How to do the 3 4 Sit Up
CoreAbsBodyweightIntermediate
The 3/4 sit up is a precision core builder that targets your abs through a controlled range of motion, eliminating the hip flexor dominance that kills most full sit-up variations. Master this movement and you build genuine abdominal strength that transfers to every athletic demand you face.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
AbdominalsObliques
Secondary
Hip flexorsLower back
Step-by-step
- Lie flat on your back with knees bent, feet planted hip-width apart, and arms crossed over your chest or extended forward.
- Brace your core and curl your torso upward, lifting your shoulder blades and mid-back fully off the floor.
- Stop at the three-quarter point, just before your lower back leaves the floor, and hold the peak contraction for one full count.
- Lower yourself slowly under control back to the starting position, resisting gravity the entire way down.
Common mistakes
- Shooting past the 3/4 mark and converting to a full sit-up, which shifts load onto the hip flexors instead of the abs — stop deliberately at the three-quarter position every single rep.
- Using momentum by swinging the arms or jerking the head forward to initiate the rise — eliminate this by moving slowly and leading the movement with your sternum, not your neck.
- Collapsing back to the floor without resistance on the descent — treat the lowering phase as equal work by taking at least two full seconds to return to the start.
Pro tip — Exhale forcefully as you curl upward and actively pull your ribcage toward your pelvis rather than just lifting your shoulders, creating true spinal flexion that maximizes ab recruitment and keeps every rep honest.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps
Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.
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