The hanging leg raise is a bodyweight exercise that targets the abdominal muscles and hip flexors. It requires hanging from a pullup bar and lifting the legs up in front of the body, engaging the core throughout the movement.
Also Works
Hip Flexors
How to Perform
1
Hang from a pullup bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
2
Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
3
Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Initiate the movement by tilting your pelvis (posterior Pelvic Tilt) before lifting your legs to engage the abs from the start.
•Avoid swinging by pausing for one second at the bottom of each rep before starting the next one.
•Squeeze your legs together and point your toes to create a longer lever and increase difficulty.
Common Mistakes
•Using momentum from swinging the body rather than controlled ab engagement to raise the legs.
•Only lifting the legs to 90 degrees without curling the pelvis up, which works the hip flexors more than the abs.
•Losing grip before the abs are fatigued. If grip fails first, use ab straps to hang from your elbows.