Hanging Leg Raise Guide | Master Lower Ab Strength
Learn how to perform the hanging leg raise with proper form to build core stability, target lower abs, and improve your functional strength.
How to Perform
- Grasp the pull-up bar with an overhand grip at shoulder-width and allow your body to hang in a straight line.
- Engage your shoulder blades by pulling them slightly down and back to stabilize your torso.
- Inhale and brace your core while keeping your legs straight and squeezed together.
- Exhale as you lift your legs upward by hinging at the hips until they are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for a second at the top of the movement to maximize muscle contraction.
- Lower your legs back to the starting position with a slow and controlled tempo to prevent swinging.
- Maintain a slight hollow-body position throughout the descent to keep constant tension on the abdominals.
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum or swinging the legs to complete the repetition.
- Arching the lower back excessively at the bottom of the movement.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears which reduces stability.
- Dropping the legs quickly rather than controlling the eccentric phase.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Lower Abs
Stabilizers
- Hip Flexors
- Forearms
- Lats
- Obliques
Related Guides
- 3008 Abdominal Crunch — Core
- Ab Roller — Core
- Ab wheel — Core
Lower Abs · Core