Body & Balance Studio
Posture scan

McGill Modified Curl-Up

activatecore

A video demonstration is coming soon. Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight on the floor.
  2. Place both hands under your low back to keep the spine in a neutral, slightly arched position.
  3. Lift your head only about 1 inch off the ground, with no movement in the low back.
  4. Hold for ~10 seconds, breathing slowly, then relax the head down.
  5. Progress by bracing the abs first or lifting the elbows off the floor.

Form cues

  • Lift the head only 1 inch — no low-back movement
  • Take small sips of air; keep abs contracted

Dosage

Descending pyramid 5-3-1 reps with 8-10s isometric holds; rest 20-30s between sets

Muscles worked

rectus abdominis — anatomical illustration
rectus abdominisAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
anterior core stabilizers — anatomical illustration
anterior core stabilizersAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Strengthens: rectus abdominis, anterior core stabilizers

Target muscles

Rectus AbdominisAnterior Core Stabilizers

Helps with

Trunk Lean
Wall-Standing Postural ExerciseWall-Sitting Postural ExerciseAbdominal Trunk CurlCraniocervical Flexion (Deep Neck Flexor Activation)Isometric Cervical RetractionFormation of the Short Foot

Reference: Rebuilding Milo p.104