Strength exercise

McGill Curl-up

How to do it

Lie on your back on a mat with one leg bent and the other extended straight along the floor.
Slide both hands under the natural arch of your lower back for support and set your shoulder blades back.
Brace your abdomen as if bracing for a light tap to the stomach before you move.
Lift your head, neck, and shoulders together off the floor a few centimeters while keeping your lower back pressed into your hands.
Keep your neck stiff and neutral, exhaling as you rise and inhaling as you lower back down under control.
Pause briefly at the top, lower back to the start, then switch which leg is bent partway through the set.

Muscles worked

CoreThe group of trunk muscles across the abdomen, sides, and lower back that stabilize the spine and pelvis and transfer force between the upper and lower body. All Core exercises

Related Core exercises

Ab Coaster Ab Crunch Machine Ab Rollout Ab Wheel Ab Wheel Rollout Ab Wheel Rollout (Kneeling)

Type: Strength
Primary muscles: Core
Measured in: Reps and weight