L-Sit Progression (Tuck Hold)

AnimalBW

A supported hold with hands planted beside the hips, shoulders depressed, knees tucked toward the chest and feet off the floor. The foundational compression position that underlies L-sits, Frog Stand, and many other flow and gymnastic positions.

Demo: GMB Fitness

Sets

4

Reps

10-20 sec hold

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Avoid with wrist pain; use fists or parallettes as a workaround.

Setup

Sit on the floor or a pair of parallettes/blocks, hands planted beside the hips.

Execution

  1. 1Push down through the hands to lift the hips off the ground
  2. 2Tuck the knees toward the chest as the hips lift
  3. 3Depress the shoulders away from the ears, keeping the chest open
  4. 4Hold the tuck position, keeping the lower back neutral, not rounded
  5. 5Lower with control back to the seated position

Key cues

  • Push the floor away, don't just shrug the shoulders
  • Pull the knees to the chest, don't let them drift out
  • Keep the chest lifted and open, shoulders down
  • Hold and breathe, don't rush the descent

Common faults

  • Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of depressing them
  • Letting the knees drift away from the chest
  • Rounding the lower back excessively
  • Holding the breath during the hold

Tweaks

  • Progress to a single-leg extended L-sit
  • Add a small rock forward and back once stable
  • Use parallettes or push-up handles to increase clearance

Progressions

Frog Stand (Crow Pose)

Muscles

Primary: Hip Flexors, Core, Shoulders

Secondary: Triceps, Wrist Flexors

Notes

Considered a foundation position for flow work — the compression strength trained here transfers directly into Frog Stand and other arm balances.

Sources

Attribution: GMB Fitness