Lying Leg Raise: how to do it right
In short: The floor leg raise isolates the lower abs through a controlled hip flexion, with maximum tension at mid-range when your legs pass through horizontal.
How to do it, step by step
- 1Lie on your back, hands under your glutes or along your sides, lower back pressed into the floor.
- 2Legs straight or slightly bent, lift your heels a few centimeters off the floor to create the starting tension.
- 3Raise your legs while curling your pelvis, the pubic bone comes toward the navel, up to about vertical.
- 4Lower slowly without your lower back arching and without your heels touching the floor.
- 5Keep a slow, continuous rhythm, about 2 seconds up, 3 on the way back, with no dead time.
The mistake to avoid
Don't arch your lower back. Keep it pressed into the floor.
Other common mistakes
- Arching your lower back off the floor: draw your belly in and tilt your pelvis to stay pinned, reduce the range if needed.
- Pulling with the hip flexors without curling the pelvis: think of lifting your tailbone at the end of the rise to target the lower abs.
- Letting the descent drop in a free-fall: brake the return, that's where the muscle works the most.
- Using momentum with your legs: keep a slow rhythm and remove any swinging.
Muscles worked
- Main:
- Abs
The rectus abdominis, especially its lower portion below the navel, performs posterior pelvic tilt and trunk flexion. The hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris) take a big part in lifting the legs. The transverse abdominis braces and stabilizes the lumbar spine.
What to replace it with
Same muscle, same part of the movement: these exercises do the same job.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do this exercise?
On your back, hands under your glutes or along your sides, lower back pressed into the floor. Lift your heels a few centimeters, then raise your legs while curling your pelvis: the pubic bone comes toward the navel. Lower slowly without ever letting your back arch.
I don't feel anything, is that normal?
You should feel the lower abs, below the navel. If you mostly feel the front of your hips, you're lifting your legs without curling your pelvis: lift your glutes slightly at the end of the rise, even by one centimeter.
How fast should I do the movement?
Two seconds up, three on the way back, continuous and with no dead time. Don't chase height, chase the curl of the pelvis: it's what recruits the lower abs.