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Exercises / Compound Advanced

Exercise demo

Hanging leg raise

The hanging leg raise is the gold-standard ab exercise. It loads the abs through a full range with minimal lower-back stress, but it demands shoulder, grip and trunk strength most lifters do not have on day one.

Primary muscle

Abs

Equipment

Bodyweight

Force

Pull

Mechanics

Compound

Setup

Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands roughly shoulder-width. Shoulders pulled down away from the ears, lats lightly engaged. Trunk braced. The body should be still before the first rep.

How to do it

  1. 1

    Anti-swing first

    Squeeze the lats and brace the abs to stop the body swinging. If you are swaying, you cannot do the lift properly.

  2. 2

    Lift the legs

    Curl the pelvis under and bring the legs up toward the chest in a single controlled motion. Aim to bring the toes toward the bar or as close as your hips will allow.

  3. 3

    Pause at the top

    Hold the contracted position for a one-count. This is where the abs are doing the most work.

  4. 4

    Lower under control

    Take three seconds to lower the legs back down. Stop short of vertical so the abs stay loaded.

Common mistakes

  • • Swinging the body back and forth to gain momentum.
  • • Failing to curl the pelvis under; this turns the lift into a hip flexor exercise.
  • • Lowering too fast and bouncing at the bottom.
  • • Gripping with white knuckles, which fatigues the forearms before the abs.
  • • Attempting it before the dead hang itself is solid.

Variations

Hanging knee raise

Knees bent rather than legs straight. Half the difficulty, two-thirds the benefit. Train this for 4 to 6 weeks before progressing.

Captain chair leg raise

Forearms on pads instead of hanging. Removes the grip demand. Most public gyms have this station.

Lying leg raise

On a flat bench. Far less demand on shoulders and grip. The best starting point if hanging is not yet possible.

FAQ

How many reps? +
Three sets of 6 to 10 strict reps. Most adults will progress from knee raises to straight-leg over 8 to 12 weeks. Do not chase a high rep count; eight clean straight-leg raises do more than fifteen sloppy kips.
Should the legs come above the bar? +
Only if the pelvis is curling under. Toes-to-bar is a strength feat and a fine target, but if it requires kipping or swinging, dial back to whatever range the abs can control. Range with control beats range with momentum.
My forearms tire before my abs. What now? +
Use lifting straps for the leg raise so the grip does not limit the set. The straps make the lift specifically an abs exercise. Save grip training for its own slot.
Is this safe for an older lower back? +
Safer than a sit-up because the spine is in a neutral hang. Trouble starts only if you kick the legs up rather than curl them. Slow, controlled reps put almost no load on the lumbar discs.

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