Core · Bodyweight
Lying Tuck-up
How to do the lying tuck-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 flat on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight. Crunch up by drawing your knees toward your chest and reaching your hands toward your shins, balancing on your hips. Lower under control back to the long position and repeat.
- 1Feel your abs crunch as your knees and chest draw together
- 2Balance on your hips and let the core control the movement
- 3Lower slowly and keep tension in the midsection the whole time
Common mistakes
- Do not yank your knees up with momentum
- Avoid pulling with your neck or hip flexors instead of your abs
- Do not let your feet or shoulders crash to the floor between reps
Muscles worked
The lying tuck-up mainly works the upper abs and lower abs, with the hip flexors and obliques assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the lying tuck-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.