Hanging Leg Raises

The Hanging Leg Raise is a great way to blast your abdominals, particularly the lower sections of the rectus abdominus. It’s always a good idea to work your lower abs early on in your abdominal routine (then move on to upper and obliques) as many of the lower ab movements are quite difficult and you’ll want to be as fresh as possible when performing them. Hanging Leg Raises are a favorite of mine because they place a tremendous amount of stress on the abs and high stress = great results. The key when performing this one is to keep the motion slow and controlled and be sure to NOT allow yourself to start using momentum and swing your legs up (as I see many people do) in order to accomplish your reps. The focus here should be feeling the burn in your abs, not just rushing through an inordinate amount of reps. Note: If leg raises seem too difficult for you, you may want to start out with hanging knee raises until your abs are stronger.

Performance: Hang vertically from a pull-up bar (or hanging sleeves or a vertical bench) with your knees slightly bent. Slowly lift your legs until they come slightly past parallel to the floor. Pause for a moment and then slowly lower your legs back to the start. When your legs are just short of the starting position, begin your next rep. This will be continuous tension on your abs and minimize the tendency to swing.

Muscle Emphasis: the entire front abdominal wall, particularly the lower sections of the rectus abdominus (lower abs)