Weighted Sit-Up
Targets the rectus abdominis
Requires a dumbbell or weight plate
Suitable for gym or home
Progressive overload for the core
Beginner-friendly
Step 1
Lie flat on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms so the weight is resting on your chest, pointing toward the ceiling. Brace your core by drawing your belly button in toward your spine. This is your starting position.
Step 2
Exhale and slowly lift your head, then your shoulder blades, then your torso off the mat, pressing the dumbbell up toward the ceiling as you rise. Keep your heels firmly planted and your core engaged throughout. Sit up tall at the top with the dumbbell directly overhead and your spine long.
Step 3
Inhale and slowly lower your torso back down to the mat with control, vertebra by vertebra. Avoid dropping back quickly, as the slow lowering phase is where a lot of the core work happens. Repeat for the specified number of reps.
Exercise Benefits
The weighted sit-up takes the classic bodyweight movement and adds progressive overload, making it an effective exercise for building core strength and abdominal definition over time. Holding a dumbbell increases the demand on your rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles) and requires your core to work harder to control the weight on the way up and down. It's a simple but effective progression once bodyweight sit-ups start to feel too easy.
