Core · Bodyweight
Arms Overhead Full Sit-up
How to do the arms overhead full sit-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with knees bent and arms extended straight overhead on the floor. Keeping your arms by your ears, curl your torso all the way up to a seated position, then lower back down under control.
- 1Feel your abs pull your torso up, not your arms or hip flexors
- 2Keep your arms locked by your ears the whole rep
- 3Lower slowly and feel the abs resist on the way down
Common mistakes
- Don't yank your arms forward to throw yourself up
- Avoid pulling on your neck or jerking off the floor
- Don't let your feet fly up as a counterweight
Muscles worked
The arms overhead full sit-up mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, hip flexors, and obliques assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- LatsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the arms overhead full sit-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.