Janda Sit Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent at approximately a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands across your chest or lightly touch your temples; do not pull on your neck.
3. Dig your heels firmly into the floor and imagine pulling them back toward your glutes to create tension in the hamstrings.

How to do it

1. Exhale and contract your hamstrings and glutes as hard as possible to 'turn off' the hip flexors.
2. Slowly curl your torso off the floor by rounding your spine one vertebra at a time, maintaining the backward pull of the heels.
3. Pause at the top of the movement for one second while maintaining maximum abdominal tension.
4. Inhale as you slowly lower your torso back to the starting position using a controlled 3-4 second tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep your heels glued to the floor and pulling backward throughout the entire rep.
• Avoid any jerking or momentum; the movement should be slow and deliberate.
• Ensure your lower back presses into the floor before the shoulder blades lift.
• Maintain a slight tuck of the chin to keep the cervical spine neutral.

Pro tips

• The harder you squeeze your hamstrings and glutes, the more you isolate the abs; this 'reciprocal inhibition' is the secret to the Janda Sit Up.
• If your feet lift off the floor, you have lost hamstring engagement and the hip flexors have taken over.

Make it harder

• Hold a light weight plate or medicine ball against your chest to increase the resistance.
• Extend your arms straight overhead to lengthen the lever arm, significantly increasing the demand on the core.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the janda sit up work?

The janda sit up primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the janda sit up?

The janda sit up requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the janda sit up good for beginners?

The janda sit up is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• 3/4 Sit-UpBeginner · abs and obliques
• 45 Degree Bicycle Twisting CrunchIntermediate · abs and obliques
• 45 Degree Lean Back Alternate Knee RaiseBeginner · abs and obliques
• 45 Degrees Arms PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals