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how to do v-ups

V-ups fold your body in half from both ends at once, with straight arms and legs meeting over your hips. That makes them among the toughest floor ab moves in this library, demanding abdominal strength, hip flexor strength, and hamstring flexibility together. They suit you if reverse crunches and hollow holds feel solid and you want a real challenge. The main limitation is that tight hamstrings or a weak hollow position turn them into a flop and swing; if that happens, go back to tuck-ups for a while.

▶ watch v-ups on the dedicated video page

primary musclesabs
also workship flexors, obliques
leveladvanced
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typerep-based

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs extended and your arms extended on the floor overhead.
  2. Simultaneously lift your legs and torso off the floor, reaching your hands towards your feet to form a 'V' shape with your body.
  3. Squeeze your abdominal muscles at the top of the movement, ensuring your hands reach towards your feet.
  4. Slowly lower your legs and torso back to the starting position with control. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

how much: Start with 3 sets of 8–10 reps, and keep every rep slow and clean before adding any.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Start every rep from a tight hollow position, not flat and relaxed on the floor.
  • Reach your fingers toward your toes and meet above your hips, not above your knees.
  • Lower the legs and torso together, taking a full two seconds to unfold.

common mistakes

  • Throwing the arms forward to gain momentum — lift from a still hollow shape and accept a smaller range.
  • Legs bending as they rise — let the fingertips reach your shins instead of bending the knees.
  • Dropping flat and slapping the floor between reps — hover shoulders and heels just above it.

make it easier or harder

easier
Do tuck-ups, bending your knees toward your chest as your torso rises.
harder
Pause for two seconds at the top of each rep, balancing on your seat.
v-ups top position: arms and straight legs lifted, meeting above hips
v-ups — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

sit-ups halfway up: knees bent, feet flat, hands lightly behind the head sit-ups plank on forearms: elbows under shoulders, body straight from head to heels plank mountain climbers in high plank: one knee driven toward the chest, hips level mountain climbers crunches at the top: shoulder blades lifted, arms reaching toward the knees crunches bicycle crunches mid-twist: elbow reaching toward the opposite knee, other leg extended bicycle crunches leg raises top position: lying flat, straight legs pointing up at the ceiling leg raises

never wonder what to train next

v-ups is one of 1,300+ exercises in the wandelbar app — where you don’t pick exercises at all. Answer a few questions, get a personal 90-day bodyweight plan, and it reshapes itself after every session. free for 7 days.

train with a plan that adapts.

350+ exercises, guided sessions, zero equipment needed.

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