Dumbbell Situp

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor or anchored under a pad.
2. Hold a dumbbell against your chest with both hands, hugging it close to your sternum.
3. Brace your core and tuck your chin slightly toward your chest before starting the rep.
4. Sit all the way up by curling your torso forward until your elbows pass over your knees.
5. Pause briefly at the top, keeping the dumbbell tight against your chest the whole time.
6. Lower yourself back down slowly under control until your shoulder blades touch the floor.

Common mistakes

• Yanking the head and neck forward to start the rep, which strains the neck instead of the abs.
• Dropping back down quickly and bouncing off the floor instead of controlling the lowering phase.
• Holding the dumbbell out in front of the chest, which loads the shoulders instead of the abs.
• Hooking the feet too aggressively under a pad, which lets the hip flexors do most of the work.