LiftMend › Exercises › McGill curl-up
McGill curl-up: how to do it
Builds core endurance without bending the lower back much. Works: Abdominal muscles with a still spine.
Try: 3 × 8-second holds
Form cues
- One knee bent, one leg straight.
- Hands under the arch of your lower back.
- Lift head and shoulders 2–3 cm as one unit.
- Don't tuck your chin or curl your spine.
If mcgill curl-up hurts
Don't push through sharp pain. These are the swaps LiftMend suggests with a similar movement, easier or kinder first:
General exercise information, not medical advice. If you have pain that is sharp, getting worse, or follows an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.
Follow a plan, not a list
LiftMend builds exercises like this into short sessions that work around a sore back, knee or shoulder. Swap any move that hurts, get timers that run themselves, and ask the AI coach between sets. Free to download.