- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternCore
- Repsheld for time
- Joint loadWrist
Sit between two parallettes or on the floor with your hands beside your hips, legs straight in front.
First cuePush the shoulders down.
How to do the L-Sit
Set up. Sit between two parallettes or on the floor with your hands beside your hips, legs straight in front.
- Press down through straight arms to lift your hips.
- Hold your legs straight out in front, as level as you can.
- Hold for the target time, then lower.
Form cues
- Push the shoulders down.
- Bend the knees to make it easier.
- Keep the arms locked.
Common mistakes
- Shrugging the shoulders up.
- Letting the legs drop to the floor.
Muscles worked
Main target: Abs. The rectus abdominis runs down the front of the trunk. It curls the trunk forward and, more often in training, stops the spine arching under a load.
On the way: Quads and Triceps.
Its other side: Lower back, in the trunk pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the L-Sit, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Back Extension Superset partner: it trains the other side of the trunk pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Cable Woodchop Same core session: it trains the obliques.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the L-Sit first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- L-Sit 3 × 30 to 60 s
- Back Extension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Woodchop 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise 3 × 6 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Gym or cable swap
Cable Crunch
Cable
Less load on the wrist
Hanging Leg Raise
The L-Sit loads the wrist by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Hollow Hold.
Do before it: Hollow Hold (same movement, lighter), Dead Hang (same movement, lighter) and Dead Bug (bracing).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the L-Sit is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the L-Sit?
Set up: Sit between two parallettes or on the floor with your hands beside your hips, legs straight in front. Steps: 1. Press down through straight arms to lift your hips. 2. Hold your legs straight out in front, as level as you can. 3. Hold for the target time, then lower. Form cues: Push the shoulders down. Bend the knees to make it easier. Keep the arms locked. Common mistakes: Shrugging the shoulders up. Letting the legs drop to the floor.
What muscles does the L-Sit work?
It trains the abs as its main target and works the quads and triceps on the way.
What can I do instead of the L-Sit?
In a gym: Cable Crunch. With less load on the wrist: Hanging Leg Raise. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the L-Sit with?
Good partners in the same workout are Back Extension and Cable Woodchop.