Ab Mat Sit-up
The Ab Mat Sit-up targets your abdominal muscles while providing support for your lower back.
- Lie on your back on an ab mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your head.
- Engage your core and lift your upper body towards your knees.
- Lower back down to the starting position with control.
How to perform the Ab Mat Sit-up
- Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Ab Mat Sit-up using your body weight.
- Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
- Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.
Coaching cues
- Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
- Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
- Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight and losing positional control.
- Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
- Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.
Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.
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