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abdominals

Hanging Leg Raise

Hanging from a bar, you raise your legs out in front of you to level with your hips. A hard exercise for the whole front of your stomach and your grip.

advancedpull up bar

Hanging Leg Raise, start position
START
Hanging Leg Raise, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START1
  1. Use a bar high enough that your feet clear the floor.
HOW TO DO IT

Hang from the bar

  1. Grab the bar shoulder-width apart with your palms facing away.
  2. Hang with your arms straight and your legs straight down.
  3. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears and tighten your stomach.

Check: You are hanging still with straight arms, shoulders down, and your body not swinging.

Raise your legs

  1. Raise your legs out in front of you with your knees almost straight.
  2. Stop when your legs are level with your hips and hold for a second.

Check: Your legs are straight out in front, level with your hips, and your body is still; you did not swing.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower your legs slowly until they hang straight down again.

Check: Your legs hang straight down and you are still not swinging.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set. If you cannot keep your legs straight, bend your knees and raise them to your chest instead.

Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; pause; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Hanging Leg Raise: muscles worked, front view
Hanging Leg Raise: muscles worked, back view

abs

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Swinging the body to throw the legs up. Momentum does the work. Fix: Pause at the bottom until you are still, then lift slowly.
  • Only lifting with the hip muscles, back arched. Fix: Curl your hips up a little at the top so the stomach works.
  • Dropping the legs fast. Fix: Lower over 2 to 3 seconds.
SAFETY2
  • Step down after the set rather than dropping.
  • Start with bent knees if straight legs cause lower-back pain.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: bent knee reverse crunch, standing knee raise

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