Core · Bodyweight
Sit-up Stand-up
How to do the sit-up stand-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
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Perform a full sit-up, then continue the momentum forward, tuck your feet, and stand all the way up to standing. Reverse the motion to lower back to the floor and repeat.
- 1Feel your core drive the sit-up before you rise
- 2Use your legs to power up to standing
- 3Control the descent back down to the floor
Common mistakes
- Do not yank your head or neck to sit up
- Avoid crashing back down to the floor
- Do not round and strain your lower back standing up
Muscles worked
The sit-up stand-up mainly works the upper abs, lower abs, quads, and hip flexors, with the glutes, lower back, obliques, and hamstrings assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- GlutesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the sit-up stand-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.