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Single Hand V-Ups

The single-hand V-up folds the body from lying flat, sweeping one hand up to meet the opposite rising foot at the top. Working one diagonal at a time keeps the movement achievable for people who cannot yet complete full V-ups, while still training the abs and hip flexors through a long range. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Abs · rectus abdominis Hip flexors · iliopsoas Obliques Deep core · transverse abdominis

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength4 × 5–8 per side, slow90 s
Muscle3–4 × 9–12 per side60 s
Endurance3 × 15–20 per side45 s

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Beginner

The approachable V-up — one anchored side turns an advanced fold into a beginner-friendly diagonal.

Proper form — 5 cues

  1. Lie flat, both arms overhead, legs long on the floor
  2. Lift one arm and the opposite leg together in one sweep
  3. Reach the hand toward the rising foot, folding at the hips
  4. Peel the shoulder blade off the floor — the reach must lift the torso
  5. Lower both limbs slowly back to a full stretch before the next diagonal

Breathing: Exhale folding up to the touch, inhale as the limbs lengthen back down.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Only the arm moves while the torso stays down. An arm wave without trunk flexion leaves the abs unloaded — the shoulder does everything. Fix: Lead with the ribcage: curl the chest toward the leg so the shoulder blade clears the floor on every rep.
The rising leg bends sharply at the knee. A bent knee shortens the lever so much that the hip flexors and abs face almost no challenge. Fix: Keep the leg as straight as your hamstrings allow, even if the touch lands at the shin rather than the foot.
Crashing the limbs back to the floor. Dropping the arm and leg forfeits the lowering phase, where the abs work hardest on this movement. Fix: Lower both limbs on a three-count and make the quiet landing part of the rep.

Common questions

Are single-hand V-ups easier than regular V-ups?

Yes — lifting one arm and one leg keeps half the body anchored to the floor, which roughly halves the balance and strength demand of folding everything up at once. That makes them the standard stepping stone: build smooth diagonals here, then graduate to the full two-limb version.

What muscles do single-hand V-ups work?

The rectus abdominis — the front sheet of the abs — does the folding, the hip flexors raise the straight leg, and the obliques contribute because the movement crosses the body diagonally. The reach across also gives a light rotational element that regular straight V-ups do not include.

I cannot touch my foot — is the rep still valid?

Completely. Touching the foot depends as much on hamstring flexibility and limb proportions as on ab strength. The rep counts when the shoulder blade lifts, the leg rises straight, and the two move together — whether the hand meets the ankle, shin or knee is largely irrelevant to the training effect.

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