Core · Bodyweight
Somersault Stand-up
How to do the somersault 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
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
From a crouch, tuck your chin and roll backward over your shoulders into a controlled somersault. Use the momentum to bring your feet under you and rock forward, then stand up in one smooth motion. Keep your core tight and your spine rounded through the roll.
- 1Abs crunching to control the tuck and roll
- 2Legs and glutes driving you up to standing
- 3Core staying braced through the whole transition
Common mistakes
- Rolling on a straight neck instead of a tucked chin
- Throwing yourself with uncontrolled momentum
- Landing flat-footed or off balance coming up
Muscles worked
The somersault stand-up mainly works the lower abs and upper abs, with the quads, glutes, hip flexors, obliques, and hamstrings assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the somersault 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.