V-ups: folding into a V shape for advanced core work

The V-up is a core exercise where you lift your straight legs and your straight torso off the floor at the same time, meeting in the middle so your body forms a V shape, then lower both back down together. It looks like a sit-up but demands far more from your abs and hip flexors because both ends of your body are moving against gravity at once.

Muscles worked and why it is harder than it looks

Your abs do the main work of curling your ribs toward your pelvis while your hip flexors lift your legs and your torso at the same time, with your obliques helping keep the movement straight rather than twisting to one side. Because a sit-up or crunch only moves one end of your body, they let the floor support the other half; the V-up removes that support from both ends, which is why it demands so much more core strength and control.

Benefits

V-ups build a strong, coordinated connection between your upper and lower abs, along with balance and body control that carries over to gymnastics- and calisthenics-style movement. They need no equipment and can be scaled up or down easily, making them a useful progression once basic sit-ups and leg raises feel easy. As with any ab exercise, a V-up strengthens and can tone the muscle, but it will not spot-reduce fat from your stomach — that depends on your overall diet and activity level, not which core move you choose.

Technique in detail

Lie flat on your back with your arms extended overhead and your legs straight. In one smooth motion, lift your straight legs and your straight torso off the floor together, reaching your hands toward your toes or shins as your body folds into a V, balancing briefly on your hips. Lower both your legs and torso back to the floor at the same controlled speed — do not let your legs drop faster than your torso. Keep your lower back pressed toward the floor at the bottom rather than letting it arch, which is the point where most people lose tension.

How to program it

3 sets of 8–12 clean reps is a good target once you can do a full V-up with straight legs; stop a rep or two before your knees start bending or your form breaks down. Because it is a demanding move, quality matters more than volume — a handful of strict reps beats a large set of sloppy ones. Train it 2–3 times a week as part of a core session, alongside a bracing move such as the plank or hollow body hold to balance folding strength with anti-extension strength.

Variations: easier and harder

If a full V-up is too hard, bend your knees into a tuck as you lift (a tuck-up), which shortens the lever and makes the exercise much more manageable, or do a single-leg V-up, keeping one leg on the floor while the other lifts. Once the standard V-up feels easy, add a light weight held between your hands, or slow the tempo down to 3 seconds on the way up and down. The sit-up and hollow body hold are natural stepping stones on the way to a strict V-up.

V-ups vs sit-ups

A sit-up keeps your feet on the floor and only lifts your torso, which is more forgiving and better suited to beginners and higher-rep sets. A V-up lifts both the torso and the legs, which trains more of the core at once but demands considerably more strength, coordination, and hip flexibility. Most people should master sit-ups and leg raises before attempting a strict V-up.

Safety notes

Because V-ups load the lower back and hip flexors more than a basic crunch, anyone with existing lower back pain, a hip flexor strain, or diastasis recti (abdominal separation) should check with a physiotherapist before adding them, and regress to a tuck version or leg raise instead. Stop if you feel your lower back arching hard off the floor or any sharp pain — a strong ab burn is expected, joint or spinal pain is not. Do not hold your breath through the fold.