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Glute Ham Raise Situp being performed with proper form
Glute Ham Raise Situp demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Glute Ham Raise Situp

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
65,266
Popularity Rank
725th
Difficulty
Intermediate
Abs Strength
56 mSCORE 133rd
Equipment Required
  • Photo of Glute Ham Raise Bench
    Glute Ham Raise Bench

Workouts with Glute Ham Raise Situp

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Abs
    Secondary Muscles
    Quads

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Glute Ham Raise Situp is a hybrid exercise combining the glute-ham raise and a sit-up. This compound movement primarily targets the hamstrings, glutes, and core. This variation improves muscle activation and strength in the posterior chain while also engaging the core for stability and added challenge. It's a great exercise for enhancing overall posterior chain strength and core endurance.

    1. Sit upright on a Glute Ham machine securing your feet underneath the foot pad.
    2. Brace your core to keep your spine neutral throughout the exercise.
    3. Place your hands behind your head gently touching your fingers to the backside of your head.
    4. Extend your hips to descend your shoulder to the ground until you reach a straight alignment from your knees to your shoulders.
    5. Exhale to return to the starting position.

    Sets & Reps Calculator

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      3
      sets
      9
      reps
      1 Set Max
      10
      reps
    • intermediate
      4
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      9
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      11
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      4
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      10
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      12
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    Alternatives & Variations to Glute Ham Raise Situp

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    1. 1. Ab Crunch Machine

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      96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 122 TIMES

      Ab Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.

      • Intermediate
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      • Ab Crunch Machine

    2. 2. Glute Ham Raise

      Photo of Glute Ham Raise being performed
      56.1 mSCORESWAPPED 90 TIMES

      Glute Ham Raise is a compound exercise that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on a Glute Ham Developer (GHD) allows for a controlled movement that isolates these muscles effectively. The fixed position of the machine adds stability, which lets you focus more on exertion rather than balancing. This exercise is excellent for building strength and muscle mass in the posterior chain.

    3. 3. Crunches

      Photo of Crunches being performed
      94 mSCORESWAPPED 79 TIMES

      Crunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.

    4. 4. Sit Up

      Photo of Sit Up being performed
      93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 78 TIMES

      Sit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.

    5. 5. Plank

      Photo of Plank being performed
      92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 76 TIMES

      Planks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.

    6. 6. Decline Crunch

      Photo of Decline Crunch being performed
      79.5 mSCORESWAPPED 75 TIMES

      Decline Crunch is a more challenging variation on the more standard crunch. Similar to a standard Crunch, this is a bodyweight core exercise. The use of a decline bench forces you to lay back further than you can on a flat surface. This helps improve muscle activation.

      • Intermediate
      • Abs
      • Decline Bench

    7. 7. Decline Sit Up

      Photo of Decline Sit Up being performed
      77.6 mSCORESWAPPED 71 TIMES

      Decline Sit Up is a variation on the more common Sit Up. By laying back on a decline bench, you can keep more tension on your abdominals at the top of the movement. This is a great exercise for adding a bit more of a challenge to your Sit Ups.

      • Intermediate
      • Abs
      • Decline Bench

    8. 8. Leg Raise

      Photo of Leg Raise being performed
      96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 69 TIMES

      Leg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.