Your Position

Lie on your back with your palms up, legs straight out, and the knees slightly bent.

Target Muscles

Abdominals, hip flexors, mid-back muscle complex--trapezius, rhomboids, serratus anterior, levator scapula

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Find the hips by tilting the pelvis backward, and engage the abdominals by pushing the low back into the floor.
2. While maintaining the contraction of the abdominals, lift the legs off of the floor and into a 90 degree bend at the hip.

Common Errors and Their Correction

Pushing the low back into the floor may engage the glutes, causing them to tilt the pelvis backwards. To avoid this, rather than lifting the legs up into the 90 degree position, start with them already up, and then lower them.

The low back may 'arch' when performing the movement. Avoid this by increasing the amount of knee bend which will decrease the amount of leverage needed for the movement pattern. Continue to increase the knee bend until able to keep the low back pressed into the floor.