Bottoms Up
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Begin by lying on your back on the ground. Your legs should be straight and your arms at your side. This will be your starting position.
- 2To perform the movement, tuck the knees toward your chest by flexing the hips and knees. Following this, extend your legs directly above you so that they are perpendicular to the ground. Rotate and elevate your pelvis to raise your glutes from the floor.
- 3After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
table_chartRecommended sets and reps
These ranges vary depending on your training goal — adjust the load accordingly.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| boltStrength | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–5 min |
| fitness_centerHypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| timerEndurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 30–45 s |
About Bottoms Up
This floor movement combines a knee tuck and a leg extension toward the ceiling with a slight pelvic lift, sitting somewhere between a reverse crunch and a jackknife. Lying on your back, you pull the knees to the chest, extend the legs straight up, then tilt the pelvis to lift the glutes slightly off the floor. This combination heavily targets the lower portion of the rectus abdominis, the section that's hardest to isolate with standard crunches. Since it requires no equipment, it's a great finisher to fully exhaust the abs at the end of a session, provided you keep the tempo slow and controlled rather than relying on leg momentum.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleStrongly targets the lower abs
- check_circleRequires no equipment at all
- check_circleCombines hip flexion and pelvic tilt in one movement
- check_circleEasy to progress by adjusting execution speed
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbKeep your lower back pressed to the floor at the start
- lightbulbRaise the legs slowly without jerking the pelvis
- lightbulbEngage the abs rather than pushing off with your arms
- lightbulbExhale as the pelvis lifts off the floor
warningCommon mistakes
- warningUsing leg momentum to compensate for weak abs
- warningNot actually lifting the pelvis, only moving the legs
- warningArching the lower back during the leg extension
- warningRushing through reps too quickly
helpFrequently asked questions
Does this exercise replace the reverse crunch?expand_more
It can complement it: adding the pelvic tilt on top of the leg raise further intensifies work on the lower abs.
How many reps should I do?expand_more
Aim for 10 to 15 slow, controlled reps rather than many fast ones.
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