Watermarked 360p preview. Through the API this animation plays without the watermark at 600 × 720, 30 fps. See plans
Waist · Body Weight
3-4 Sit-Up
3-4 Sit-Up is an intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the abs (waist), with the hip flexors and obliques assisting. It needs no equipment beyond your own body weight. A typical prescription is 3 sets of 10-15 reps, and it burns about 5.5 calories per minute.
- Target
- Abs
- Body part
- Waist
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Category
- Strength
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Sets × reps
- 3 × 10-15
- Calories / min
- ≈ 5.5 kcal
Primary muscles
- Abdominals · Rectus Abdominis
Secondary muscles
- Hip Flexors · Iliopsoas
- Obliques · Internal, External Obliques
How to do 3-4 Sit-Up
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Place your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide.
- Engage your core and lift your upper body towards your knees, coming up about three-quarters of the way.
- Slowly lower your upper body back to the starting position and repeat.
Form tips
- Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise to avoid straining your lower back.
- Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands; use your abdominal muscles to lift your upper body.
- Breathe steadily, exhaling as you lift and inhaling as you lower.
3-4 Sit-Up alternatives
More abs exercises
3-4 Sit-Up FAQ
What muscles does 3-4 Sit-Up work?
3-4 Sit-Up mainly works the abs in the waist (Rectus Abdominis). The hip flexors and obliques work as secondary muscles.
What equipment do you need for 3-4 Sit-Up?
None. 3-4 Sit-Up is a body weight exercise, so you can do it at home or anywhere with enough space.
How many sets and reps of 3-4 Sit-Up should I do?
Start with 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Pick a load or variation where the last one or two reps are hard but your form stays clean.
Is 3-4 Sit-Up good for beginners?
It's rated intermediate. Beginners can work up to it once they control simpler waist exercises.
How many calories does 3-4 Sit-Up burn?
About 5.5 calories per minute for a person of around 70 kg, based on a MET value of 4.5. Ten minutes of work is roughly 55 calories; heavier people burn more.
What is a good alternative to 3-4 Sit-Up?
Other exercises for the abs include Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up, Band Decline Sit Up, Dumbbell Overhead Sit-Up and Dumbbell Decline Overhead Sit-Up.
For developers
Use 3-4 Sit-Up in your app
Get this exercise and 1,900+ others from the WorkoutX API: 720p MP4 animations at 30 fps without the watermark, male and female models, muscles, instructions and form tips in 7 languages.
# One request returns the exercise and its 720p media links curl "https://api.workoutxapp.com/v2/exercises/ex_RQJWWW" \ -H "X-WorkoutX-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" { "id": "ex_RQJWWW", "name": "3-4 Sit-Up", "model": "female", "target": "Abs", "equipment": "Body Weight", "media": { "mp4": "https://…/ex_RQJWWW/mp4-720.mp4?…", "poster": "https://…/ex_RQJWWW/poster.jpg?…" } }