Bottoms Up
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Bottoms Up
- Begin by lying on your back on the ground. Your legs should be straight and your arms at your side. This will be your starting position.
- To perform the movement, tuck the knees toward your chest by flexing the hips and knees. Following this, extend your legs directly above you so that they are perpendicular to the ground. Rotate and elevate your pelvis to raise your glutes from the floor.
- After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Bottoms Up
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Barbell Side Bend
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
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2
Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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3
Cable Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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4
Cable Judo Flip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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5
Cable Reverse Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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6
Cable Russian Twists
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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7
Cable Seated Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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8
Crunches
Crunches are a classic abdominal exercise that isolates the rectus abdominis. When performed correctly, they're an effective way to build core strength and muscular endurance.
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9
Dumbbell Side Bend
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using dumbbells.
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10
Exercise Ball Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using an exercise ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do bottoms up work?
Bottoms Up primarily works the abs.
What equipment do I need for bottoms up?
None. Bottoms Up is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.
Bottoms Up: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Bottoms Up is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of bottoms up?
Barbell Side Bend, Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends, Cable Crunch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my bottoms up reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; bottoms up can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Bottoms Up with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.