Core · Bodyweight
Fast Sit-up Slow Down
How to do the fast sit-up slow down, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Sit up quickly to bring your chest toward your thighs, then lower yourself back down slowly under control over three to four seconds.
- 1Drive up fast using your abs, not your neck or arms
- 2Fight the descent slowly so your abs stay under tension the whole way down
- 3Keep your lower back rounding to the floor one vertebra at a time on the way down
Common mistakes
- Don't yank on your head or throw your arms to get up
- Don't drop fast on the way down; the slow lower is the work
- Don't anchor your feet and pull with your hip flexors
Muscles worked
The fast sit-up slow down mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, hip flexors, and obliques assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the fast sit-up slow down 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.