Straddle-Up
The Straddle-Up is a variation of the sitting V-Up exercise. It engages transverse abdominis and hip flexors in the compression motion. Straddles also engage the medial glutes, but reduce the lever load for a V-Up, making it slightly less challenging.
- Type Of Exercise: Strength
- Muscles: Abdominals, Hips
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only
Straddle-Up
- Start by lying flat on your back, with your arms overhead and feet together.
- Point your toes and engage your quads.
- To initiate the straddle-up, bring your arms from the overhead position to between your thighs.
- As you do so, sit your torso up tall, straddle your legs apart as wide as possible, and use your core and hips to compress your upper and lower body close together.
- You should now be balancing on your sit bones, with your knees straight and legs straddled apart to at least 90-degrees.
- Pause momentarily before lowering back to the starting position with control.
- Your eventual goal is to be able to sit up tall and, without your chest caving in, compress your legs to nearly vertical.
- Relax momentarily as you lay flat between repetitions.
- Exercise: Tuck-Up
- Type of Exercise: Strength
- Muscles: Abdominals, Hips
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only
- Exercise: V-Up
- Type of Exercise: Strength
- Muscles: Abdominals, Hips
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only
