V-Up

How to perform the V-Up

1. Lie flat on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight, pressing the lower back gently into the floor.
2. The V-up is an explosive full flexion: the torso and legs fold up simultaneously into a jackknife around the hips.
3. Simultaneously lift the straight legs and the upper body, reaching the hands toward the toes as the body folds into a V.
4. Flex the spine as you rise rather than only hinging at the hips, so the abs curl the ribcage and pelvis toward each other.
5. Balance on the glutes at the top with hands and feet meeting, then hold the fully shortened position for an instant.
6. Lower the arms and legs together under control back to the extended start without letting the heels or hands slam the floor.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Only hinging at the hips without flexing the spine, so the abs never fully shorten at the top.
• •Throwing the arms and legs up with momentum and bouncing off the floor between reps.
• •Letting the lower back arch as the limbs lower rather than controlling the descent.
• •Bending the knees or arms to shorten the levers and make the fold easier.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.