Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Full Maltese: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The full maltese is an advanced bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the abs, with significant involvement of the shoulders and chest. It requires a high degree of core strength, balance, and body control, making it a challenging movement for most practitioners.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Chest
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the full maltese
Front view: muscles worked by the full maltese. Primary: abs. Secondary: shoulders and chest.
Back view: muscles worked by the full maltese. Primary: abs. Secondary: shoulders and chest.
Primary Secondary

How to do the full maltese

  1. Step 1: Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended straight out to the sides.
  2. Step 2: Slowly lean forward, keeping your arms straight, until your upper body is parallel to the ground.
  3. Step 3: Engage your core and hold this position for a few seconds.
  4. Step 4: Return to the starting position by pushing through your feet and standing back up.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the full maltese by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Full Maltese alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

More abs exercises

See the best ab exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.