Core · Bodyweight
Roman Chair Sit-up
How to do the roman chair sit-up, 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
Set up on a Roman chair or hyperextension bench facing up, with your feet anchored under the pads and your hips at the edge of the support. Lower your torso back until your body is in line with or slightly below your hips, then crunch your torso up by contracting your abs. Lower under control and repeat for reps.
- 1Abs contracting to pull your torso up from the lowered position
- 2Feet anchored firmly so your core does the lifting
- 3A controlled stretch through your abs as you lower back down
Common mistakes
- Hauling yourself up with momentum or a hip flexor swing
- Lowering so far that you arch and strain your lower back
- Yanking your head or neck forward with your hands
Muscles worked
The roman chair sit-up mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, hip flexors, and obliques assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- QuadsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the roman chair 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.