Strength Training · Calisthenics · Gymnastics
L-Sit
The L-sit is a straight-arm hold with your legs extended in front of you. It trains abdominal and hip-flexor strength while you support your body on parallettes.
- Intermediate
- Low injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Sit between the parallettes with your legs extended forward.
- Grip the handles beside your hips, with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Press into the handles to lift your hips off the floor.
- Raise your legs together until they are parallel to the floor.
- Hold this position with your arms and knees straight.
- Lower your heels to the floor under control.
- Lower your hips to the floor.
Form cues
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
- Squeeze your thighs.
- Keep breathing throughout the hold.
Common mistakes
- Heels dropping below hip heightUse a tuck L-sit until you can maintain horizontal legs without sagging.
- Swinging into positionLift slowly from a still start rather than kicking your feet upward.
- Leaning far backwardKeep your torso mostly upright with your hips beneath your shoulders.
Safety
Supporting your body weight can strain your wrists, elbows, or shoulders if you collapse into the hold as you tire. Unstable parallettes can slide or tip.
- Place both parallettes on a level, nonslip surface.
- Warm up with gentle wrist movements and feet-supported holds.
- End the hold when you can no longer maintain your position.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain or joint pinching.
If you have wrist, elbow, or shoulder pain with weight-bearing, use a feet-supported version or seek advice from a physiotherapist before attempting the full hold.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Parallettes
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 5–15 seconds
- Rest
- 45 sec
Build consistent short holds before increasing the duration.