How to Work Your Way Up to a Solid Sit-Through

From Men's Health

While hardcore gym fanatics might think of most bodyweight movements as chump change, they can be very difficult to master. One of the biggest challenges of shifting to a mostly equipment-free fitness routine is actually doing the new exercises properly. Just because you're not working with a ton of iron doesn't mean the work you're doing isn't tough—especially if you're shooting for picture perfect form (you should be).

One particularly tricky bodyweight movement to nail properly is the sit-through (a.k.a. the sit-thru or kick-thru). The exercise, which comes from the world of combat sports like wrestling and jiu-jitsu, takes mobility, coordination, and strength to work your shoulders, chest, core, and hips.

For beginners, starting with the full movement might be too much too soon. Trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S. knows that, so she advocates for those new to the exercise to work their way up to it. "If you've been following at-home routines, you've probably seen the kick through and might have stumbled a little while giving it a go," she says. "Keep in mind the move requires hip and shoulder mobility, so I recommend including mobility into your programming."

Start with these two movements before the full version of the exercise.

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

• Bear Crawl

• Bear Plank and Knee Tap

Start the bear crawl slow—only go the length of your mat, or a few feet forward and back. The bear plank and knee tap will challenge your balance by putting you on opposite limbs at a given time.

Your focus for both movements should be on maintaining a straight spine position (no rounding) and keeping your core tight. "When you're ready to start moving, try moving forward, backward (and laterally) in a bear crawl to challenge your core stability while on the move," suggests Atkins. "You can also elevate your hands to create some clearance when trying to rotate (for when you're ready for the full move)."

Want to learn more moves from Atkins? Check out our series full of her workout tips, Try Her Move. You can also take on her new 30 day challenge in our streaming All Out Studio app, check out her Le Sweat workout app, and follow her on Instagram to find out when she's hosting live workouts from her living room.

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