Abs, Hipflexors, Front Delt

Tuck L Sit

The Tuck L Sit is an effective preparation exercise for the L Sit, helping you build the body tension and strength you need.

While doing the exercise, the core muscles — especially the straight and side abdominal muscles — are very active. The triceps, the back part of the shoulders, and the hip flexors also work hard. This exercise also improves body tension, shoulder joint stability, and activates the deep stabilizing muscles.

Necessary equipment

Tuck L Sit - the correct execution

  • Place the Parallettes parallel to each other and at shoulder width on a solid surface
  • Sit between the Parallettes with your legs bent
  • Grab the Parallettes firmly while keeping your arms extended
  • Powerfully push yourself up through the arms so that your glute no longer touches the floor
  • Keep your shoulders low and actively push them away from your ears
  • Lift both legs at the same time until the feet come off the floor

The exercise Tuck L Sit with parallettes is intended to be used as a hypertrophy exercise.

Which muscles are trained by Tuck L Sit with parallettes?

Primary trained muscles for Tuck L Sit with parallettes

  • Abs - The rectus abdominis, also known as the "abs," runs vertically along the front of the abdomen. It is responsible for bending the torso forward, such as during sit-ups, and lifting the pelvis. This muscle stabilizes the torso, supports the spine, and helps maintain good posture.

  • Hipflexors - The hip flexors, including the iliacus and psoas major muscles, allow you to bend your leg and torso forward.

  • Front Delts - The front part of the deltoid muscle, also known as the anterior shoulder, is located at the front of the shoulder. It is primarily involved in the forward movement of the arm, such as lifting the arm forward. It also assists in the internal rotation of the arm. This muscle is engaged in activities that involve lifting objects in front of the body or pushing forward.

Secondary trained muscles for Tuck L Sit with parallettes

  • Chest - The pectoralis major muscle is the large muscle on your chest. It helps you bring your arm towards your body and rotate it inward.

  • Latissimus - The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle in your back that helps you pull your arm down and back. It also supports breathing and stabilizes the spine.

  • Rear Delts - The rear part of the deltoid muscle, also known as the posterior shoulder, is located at the back of the shoulder. It is responsible for the backward movement of the arm as well as external rotation. This muscle is particularly engaged during activities like rowing or pulling the arm back. The rear shoulder supports posture and helps pull the shoulder blades back, contributing to shoulder stabilization.

Calisthenics training, developed by sports scientists and optimized by smart algorithms, for your best workout.

Over 1000 five-star reviews on App Store and Google Play.

Download on Google PlayDownload on the App Store

Alternative variants of Tuck L Sit:

Tuck L Sit

The Tuck L Sit on the floor is much harder than the version on the parallettes because the hands don't give any height advantage, so the body stays closer to the ground. This means you have to push yourself up more to lift your hips completely off the floor.

This version is more challenging for shoulder depression — that means actively pulling your shoulders down — and it also needs more strength in your triceps and chest muscles. You also have to keep your core tight, because the lower position makes it harder to hold.

On top of that, your wrist mobility is tested more, since they have to handle more pressure in this lower position. If you can do the Tuck L Sit on the floor well, you have a lot of strength, control, and flexibility.

Tuck L Sit - the correct execution

  • Start sitting on the floor
  • Press your hand palms into the floor
  • Push your shoulders down and extend your arms completely
  • Bend your legs and lift your lower body off the floor
  • Lean back a little bit and shift your body weight

Similar exercises to Tuck L Sit with parallettes

Abs, Front Delt

One Leg L Sit

The One-Leg L-Sit on the parallettes is a challenging exercise that primarily targets the abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and supporting muscles. In this exercise, the athlete assumes an L-position, keeping one leg straight while bending the other. It requires a high level of body tension, strength, and balance.

The one-legged variation serves as a preparatory exercise for the classic L-Sit, where both legs are extended. Holding this position engages the abdominal muscles even more intensely.

An even easier progression is the Tuck L-Sit, where both legs are bent and pulled close to the body. This reduces the lever arm, making it easier to hold the position while still engaging the core and supporting muscles.

Read article
Abs, Front Delt

Assisted L Sit

In the supported L-Sit, the legs are extended with the heels resting on the ground. Compared to the regular L-Sit, where the legs are fully lifted off the ground, the supported version is ideal for beginners, as it requires less core strength while still preparing the upper body for the proper L-Sit. Another easier variation is the Tuck L-Sit, where the knees are drawn toward the chest.

Read article
Abs

Knee Raises on parallel bars

Knee raises primarily train the abdominal muscles and hip flexors, similar to the L-Sit or leg raises. During the exercise, the knee is pulled up to the chest while keeping the upper body upright. This exercise can be performed while standing or hanging from a pull-up bar.

Knee raises can be done with different equipment. In the parallel bars variation, the arms stabilize the body, which intensively engages the shoulder and core muscles.

Read article
Abs, Hipflexors, Front Delt

L-Sit

The L-sit is a well-known exercise from gymnastics that is also very popular in calisthenics. It requires strong abdominal muscles, some flexibility in the back of the legs, strength in the hip flexors, and stability in the shoulder girdle. Depending on the training equipment used for the L-sit, the exercise can be easier or more difficult.

Read article