A supported hold with straight legs out in front, at parallel bars or on the floor.
What it is
Supporting your weight on straight arms, you hold the legs out horizontally to form an L. It demands abs, hip flexors and shoulder support all at once.
Muscles worked
Primary: Core, Hip flexors. Secondary: Triceps, Quadriceps, Lats.
How to perform it
- Sit between parallettes, dip bars or with hands flat on the floor beside your hips.
- Press down hard through straight arms and lift the hips clear.
- Raise the legs to horizontal, knees straight and toes pointed.
- Hold for time with a hollow trunk, then lower under control.
Common form faults
- Shoulders shrugging up to the ears. Push the floor away and keep the shoulders down; the support comes from the lats, not the traps.
- Knees bending to keep the legs up. Hold a tuck or one-leg version instead; a clean shorter lever beats a bent long one.
Programming
10 to 30 second holds. Progress tuck, then one leg out, then both. Parallettes make the first attempts far easier than the floor.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Why can I not lift my hips off the floor?
- Usually arm length rather than strength. Use parallettes, blocks or dip bars so your hands sit higher than your hips.
- Do hamstrings limit the L-sit?
- Often, yes. Tight hamstrings make horizontal legs hard to reach even with a strong core; some regular hinge and stretch work helps.