Press Sit-Up — start position
Start
Press Sit-Up — end position
End

Core / Advanced / Compound (multi-joint)

Press Sit-Up

A barbell exercise for the abs, with the chest, front delts and triceps assisting.

At a glance

Primary
Abs
Secondary
Chest, Front delts, Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
Movement pattern
Trunk flexion
Level
Advanced
Type
Core, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the lower back. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

  1. To begin, lie down on a bench with a barbell resting on your chest. Position your legs so they are secure on the extension of the abdominal bench. This is the starting position.
  2. While inhaling, tighten your abdominals and glutes. Simultaneously curl your torso as you do when performing a sit-up and press the barbell to an overhead position while exhaling. Tip: Use your arms to push the barbell out as you perform this exercise while still focusing on the abdominal muscles.
  3. Lower your upper body back down to the starting position while bringing the barbell back down to your torso. Remember to breathe in while lowering the body.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts — secondary (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest — secondary (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs — primary (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps — secondary (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)
FrontBack
  • Primary: Abs
  • Secondary: Chest, Front delts, Triceps

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Photos and instructions: free-exercise-db (github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db), public domain.