Janda Sit-Up

An advanced sit-up that isolates the abs by neurologically inhibiting the hip flexors through hamstring activation.

Exercise Details

Level
Beginner
Body Area
core
Type
core
Required Equipment
Target Muscle Groups
Primary
Secondary

Setup

Lie on your back with knees bent. Have a partner hold your heels down or use a bar to pull your heels against.

Instructions

1. Pull your heels into the floor to engage the hamstrings.
2. Sit up using only your abdominal muscles.
3. Maintain the tension in your legs throughout.
4. Lower back down slowly.
5. Focus on the pure core contraction.

Common Mistakes

1. Lifting the heels.
2. Using momentum.
3. Shrugging the shoulders.

Alternative Exercises

Wipers
Intermediate / Bodyweight-only / Abs / isolation
An advanced rotational core exercise targeting the obliques and transverse abdominis. It builds extreme rotational control and stability.
View more
Weighted Crunch
Intermediate / Dumbbells / Abs / core
A resistance-based abdominal exercise designed to build muscle thickness. Adding weight forces the rectus abdominis to work harder against gravity for maximum hypertrophy.
View more
Upright Row
Beginner / EZ Bar / Shoulders / pull
A compound shoulder exercise targeting the deltoids and upper trapezius. It helps build shoulder width and improves the vertical pulling strength.
View more

Explore by Muscle Groups

Explore by Equipment