Decline Weighted Sit Up

How to do it

1. Lock your feet under the rollers of a decline bench and sit up holding a weight plate.
2. Hold the plate flat against your chest with both hands and lie back with the head at the low end.
3. Curl up by lifting the head and shoulders first, then the rest of the torso.
4. Sit up until the torso is upright, keeping the plate pinned to the chest.
5. Lower slowly, rolling the spine back onto the pad.

Tips

• Hold the plate high on the chest; holding it farther away makes it much harder.
• Add weight in small steps and keep the lowering slow.

Common mistakes

• Pushing the plate forward to help sit up.
• Dropping into the bottom with the weight.
• Using a plate so heavy you jerk every rep.

Muscles worked by the Decline Weighted Sit Up

• Upper abs Primary37%
• Lower abs Primary31%
• Obliques Secondary19%
• Hip flexors Minor9%
• Quads (rectus femoris) Minor4%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Sitting all the way up adds hip flexion (Escamilla 2006). A decline bench increases the range against gravity. Curling the ribcage toward the pelvis is spinal flexion by rectus abdominis, with the obliques assisting; a full sit up adds the hip flexors.

Decline Weighted Sit Up alternatives

Same equipment

• Weighted Decline CrunchOther equipment

Different equipment

• Cable Crunch StandingCable
• Seated Ab MachineMachine

Easier

• Decline Bench CrunchOther equipment
• Decline CrunchBodyweight

No equipment

• Decline Sit UpBodyweight

Make it easier

• Decline Sit UpBodyweight
• V-UpBodyweight
• GHD Sit UpMachine
• Roman Chair Sit UpMachine

Similar exercises

• Weighted CrunchOther equipment
• Weighted Sit UpOther equipment
• Stability Ball CrunchOther equipment
• Swiss Ball CrunchOther equipment

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Decline Weighted Sit Up work?

Mainly the upper abs and lower abs. The obliques assist.

Is the Decline Weighted Sit Up good for beginners?

The Decline Weighted Sit Up is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Decline Sit Up first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Decline Weighted Sit Up?

For example the Decline Sit Up, Decline Bench Crunch and Decline Crunch. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

• Escamilla et al. 2006, Phys Ther 86(5):656-671 (traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises)

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