From a supine position, lift your straight legs upward using your abdominal muscles; the movement primarily trains the abdominals. Control the descent to keep tension on your core.
How to do the Lying Leg Raise#
- Lie on your back with legs straight and place your hands under your hips or alongside your body for support.
- Draw your ribcage toward your pelvis and press your lower back lightly into the floor to engage the core.
- Raise both legs together, keeping them extended, until they are roughly vertical or form a right angle with your torso.
- Lower the legs slowly with control until they hover a few inches above the ground while maintaining abdominal tension.
- Perform the desired number of repetitions while avoiding momentum.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Abs, Hip flexors
- Secondary: Obliques
Common mistakes#
- Letting the lower back lift off the floor and arching the spine.
- Swinging the legs or using momentum instead of controlled abdominal contraction.
- Pushing hard with the hands to help lift the legs rather than using the core.
