The half situp is an abdominal exercise performed with body weight. It involves curling the upper body off the ground to a 45 degree angle, primarily targeting the abs and secondarily engaging the hip flexors.
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
•Curl up until your torso reaches roughly 45 degrees, then lower back down with control.
•Keep your feet flat on the floor without anchoring them under anything to keep the abs doing the work.
•Exhale as you curl up and inhale as you lower to maintain steady breathing.
Common Mistakes
•Going all the way up into a full sit-up, which recruits the hip flexors excessively.
•Anchoring the feet, which allows the hip flexors to dominate the movement.
•Using a jerky motion to get past the sticking point rather than controlled ab contraction.