Roman Chair Sit Up

1. Position yourself in a Roman chair with your feet secured under the pads and hips resting on the edge of the pad.
2. Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands lightly behind your head.
3. Lower your torso back until you feel a deep stretch through your abs, keeping your core braced.
4. Stop before your lower back rounds excessively at the bottom of the movement.
5. Curl your torso forward and up, leading with your chest.
6. Continue until your torso is upright or slightly past vertical.
7. Perform all reps with a controlled tempo, avoiding a fast drop into the stretch.

Common Mistakes

• Dropping too fast into the bottom stretch: Letting gravity snap your torso down risks straining the lower back. Lower yourself under control the entire way.
• Using momentum to rock up: Swinging the torso up from the bottom instead of contracting the abs skips the muscle work this exercise is meant to provide. Initiate the rise with a deliberate ab squeeze.
• Hyperextending at the bottom: Leaning back too far past a flat position overstresses the spine. Stop once you feel a full stretch, before your back arches further.
• Pulling on the neck with your hands: Interlocking fingers behind your head and yanking forward strains the cervical spine. Keep your hands light behind your head or crossed over your chest.