*Preparations for the August 1st FVT Ultimate Challenge Workout officially start TODAY – get more info and reserve your spot now by clicking HERE*
The hanging leg raise is one of my favorite ab exercises. It works all the muscles of your midsection, and even your lats.
But it’s also relatively challenging. It takes a good amount of ab strength, as well as flexibility, to perform properly.
So I wanted to break down the movement for you into a four step progression.
If you’re doing the exercise in a workout for, say, a timed 30 second set, you want to be able to do the full set, with solid form, at step 1 before you move on to step 2.
Continue trying to work to the next step over time – from workout to workout, and week to week … and before you know it, you’ll be cranking out multiple reps of the hanging leg raise!
The Hanging Leg Raise – a 4 Step Progression
Step 1 – Grab the bar and hang
This is the basic version if you’re just getting going.
Try to get your body tight – to what we call our “hollow body” position. You don’t want to just be hanging there loose and limp.
Abs should be braced, lower body is tight, upper body is tight, and you’re cranking down on the bar with your grip.
Once you can hold that for a solid 30 seconds, it’s time to move on to …
Step 2 – Hanging knee raise
Starting from the same position, you’ll bring your knees up towards your chest, and get them as high as you can.
Think about using your ab muscles to do the movement. Also think about using your upper body – your lats – to “press down” on the bar and assist, WITHOUT bending your arms.
Step 3 – Knees to elbows
Same idea as the hanging knee raise, but now you’ll just end up bringing your knees all the way up and touching your elbows.
You’ll be extending the range of motion, and the exercise will be more challenging.
Step 4 – Straight leg raise
For the last step in the progression, you’re going to straighten your legs completely and touch your toes to the bar at the top of the move.
As you learn the move and perfect it, a bit of momentum is okay … but you want to work to where you can do it slowly, under control, and using zero swinging etc to get your legs up to the bar.
The hanging leg raise is a great ab exercise. It works all the muscles of your midsection, and even your lats.
But it’s also relatively challenging. It takes a good amount of ab strength, as well as flexibility.
Work through the four step progression outlined in today’s article, and you’ll be a master of the movement in no time!
Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –
– Forest
PS – Preparations for the August 1st FVT Ultimate Challenge Workout officially start TODAY – get more info and reserve your spot now by clicking HERE