Reps Only exercise

Decline Sit-Up form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The decline sit-up is a trunk-flexion exercise performed on a decline bench with the feet anchored, lengthening the range of motion and increasing the load on the rectus abdominis and hip flexors compared with a floor sit-up. Lifters use it to progressively overload the abs, often holding a plate against the chest, making it one of the primary tools for building visible abdominal thickness through added resistance.

Decline Sit-Up illustration

How to do Decline Sit-Up

  1. 1Set the bench to a moderate decline, hook your feet under the pads, and lie back with your knees bent and hands crossed over your chest or lightly behind your ears.
  2. 2Brace your core and exhale as you curl your torso up, peeling your spine off the bench one segment at a time.
  3. 3Sit up until your torso is roughly vertical, keeping the movement driven by your abs rather than yanking your neck or throwing your arms.
  4. 4Avoid dropping flat and bouncing off the bench between reps.
  5. 5Inhale as you lower yourself back down under control, touching your upper back to the bench before beginning the next rep.

Related exercises

Ab Wheel

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Archer Push-up

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Assisted Pistol Squat

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Back Extension

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Track Decline Sit-Up in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.