GHD Sit Up

How to do it

1. Set the GHD so your hips sit just behind the pad when you sit on it facing up, feet locked under the rollers.
2. Sit upright with knees slightly bent and arms reaching forward.
3. Lean back with control until the torso is parallel to the floor or slightly below.
4. Straighten the knees slightly and drive the torso back up to sitting, reaching the hands toward the feet.
5. Return to upright and repeat without pausing on the way down.

Tips

• Start with a partial range, stopping at parallel, and extend it over time.
• Keep the stomach braced so the lower back does not hang in an arch at the bottom.

Common mistakes

• Dropping far below parallel before you have built up to it.
• Letting the head and arms fling back at the bottom.
• Doing high reps on the first session.

Muscles worked by the GHD Sit Up

• Upper abs Primary34%
• Lower abs Primary22%
• Hip flexors Secondary20%
• Obliques Secondary17%
• Quads (rectus femoris) Minor7%

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). Starting below parallel makes the hip flexors work hard. Curling the ribcage toward the pelvis is spinal flexion by rectus abdominis, with the obliques assisting; a full sit up adds the hip flexors.

GHD Sit Up alternatives

Same equipment

• Roman Chair Sit UpMachine

Different equipment

• Decline Weighted Sit UpOther equipment
• Decline Bench CrunchOther equipment

Easier

• Weighted Sit UpOther equipment
• Butterfly Sit UpBodyweight

No equipment

• Sit UpBodyweight

Make it harder

• Decline Weighted Sit UpOther equipment

Make it easier

• Jackknife Sit UpBodyweight
• Tuck UpBodyweight
• Decline Sit UpBodyweight
• Decline Bench CrunchOther equipment

Similar exercises

• Ab Crunch MachineMachine
• Seated Ab MachineMachine

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the GHD Sit Up work?

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

Is the GHD Sit Up good for beginners?

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

What is a good alternative to the GHD Sit Up?

For example the Roman Chair Sit Up, Sit Up and Weighted Sit Up. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the GHD Sit Up harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Decline Weighted Sit Up.

Sources

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

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