

Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.

Muscle growth higher is better3.0
Solid; a reasonable default. 1 source.
By muscle: Abs 3.0 (1).
- 3/5 In 18 trained men, the trunk-flexion sit-up gave higher mean rectus abdominis and oblique EMG but lower peak oblique EMG than the traditional sit-up, which drove the hip flexor harder. Sullivan et al., Effect of Traditional vs. Modified Bent-Knee Sit-Up on Abdominal and Hip Flexor Muscle Electromyographic Activity. @ Abstractfor abspaperMechanism2015checked by AI