I did 30 V-sit-ups every day for a week — here’s what happened

a photo of a man doing a v-sit-up with oustretched arms

I have tried a variety of sit-up/crunch exercises over the years: standard, stability ball, reverse crunch, side, raised leg, and so on, and have never finished a set thinking: “Well, that was shameful. And painful.” Until, that is, my editor suggested I try the V-sit-up or V-up. She did this by email, but I swear I heard her chuckling darkly.

What is a V-sit-up?