Tuck L-sit

Lift your hips and feet off the floor on straight arms with your knees tucked to your chest, working the abs, hip flexors and triceps.

How to do it

1. 01Sit with your knees bent and your hands on the floor right beside your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet; yoga blocks or parallettes give you more clearance.
2. 02Lock your elbows, push the floor away and pull your shoulders down to lift your hips.
3. 03Brace your abs and pull your knees to your chest so your feet leave the floor, hips staying between your hands.
4. 04Breathe in short, steady breaths throughout the hold, then set your feet and hips down gently.

Common mistakes

• Shrugging and sinking between your arms — push the floor away and pull your shoulders down.
• Bending the elbows to get up — lock your arms and lift by pushing the floor away.
• Heels dragging on the floor — pull your knees higher or use yoga blocks for more clearance.

In the L-sit progression

1. 1Foot-supported L-sit
2. 2Tuck L-sit
3. 3One-leg L-sit
4. 4L-sit

Standard to move on: 3 sets × 20s, two sessions in a row.