The seated leg raise is an abdominal exercise performed while sitting on a bench. It primarily targets the abs and also engages the hip flexors. The movement involves raising the legs while keeping them straight, which requires core strength and stability.
Also Works
Hip Flexors
How to Perform
1
Sit on a flat bench with your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.
2
Place your hands on the sides of the bench for support.
3
Keeping your legs straight, slowly raise them up in front of you until they are parallel to the ground.
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
•Grip the sides of the bench firmly and lean back slightly to create tension through the lower abs.
•Lift your legs by tilting your pelvis posteriorly (tucking the tailbone), not just by flexing the hip.
•Lower your legs slowly, stopping before they touch the ground to maintain constant tension on the abs.
Common Mistakes
•Swinging the legs up using momentum instead of controlled hip flexion and abdominal engagement.
•Leaning back too far, which reduces the range of motion and takes tension off the abs.
•Letting the legs drop uncontrolled on the lowering phase, which wastes the eccentric portion of the exercise.