Abs exercise
V-UpHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Abs
- Also works
- Hip flexors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the V-Up?
- Lie on your back with legs straight and arms overhead.
- Press your lower back into the floor and lift your arms and legs slightly off it.
- Lift your legs and upper body together, reaching your hands towards your toes.
- Lower slowly back to the start without letting your feet or shoulders touch down.
Cues
- Legs straight, squeezed together.
- Reach for your toes, not your knees.
- Lower slowly, back stays flat.
Common mistakes
- Back arching on the way down: lower more slowly and keep your ribs pulled down.
- Bending the knees: lift only as high as you can with straight legs.
- Using momentum: pause at the top and move with control.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Classic straight-leg V-up from a hovering hollow start: arms and legs lift together and meet in a V balanced on the buttocks, then lower without the feet or shoulders touching down (Healthline's version). ACE's "V-ups" page builds up a seated V-sit instead; its bracing cues still apply.
Starting position
Lying on the back, legs straight and squeezed together, arms straight overhead beside the ears. Ribs pulled down so the lower back presses into the floor; arms and legs lifted 15–30 cm off the floor (source: 6–12 in), head and shoulder blades just off the floor.
The movement
In one smooth movement, lift the straight legs and the trunk at the same time while the arms sweep forward and up to reach towards the toes. At the top the body balances on the buttocks in a V. Lower both ends together under control back to the hovering start. Legs stay straight and together; the arms stay straight; the head stays in line with the trunk rather than reaching forward.
Breathing
Breathe out on the way up, in on the way down.
Tempo
1 s up, 0.5 s balance at the top, 1.5 s down to the hover (3 s).
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Paths: hands sweep a forward arc over the face; feet rise in an arc around the hips.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The V-Up is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
