Hanging Leg Raise

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup: Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hang with arms fully extended and feet off the ground. Engage your lats and create shoulder stability by pulling your shoulder blades down slightly—don't just dangle passively.

2. 2

   Engage Core: Before initiating the movement, take a breath and brace your abs as if preparing to be punched. Create a hollow body position by posteriorly tilting your pelvis. Eliminate any arch in your lower back and prevent swinging or momentum.

3. 3

   Raise Legs: Keeping your legs straight or slightly bent, exhale and lift them by flexing at the hips and contracting your abs. Drive your legs up until they're at least parallel to the ground—advanced lifters aim for toes to bar. Lead with your feet, not your knees.

4. 4

   Peak Contraction: At the top position, pause for a one-second count while maximally contracting your lower abs. Your pelvis should posteriorly rotate toward your ribcage at the top—this engages the abs, not just hip flexors. Avoid swinging back and forth.

5. 5

   Lower Controlled: Take 2-3 seconds to lower your legs back to the starting position. Control the descent completely—don't let gravity drop your legs. Maintain core tension throughout the entire negative phase. Reset your hollow position before the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Using Momentum and Swinging

  Kipping or swinging to get your legs up completely defeats the purpose and reduces ab engagement dramatically. If you're swinging, you're going too fast. Eliminate all momentum and use pure muscular contraction to lift your legs.

• Not Posteriorly Tilting the Pelvis

  Simply raising your legs with hip flexors only misses the point. At the top, curl your pelvis toward your ribcage to engage your lower abs. This posterior pelvic tilt is what makes it a core exercise, not just hip flexion.

• Inadequate Range of Motion

  Lifting your legs only slightly or stopping at 45 degrees limits ab recruitment. Aim to get your legs at least parallel to the ground, ideally higher. If full range is too hard, regress to hanging knee raises first.

• Letting Shoulders Elevate

  Allowing your shoulders to rise toward your ears creates instability and reduces control. Keep your lats engaged and shoulders pulled down throughout the movement. Think "active hang" not "dead hang."

Pro Tips

• Progress from Knee Raises

  If straight leg raises are too difficult, start with hanging knee raises where you bring your knees to your chest. Once you can do 12-15 controlled reps, progress to straight legs. The movement pattern is the same, just with shorter levers.

• Use Straps for Grip Limitation

  If your grip fails before your abs, use lifting straps to eliminate grip as the limiting factor. Your abs can handle more volume than your forearms initially. Build grip separately with dead hangs and farmer's carries.

• Think "Toes to Bar" as Your Goal

  The ultimate progression is touching your toes to the bar, which requires exceptional flexibility, core strength, and control. Work toward this goal gradually by increasing your range of motion over months of consistent training.

• Control the Eccentric Religiously

  The lowering phase is where the most muscle damage and growth occur. Take 3-4 seconds to lower your legs on each rep while maintaining constant tension. If you can't control the negative, you're not ready for that variation yet.

Variations

Alternatives

Related Core Exercises