Muscles worked
What the l-sit hold trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick your surface. Parallettes or dip bars are the easiest place to learn, because they give your feet room to clear the ground. The floor is the hardest version, since you have to lift your hips with very little clearance.
- 02
Hands beside your hips. Sit between the handles, or on the floor, with your hands next to your hips. On the floor, put your palms flat with fingers pointing forward or slightly out.
- 03
Arms straight. Lock your elbows before you lift. Your arms stay straight for the whole hold.
- 04
Legs together. Start with your legs together and straight in front of you, or tucked with knees to chest if you are working the tuck version.
Step by step
How to do the l-sit hold
- 01
Press down. Push your hands into the handles or floor and drive your shoulders down away from your ears. Your body rises as your arms straighten under you.
- 02
Lift the hips. Keep pressing until your hips leave the ground and hang just behind your hands, with your chest up.
- 03
Raise the legs. Lift your legs to hip height, parallel to the floor, with your knees locked, legs squeezed together and toes pointed. In the tuck version, hold your knees pulled into your chest instead.
- 04
Hold and breathe. Hold the L with your shoulders down and elbows locked. Breathe in short, shallow breaths rather than holding your breath.
- 05
Lower with control. End the hold before your shape breaks: bring your legs down, then sit back down slowly. Do not drop.
Cues to say in your head
- Push the floor away
- Shoulders down, neck long
- Lock your elbows
- Lock your knees
- Point your toes
- Legs at hip height
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Shrugging, with shoulders up by your ears
Press down harder and think of making your neck long. If you can't get your shoulders down, practice support holds on the bars first.
Bent elbows
Lock your arms before you lift. Bent elbows drop you lower and make it harder to keep your shoulders down and your feet clear.
Knees bending in the straight leg version
Lock your knees with your quads. If they keep bending, go back to a tuck or one leg straight and build up.
Legs drooping below hip height
Stop the hold when your legs drop. A short hold at hip height beats a long one with your heels near the floor.
Leaning far back to keep the legs up
Keep your chest up and your hips just behind your hands. Leaning back shifts your weight behind your support and usually lets your shoulders creep up.
Holding your breath
Keep breathing in small breaths through the hold. If you can't, the hold is too long for now.
Stay safe
The L-sit is low risk because you stay close to the ground; the normal way to end a hold is to lower your legs and sit down under control. Set parallettes or dip bars on a flat, stable surface and check that they can't slide or tip. If your wrists hurt on the floor, use parallettes so your wrists stay straight. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your wrists, elbows, shoulders or lower back, and get it checked if it doesn't settle.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | 4 to 6 | 10 to 20 sec hold | 50–60% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Strength | 4 to 6 | 5 to 10 sec hold | 80–90% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 | 20 to 30 sec hold | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Strength sets
173–194lb
4 to 6 sets of 5 to 10 sec hold reps, 2 to 3 min rest. Use the hardest version you can hold cleanly, such as full legs straight or the floor L-sit. End each hold before it breaks.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
L-Sit Hold questions
What muscles does the L-sit work?
Mainly the abs and hip flexors, which hold your legs up at hip height. Your triceps keep your arms locked, your lats and serratus press your shoulders down, and your quads keep your knees straight.
What is the L-sit progression?
A common progression is a support hold on straight arms, then a tuck L-sit with knees to chest, then one leg straight, then both legs straight on parallettes or bars, and finally the floor L-sit. A useful rule of thumb is to move up a step once you can hold the current one cleanly for about 15 to 20 seconds.
How long should I hold an L-sit?
Ten seconds of a clean full L-sit is a sensible first goal, and many people then work toward 20 to 30 seconds. Short, clean holds over several sets tend to build it faster than one long hold where your legs droop.
Why can't I get my legs up in an L-sit?
Usually your hip flexors and abs aren't yet strong enough to hold your legs up with your hips fully bent, and tight hamstrings can also make your knees bend. Work the tuck and one leg versions, and add hamstring flexibility work such as a seated pike stretch.
Is the L-sit easier on parallettes or the floor?
Parallettes or dip bars are easier because they lift you higher, so your feet clear the ground without much hip lift. On the floor you need to press higher and compress more, which makes it the harder version.
Is the L-sit good for abs?
Yes. It is one of the harder abs holds because your abs have to keep your pelvis curled up against the weight of straight legs, and it also builds straight arm strength.
Train in Protocol
Log your l-sit hold by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.