Leg Raises
Lying or hanging leg raises — emphasise the lower portion of the abdominal wall.
Execution
- Either lie on your back or hang from a pull-up bar.
- Legs straight or slightly bent, lift them slowly toward the ceiling.
- Lumbar spine (lying) or torso (hanging) stays still — no swinging.
- Lower under control, no slamming into the floor and no kipping at the bottom.
Tips
- Progression: knees tucked → knees to chest → straight legs to horizontal.
- In the hang, actively depress the shoulder blades or the shoulder girdle ends up doing the work.
What leg raises actually train
Leg raises are billed as an "exercise for the lower abs." Anatomically that's not quite accurate: the rectus abdominis is one continuous muscle that can't be split into an upper and lower half. What is true is that the lower portion works harder during the leg movement, and the hip flexors are substantially involved.
The real training content is something else, and it's often overlooked — it's an anti-extension task. As the legs lower, the pelvis wants to tip forward and create a lower-back arch. Preventing exactly that is the actual work.
Execution
Lying: on your back, hands beside or under the glutes. The lower back stays in contact with the floor for the entire movement — that's the requirement, not an optional extra. Lower the legs under control, only as far as the back stays down, then raise them again.
Hanging from a bar makes the exercise noticeably harder and also trains grip strength. Beginners raise bent knees instead of straight legs.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back on the way down. The mistake that tips the exercise from useful to harmful. Shorten the range until the back stays down.
- Letting the legs drop. The lowering phase is the more valuable part.
- Swinging in the hang. Momentum replaces strength and makes the exercise pointless.
Programming
Three sets of 8 to 15 controlled reps. Progression works through leverage: bent knees, then half straight, then fully straight, then hanging.