Elbows pull the head forward
Neck flexors are doing the work; the abdominals are underloaded.
Overactive muscles
SCMScalenesSuboccipitals
Corrective work
Foam RollSuboccipitals (lacrosse ball)↗StretchSCM / scalene stretch↗Pilates · Core
Chest Lift (Pilates Crunch)
Coaching cues
- Lie supine; knees bent; hands behind the head; elbows wide
- Exhale and curl the head, neck, and shoulders off the mat — do not sit up
- Maintain the C-curve; gaze at the knees; hold briefly at the top
- Inhale and lower with control — do not drop the head
Common faults 2
Sitting up fully — becoming a sit-up
Hip flexors dominate above the C-curve; this is a Pilates chest lift not a sit-up.
Overactive muscles
Hip flexorsRectus femoris
Corrective work
Foam RollHip flexors↗StretchHalf-kneeling hip flexor stretch↗