The curlup is a bodyweight exercise targeting the abdominal muscles. It involves lying on your back, bending your knees, and curling your upper body towards your knees to engage the abs.
Also Works
Hip Flexors
How to Perform
1
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2
Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
3
Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45 degree angle.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Place one hand under your lower back to monitor that it stays in a neutral position throughout the movement.
•Lift only your head and shoulders off the floor; this is a small, controlled movement, not a full sit-up.
•Brace your abs before each rep and maintain that bracing throughout the curl.
Common Mistakes
•Curling up too far, which engages the hip flexors and increases spinal flexion beyond what is beneficial.
•Pulling on the neck with the hands, which strains the cervical spine and reduces ab activation.
•Losing the neutral lower back position during the curl, allowing the lumbar spine to flatten or arch excessively.