Core · Bodyweight
Sit-up with Arms on Chest
How to do the sit-up with arms on chest, 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 on the floor, arms crossed over your chest. Curl your torso up off the floor until your chest meets your thighs, then lower back down under control. Keeping your arms on your chest removes any pull from your neck or arms.
- 1Feel your abs crunch and curl your torso up off the floor
- 2Keep your arms crossed and chin slightly tucked
- 3Lower slowly, peeling your spine back down one segment at a time
Common mistakes
- Do not yank your head forward with your arms
- Avoid using momentum to bounce up off the floor
- Do not let your feet pop up off the ground
Muscles worked
The sit-up with arms on chest 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 sit-up with arms on chest 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.