The full L-sit is the tuck L-sit with the legs paid off: arms locked, legs dead straight, 90 degrees between the two. Straightening the legs doubles the lever your core has to hold, which is why five seconds is a real goal.

How to do it

Sit between parallettes, blocks, or chairs — extra height gives your legs room, and take your shoes off. Set your hands at your hips, not in front. Lock the elbows, push the ground away so your shoulders drop from your ears, and lift into a tuck. Extend one leg slowly, then the other, squeezing both straight. Then breathe — shallow, but breathe. Holding your breath ends most attempts before the strength does.

Full walkthrough:

Video by Vitality

Getting there from the tuck

1. One-leg L-sit — extend one leg, hold, swap
2. Straddle L-sit — both legs straight but split wide; the closer they come together, the harder
3. Full L-sit — tuck, lift, extend one leg, then the other

Key tips

• Hands at the hips. Too far forward and you'll never find the balance point
• Keep pushing down. Stop pressing the shoulders away and the hips drop
• Straight elbows, straight knees. A bent-elbow version is a different, easier move
• Warm the wrists up first
• Don't just sit there. Once you have five seconds, add leg lifts or transitions — making it harder beats holding longer