The ABMAT situp, demonstrated here by CrossFit Seminar Staff member Julie Foucher is a great little core exercise. As with most core exercises, where the back muscles typically have to compensate for lack of core activation, it is important to protect your spine and the mat provides a cushion in the neutral curve of your lumbar (lower) back. However, everybody has different body shapes so you may find using the abmat doesn’t work for you. Another way to protect your spine is to keep the back upright in the top position as Julie does in the video. You may be a little tight in the hips and forced to hunch over to reach the feet, in which case it is best to focus on a straight spine and don’t worry about reaching for the feet until you have developed a little more flexibility.

Points Of Performance

• AbMat fills the space between the lumbar curve and the ground
• Keep both soles of feet together
• Hands touch the ground overhead at the beginning
• Flex the abdominals pulling the torso to seated position
• Reach the arms forward during the ascent
• Complete with the shoulders above hips and spine extended