V-Ups
The V-up lifts the straight legs and the reaching torso off the floor simultaneously so the body folds into a V, with hands meeting feet over the hips. Maddy treats it as a benchmark core move — the graduation exam after crunches, toe touches, and knee-to-elbow work are mastered. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3-4 × 4-6 slow reps | 90-120 s |
| Muscle | 3 × 9-12 reps | 60-90 s |
| Endurance | 2 × 15-20 reps | 45 s |
Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.
Level — Beginner
Intermediate-to-advanced as a strict movement; sloppy V-ups are common, clean ones are rare — be in the second group.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Start extended on your back, arms overhead, legs long and together.
- Fold both ends at once — legs and torso rise together, not in turns.
- Reach the hands toward the feet as they meet above your hips.
- Keep the legs straight and together like a single blade.
- Lower both ends with the same control you lifted them — no crashing.
Breathing: Exhale hard through the fold as hands meet feet, inhale as the body lowers long.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
How to program v-ups
| Goal | Phase | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| strength | weeks 1–4 · build | 3 | 5 slow reps | 3-1-2-0 fold with top pause | 90–120 s | 7 |
| strength | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 4 | 5 slow reps | 3-1-2-0 fold with top pause | 90–120 s | 8 |
| strength | weeks 9–12 · peak | 4 | 6 slow reps | 3-1-2-0 fold with top pause | 90–120 s | 8–9 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 1–4 · build | 3 | 10 | 2-0-X-1 crisp fold, controlled lower | 60–90 s | 7 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 3 | 11 | 2-0-X-1 crisp fold, controlled lower | 60–90 s | 8 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 9–12 · peak | 3 | 12 | 2-0-X-1 crisp fold, controlled lower | 60–90 s | 8 |
| endurance | weeks 1–4 · build | 2 | 15 | 1-0-1-0 continuous rhythm | 45 s | 6 |
| endurance | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 2 | 18 | 1-0-1-0 continuous rhythm | 45 s | 7 |
| endurance | weeks 9–12 · peak | 2 | 20 | 1-0-1-0 continuous rhythm | 45 s | 7–8 |
| beginner | weeks 1–4 · learn | 2 | 6 tuck-ups | 2-0-2-0 knees to chest | 60 s | 5 |
| beginner | weeks 5–8 · groove | 2 | 8 bent-knee v-ups | 2-0-2-0 legs half straight | 60 s | 6 |
| beginner | weeks 9–12 · graduate | 3 | 6–8 full v-ups | 2-0-2-0 legs long | 60–90 s | 6–7 |
Tempo = eccentric-pause-concentric-pause in seconds where numeric (X = explosive intent); hold-duration cues for the stretch record.
Common questions
I can't do a single clean V-up — where do I start?
Climb the same ladder Maddy's clients use: toe touches with vertical legs first, then tuck-ups — folding with bent knees — then single-leg V-ups where one leg stays down, and finally the full movement. Each rung trains the simultaneous fold with a shorter lever. Most beginners work through the ladder in four to eight weeks, and nothing is lost by staying on a rung longer.
V-ups vs sit-ups — which is better?
The V-up demands more: the legs lift as a long lever, the low back must stay controlled through a hover, and momentum is harder to hide. That makes it the stronger exercise for trained trunks and the wrong starting point for beginners. A sit-up — or better, the strict crunch family — builds the base; V-ups are what the base is for.
Why does my neck hurt during V-ups?
Because the neck is volunteering for work the trunk should do — usually when the reps are beyond your current strength and the chin starts leading. Cut the set short of that point, keep your gaze diagonal toward where the wall meets the ceiling, and let the hands reach past the ears rather than pulling behind the head. If it persists, drop a rung on the progression ladder.
How many v-ups is a good benchmark?
Quality decides the number. Eight to ten unbroken v-ups — legs straight, hands genuinely meeting the feet over the hips, no rocking — is a solid marker of core strength for a recreational lifter, and fifteen to twenty clean reps puts you comfortably in the strong category. Many people who claim thirty are doing fast partial folds. Test occasionally rather than weekly, film a set from the side, and count only the reps where the lower back leaves the floor as one piece.
Why can't I keep my legs straight during v-ups?
Usually it is hamstring flexibility, not core strength. Folding into a V with straight legs demands the same range as a seated toe touch, so tight hamstrings force the knees to bend or the fold to stall early. Work both ends: soften the knees slightly so the core can still train hard, and add a separate hamstring stretch on rest days. Tuck-ups — knees pulled to the chest — are a legitimate stepping stone, straightening the legs a little more each week as range improves.
Related exercises
Easier: Modified V-Ups · Harder: Single Hand V-Ups
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