Core · Bodyweight
Sit-up Punches
How to do the sit-up punches, 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
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent and fists up by your chin. Crunch up into a full sit-up, then throw two alternating punches straight ahead at the top before lowering your torso back down under control.
- 1Your abs doing the work to lift the torso each rep
- 2Trunk rotating into each punch at the top
- 3Hip flexors assisting as you sit all the way up
Common mistakes
- Yanking on momentum instead of crunching up
- Letting your feet lift off the floor
- Rounding and slamming back down without control
Muscles worked
The sit-up punches mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, obliques, and hip flexors assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the sit-up punches 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.