V-Ups

Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Excellent Stretch...
This Exercise Has It All

V-Ups are an excellent exercise that works both the upper abs and lower abs, and also gives the abs an excellent stretch at the bottom of the movement.  It qualifies as an intermediate to advanced abdominal exercise because it takes a certain amount of strength and coordination to do correctly. 

You will see slightly different versions of this exercise. 

In a lot of cases, you will see the hands touch the feet at the top of the movement. This means lifting the whole upper body off the floor with the back side as the single point of contact on the floor.

Others will have their lower back still in contact with the mat at the top of the movement. The shoulders are only a few inches off the floor - more like a crunch. The hands either touch the knees or extend past the legs at knee level.

I prefer the latter. In my experience it is easier to maintain form and isolate the ab muscles that way. That is the technique I’ll describe below.

As you try both, try not to get too discouraged if you are having a hard time with the first version I described. 

Think of it this way.  Over there is a 110 pound girl looks like she can do V-Ups all day long.  I'm a big, strong 200 pound guy and I'm really struggling.  What's going on?

First, she really could be in better shape than you.  Second, both of her legs together probably weigh 50 pounds.  Yours are twice that.  You're trying to lift at least twice the load!  See?  You're still tough.

Technique

• Lie flat on the mat with your arms extended over your head.  Raise your feet about six inches off the ground.  Flex your toes in toward your body.
• Contract your abs.
• Inhale and raise your upper body and lower body simultaneously pulling just with the abs.
• Raise your upper and lower body at the same time.
• Raise your legs to about a 45 degree angle.  At the same time, reach your hands toward your knees.
• Keep your lower back on the floor and your head and neck in line with your upper body as much as possible.  It will naturally come a little forward, but don’t strain your neck.
• Hold that position for a count. Really concentrate on contracting the ab muscles.
• Exhale and return to close to the starting position.  Keep your form and keep the movement steady and under control.
• Do not let your legs or your head and shoulders rest on the mat at the bottom.  Keep them a little bit off the ground.  And do really stretch your arms over your head back to the starting position.
• Go back up to the ‘V’ position in a controlled motion using only the abs.  In other words, don’t give a jerk or a throw with the arms. 
• Start off with set of 15 or 20 reps.  If you are doing these correctly that should be enough.
  

Keep In Mind...

• Keep the movement slow and under control.  Focus on the abs and make sure you are not using momentum to do the movement.
• Stop if you feel pain in your back or neck. 
• Like most abdominal exercise and core exercises, form is the key with V-ups.  You are way better off doing 20 reps correctly than doing 100 wrong.

Modifiers

• Once you have this version of the V-Up mastered and it is not enough of a challenge anymore, switch to touching your toes at the top.  I think a lot of people have to work up to this.  If the ab muscles aren't yet strong enough to do this movement correctly, there is a tendency to throw the arms, kick the legs, and strain the back.
• To make the exercise a little bit easier, let your feet touch the ground at the bottom.
• To make the exercise harder, add weight by putting a dumbbell between your feet.