How to Do Leg Raises to Absolutely Cook Your Abs

Leg raises are a easy body weight exercise that works your core from the hips by way of the midsection. Though usually seen as an efficient manner to produce six-pack abs, leg raises additionally goal the hip flexors, glutes, and pelvic ground. 

When completed accurately, the abs do all of the work, and the legs are alongside for the experience. Here’s how to construct this pivotal transfer into your lower-body exercise. 

Related: 25 Lower Ab Workouts to Strengthen Your Core

How to Do Leg Raises

1. Lie flat in your again on a yoga or exercise mat and prolong your legs. Your arms needs to be alongside the edges of your body, and your palms needs to be pressed frivolously into the ground. You also can maintain onto a set object behind you, resembling a bench.
2. Activate your transverse abdominis by pulling your stomach button in as if pushing the decrease again into the bottom. Exhale and slowly elevate your legs.
3. Raise your legs till they’re 90 levels from the ground, and your decrease again begins to come off the bottom. At this level, cease and full your exhalation.
4. As you slowly decrease your legs, inhale and keep contact between your decrease again and the ground. 
5. At the tip of the motion, hold your ft hovering off the ground. The key’s to hold your decrease again on the bottom and your core engaged.

Related: 25 Lower Ab Workouts to Strengthen Your Core

How to Add a Leg Raise Into a Workout

Leg raises match into any exercise, residence or away, with or with out tools. If you might have a stretching routine within the morning or earlier than mattress, leg raises assist to convey the body again into alignment. If you might have an everyday abs program, leg raises can go wherever within the exercise. 

Some choose them to come on the finish, not as a result of they’re essentially the most difficult transfer (although they’re not straightforward), however as a result of they assist reset your posture. They additionally match into conventional strength workouts. Drop and do some leg raises when you’ve got a minute or two earlier than sets of something, particularly on leg days.

Leg Raise Variations

Make It Easier

If you lack core strength, attempt bringing your legs to a 45-degree angle quite than the complete 90 levels—or start with one set of 10 (and even 5) reps quite than three sets of 10 reps at first. It’s higher to grasp correct respiratory and 5 appropriate reps than to set up unhealthy habits.

Make It Harder

To make leg raises tougher, elevate your legs one by one. Even tougher: Bring your pelvis off the bottom or your legs up to the facet to work the obliques and enhance hip rotation. Be certain to transfer from the hips and core. Once that turns into snug, attempt these superior variations.

Hanging Leg Raise 

How to Do It

1. Hang from a pullup bar, to start.
2. Lift your legs as high as you may with out bending your knees or utilizing any momentum.

Bent-Knee Dragon Flag

How to Do It

1. Lie on a bench and grasp it behind your head, to start. 
2. Bend your knees 90 levels and roll your knees again towards your head, elevating your body up off the bench and onto your higher again. 
3. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes. Take a pointy breath and maintain it. 
4. Lower your body till your ft contact the bench, then come again up. 
5. If you may, carry out the transfer together with your legs totally prolonged.

Leg Raise Benefits

Targeting the higher and decrease stomach muscle tissues, leg raises enhance core strength. Unlike many actions, this exercise requires no tools apart from a yoga mat or a tender floor to lie upon—so there’s no excuse not to do it at residence or whereas touring. 

Since leg raises contain hip flexors, hamstrings, and glutes, they’re an incredible bang on your buck, working three areas again into alignment in spite of everything these hours hovering over desks and steering wheels. Leg raises even strengthen the pelvic ground, which is essential for guys wanting to maximize erections, forestall urinary points, and even forestall untimely ejaculation.

What Muscles Do Leg Raises Work?

All motion begins from the transverse abdominis, which originates from the decrease backbone and wraps round and attaches to the ribs, abs, and pelvis. The “TA” is the primary muscle that fires throughout the motion. At least it needs to be for leg raises to be efficient—in any other case, you’re simply flailing the legs.

Few actions work the decrease and higher abs as a lot as this easy exercise. Plus, it requires the glutes to hearth and the hip flexors to transfer accurately. Don’t dismiss leg raises as simply ab work. They’re an efficient manner to construct core strength, counteract hours spent sitting, and stop accidents.

Related: The Exact Ab Workout Jason Statham Does to Maintain His Shredded Six-Pack

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