Lying Leg Raise

What is Lying Leg Raise:

The Lying Leg Raise is a core exercise that works the rectus abdominis with the hip flexors. It involves lying on your back with your hands on your sides for support and elevation of your straight legs from a hollow body position until your legs are perpendicular to the floor with 90 degrees of hip flexion.

Key Benefits:

  • Size and Strength: Works primarily the rectus abdominis, as well as the hip flexors, promoting muscle growth and strength improvement.
  • Hip Flexor Strength: As the exercise involves hip flexion, it can help strengthen the hip flexor muscles, improving hip mobility.
  • Functional Strength: Improves spinal flexion strength, core stability, hip mobility, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Convenience: This exercise can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment, making it accessible and convenient for most individuals.

Variations:

  • Regular Crunch: A traditional spinal flexion or crunch exercise that targets the rectus abdominis muscle by lifting the upper body off the floor to create spinal flexion.
  • Reverse Crunch: A crunch variation that lifts the lower body towards the chest to flex the spine and contract the rectus abdominis muscle.
  • Candle Raise: An abdominal exercise performed while lying on your back with your legs straight up and elevating your legs through spinal flexion.
  • Hanging Tucked Leg Raise: An abdominal exercise where you hang from a bar and flex the spine and hips to raise your legs towards your chest.

How to perform Lying Leg Raises:

  • Starting Position: Lie down and assume a hollow body position with your arms by your sides for better stability throughout the exercise.
  • Execution: Bring your legs towards your center, flexing both your spine and hips until 90 degrees of hip flexion without bending your legs. Hold this position briefly, then return to the starting position with control.
  • Repetition: Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Breathing Technique:

Proper breathing is crucial for maximizing performance and maintaining stamina throughout the exercise. Experiment with what you're comfortable with and let you perform your best. For starters, you can try the following:

  • Inhale: Inhale at the starting position or as you return to the starting position.
  • Exhale: Exhale at the end position.
  • Range of Motion: A 90-degree angle is sufficient; going beyond that is unnecessary and doesn't significantly impact the rectus abdominis due to gravity.
  • Hamstring Tightness: Don't force yourself to do the movement with straight legs if it's too much for you. Bend your knees as needed to perform the movement and target the rectus abdominis more efficiently.
  • Pelvic Positioning: Maintain a posterior pelvic tilt to efficiently engage the rectus abdominis muscle for optimal performance.
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    Additional Information:

    Ways to make it easier:

    • Focusing only on the Concentric or Eccentric phase
    • Decreasing the lever - bending your legs as much as needed
    • Decreasing the Range of Motion - partial reps, only go as far as you can handle
    • Regressing to an easier variation/exercise

    Ways to make it harder:

    • Playing with the Tempo & adding an Isometric phase (pause/hold)
    • Adding Resistance - wearing an ankle weight or holding something with your legs
    • Progressing to a harder variation/exercise