Glute Ham Sit-up
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Waist
- Type
- Strength
The glute ham sit-up is a body-weight core exercise performed on a glute-ham developer (GHD), working the abs and surrounding waist muscles through a full sit-up range. Because your feet are anchored and your hips are unsupported, it loads the core over a longer range than a floor sit-up, making it a strong choice for building trunk strength and control.
How to do the Glute Ham Sit-up
- 1Set the GHD foot plate and hip pad so the pad sits at the top of your thighs and you can hook your feet securely under the rollers.
- 2Sit on the pad facing away from the foot rollers, anchor your feet, and lower your hips slightly so your glutes rest at the front edge of the pad.
- 3Cross your arms over your chest or place your fingertips at your temples, keeping your chin slightly tucked.
- 4Lean back under control, extending your torso down until it is roughly parallel to the floor and you feel a stretch through your abs.
- 5Brace your core and curl up, lifting your shoulders and then your back off the line of the pad until your torso is upright.
- 6Exhale as you rise and avoid yanking with your arms or neck; let your abs drive the movement.
- 7Pause briefly at the top with your torso tall, then lower back down with control to begin the next rep.
- 8Complete your reps, then unhook your feet and step off the GHD carefully.
Form tips
- Move at a controlled tempo in both directions; the slow lowering phase is where much of the core work happens.
- Keep your chin lightly tucked and your hands relaxed so you don't pull on your head or strain your neck.
- Limit your backward range to where you can still curl up with your abs, rather than dropping into a deep stretch you can't control.
- Exhale and brace as you sit up to keep tension on the core and protect your lower back.
- Build up range and reps gradually; this movement is more demanding than a floor sit-up because the hips are unsupported.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on your head or neck with your hands, which strains the neck and takes work away from the abs.
- Throwing your torso up with momentum instead of curling under control, which reduces core tension and can stress the lower back.
- Extending too far backward into a range you can't control, making it hard to reverse the rep and overloading the spine.
- Holding your breath through the rep, which raises pressure and makes bracing harder; exhale as you rise instead.
- Setting the foot anchor loosely so your feet slip mid-set, costing stability and cutting the set short.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the glute ham sit-up work?
It mainly works the abs and the surrounding core muscles of the waist. Anchoring your feet on the GHD lets you train the trunk through a long sit-up range from a backward stretch to a fully upright torso.
Is the glute ham sit-up good for beginners?
It is more challenging than a floor sit-up because your hips are unsupported, so start with a shorter range of motion and build up. Beginners can master a regular crunch or floor sit-up first, then progress to the GHD.
What's a good alternative to the glute ham sit-up?
If you don't have a GHD, a decline-bench sit-up or a standard floor sit-up trains the same core pattern. Anchoring your feet and controlling the tempo gives you a similar trunk-flexion stimulus.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Start with 2–3 sets of 8–12 controlled reps. Add reps or sets as your core gets stronger, and stop a rep or two before your form breaks down.
Should I go all the way back on every rep?
Only as far as you can control. Lower until your torso is about parallel to the floor and you feel a stretch through the abs, but avoid dropping into a deep range you can't reverse without momentum.
