Abs · Isolation movement
Lying Leg Raise
An isolation exercise for the abs. No equipment needed.
Looping the start and end of the movement.
Primary muscle
Abs
Secondary muscles
–
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Lying Leg Raise
- Lie flat on your back with legs straight, hands under the hips or gripping a bench overhead for a stable anchor.
- Press the lower back into the floor and keep it there. If the lumbar arches up, the hip flexors take over and the abs disengage.
- Raise the straight legs by hinging at the hips until they point toward the ceiling, keeping the knees soft but not bending them.
- Near the top, add a small posterior pelvic tilt to curl the hips off the floor and shorten the abs beyond a plain hip raise.
- Lower the legs slowly toward the floor while actively bracing to keep the lower back flat against the ground.
- Stop the descent just before the heels touch or before the lower back begins to arch, then raise again without resting.
Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Letting the lower back arch off the floor as the legs lower, dumping the load onto the hip flexors and the lumbar.
- •Bending the knees heavily to shorten the lever and cheat the legs up.
- •Dropping the legs quickly and using the rebound to fling them back up.
- •Raising the legs with a pure hip hinge and never tucking the pelvis to shorten the abs.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Lying Leg Raise fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize abs volume.
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