Exercise
V-Up
The V-Up is a core exercise that lifts your arms and legs together to build control and strength through your midsection.
V-Up
The V-Up is a floor-based movement where you raise your upper body and legs at the same time, meeting in the middle. It trains your core by requiring both strength and coordination, making it a step up from basic crunch variations.
You should feel the effort mainly through the front of your core as your body folds upward. Focus on keeping the movement smooth, lifting and lowering with control, and using a range you can manage without pulling on your neck or swinging your legs.
This exercise fits well in core workouts, conditioning sessions, or short finishers. To make it easier, bend your knees or lift only your legs or upper body; to make it harder, slow the lowering phase or pause briefly at the top.
How to Perform the V-Up
- Lie flat on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight, palms facing up and toes pointed.
- Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine and pressing your lower back into the floor.
- Exhale as you simultaneously lift your torso and legs off the ground, reaching your hands toward your feet.
- Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears as you lift, maintaining length through your neck.
- Aim to create a "V" shape with your body at the top of the movement, with only your hips and lower back touching the floor.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief moment, focusing on the compression in your abdominals.
- Inhale as you slowly lower your torso and legs back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Maintain tension in your core throughout the entire movement, never fully relaxing at the bottom position.
Important information
- Keep your legs straight throughout the exercise, but slightly bend your knees if you experience lower back strain.
- Focus on using your abdominals to lift rather than momentum or swinging your arms.
- If you're a beginner, try bending your knees or performing the movement with just your upper or lower body until you build strength.
- Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands—all movement should come from your core muscles.
FAQ - V-Up
The V-Up primarily targets multiple layers of your abdominal muscles, including the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles), transverse abdominis (deep core), obliques, and hip flexors. This comprehensive engagement makes it superior to basic crunches for overall core development.
Beginners can start with bent-knee V-Ups, where you keep your knees slightly bent throughout the movement to reduce the lever length. Alternatively, you can perform the movement in two phases—first lifting just your upper body, then just your legs, before progressing to the simultaneous action.
The most common mistakes include using momentum rather than core strength, failing to maintain posterior pelvic tilt (which strains the lower back), and reaching with the neck instead of the chest. Focus on slow, controlled movements and keep your lower back pressed into the mat throughout the exercise.
Include V-Ups in your training 2-3 times weekly, either as part of a dedicated core circuit or integrated into full-body HIIT sessions. Allow 48 hours of recovery between intense core workouts for optimal adaptation and to prevent overtraining.
Increase the challenge by adding resistance with a medicine ball or dumbbell held between your hands, incorporating pulses at the top position, or slowing down the eccentric (lowering) phase to 3-5 seconds. You can also try the hollow body hold to V-Up transition for an advanced variation.
V-Up
Exercise Details
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