Rock those Abs: The V-Up

There’s only a few exercises most people know when it comes to working the abs. Enter the sit up or the more modern crunch. We do these on the floor, the Swiss ball, the Bosu or any sort of surface we can fit our butts on. This is the meat and potatoes of most people’s abs workout—but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a lot of great exercises you can do that are way better than the crunch.
Today let’s look at the V-Up.
This is an exercise that is most commonly done one of two ways.
The first is done on a bench (you may also hear this called a knee-in)

•  Sit perpendicular to the bench, put your hands behind your butt and grab the side of the bench. 
• Have you legs up in the air with you feet on the same level as the bench (whatever is most comfortable, for a challenge start with you legs parallel to the ground)
• Pull your knees in to your chest and then return to the starting position. 
• Do this for 3 sets of 12

The next and more challenging (and more fun) version is the V-up on the Swiss ball.

• Start with you knees on the ball as you are in front of the long side of the bench.
• Lean over and grab the far edge of the bench, roll the ball with your legs and feet to where you body is about parallel with the floor, you shins should end up resting on the ball.
• While focusing on your abs and keeping your legs still, roll the ball toward the bench, you body should look like an upside down V. Return the ball to the starting position. 
• Do these for 2 sets of 10 (if you can!) work up from there.

Check out this great example of the Swiss ball V-up.  He adds in a variation near the end.


Try adding one of these into your routine you’ll be sure to feel the DOMS again the next day.