Core · Bodyweight
Six Inches
How to do the six inches, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back, lift legs about six inches off the ground, and hold the position while engaging your core.
- 1Lift your legs a few inches off the floor and press your lower back down so you feel your lower abs and hip flexors holding the position
- 2Keep your chin tucked and your core braced to maintain tension
- 3Breathe steadily while you hold, you should feel a deep burn in your midsection
Common mistakes
- Don't let your lower back arch off the floor or your legs drift upward
- Avoid holding your breath or straining your neck
- Don't swing your legs or allow them to touch the floor during the hold
Muscles worked
The six inches mainly works the lower abs, upper abs, and hip flexors, with the obliques and quads assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
Six Inches strength standards
See how your six inches ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronze10 reps
Silver23 reps
Gold88 reps
Platinum163 reps
Diamond209 reps
Champion252 reps
Find your rank
Enter your best set of reps.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the six inches 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 April 2026.