Lying leg raises / leg raises / leg lifts

The Lying Leg Raises exercise is excellent for abdominal muscle training. It primarily strengthens the rectus abdominis muscle and the pyramidalis muscle. Simultaneously, it activates the oblique abdominal muscles, enhancing the effectiveness of this exercise.

Leg raises with hip roll

Engaging in leg raises with a hip roll introduces a refreshing variation to your workout routine. To fully maximize the potential of this exercise, detailed information on body positioning and movement execution is provided here. Alternatively, you can also incorporate the hip roll as an independent fitness exercise into your training program.

Body Positioning

In hip-roll leg raises, you begin in a flat back position. Your legs are close together, and your arms are stretched out to the sides of your body. Keep your gaze directed upwards.

Movement Execution

Initiate the hip-roll leg raises by lifting your legs vertically upward. Ensure that the lower back stays in contact with the floor, while you slightly elevate your buttocks. The movement is generated solely from your legs, engaging your abdominal muscles. Subsequently, lower the extended legs to one side, creating an approximately 90-degree angle beside your body. In the next round, return the legs to the middle position before extending them upward again and tilting them to the other side.

Leg raises lying with partner

Adding a partner to supine leg raises introduces an additional training variation. Here, you'll find all the essential information about partnered supine leg raises.

Body Position

In partnered supine leg raises, one of the training partners lies on their back on the floor. The legs are close together, and the entire body is tense. The other training partner stands directly behind the head of the prone athlete, gripping both hands onto the lower legs of the partner to ensure necessary stability.

Movement Execution

At the beginning of the exercise, lift your legs upward, almost fully extended, with only the upper back and head remaining on the floor. As the prone partner extends their legs as far as possible, the standing partner reaches and holds the elevated legs to increase stability in the final position, thereby sustaining muscle stimulus over an extended period. Return to the lying starting position while inhaling.

Candle

The Candle Pose is an extreme form of leg lifting while lying down. It originally comes from yoga training. Here you'll find tips on how to effectively train your abdominal muscles with the Candle Pose.

Body Position

Start by lying down with your legs closed on the ground. Press your legs tightly together. The arms are placed directly beside your body, with the palms on the ground. Keep your gaze directed upward.

Execution

To perform the Candle Pose, begin by lifting the pelvis with almost fully extended legs. Stretch your feet upward, aiming for a generally straight position. Exhale during this upward movement. Your chin rests on your neck, and only your shoulders and head touch the ground. In contrast to the lying leg lift, this exercise also involves lifting the lower back into the air. Maintain tension throughout your entire body. While taking a deep breath, slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Classic leg raises for the abdominal muscles

Classic leg raises for abdominal muscles are widespread and popular. In the following section, you'll find more information on body position and execution for various variations. You can perform classic leg raises with bent knees, extended, or extended on a bench.

Body Position

To effectively train the lower abdominal muscles during lying leg raises, lie on your back. Depending on the exercise variant, you can be on the floor or on a bench. Extend your legs, and your arms are also extended beside your body. You can simply place your palms on the ground to provide the necessary stability during execution.

Execution

Once in your starting position, begin the exercise by inhaling and lifting your legs with bent knees. Move your thighs so that they end up vertically aligned with the ground. The shins form a right angle with your thighs, and your knees are in the air. You can slightly lift your buttocks, but the lower back must remain consistently on the ground. Then, pause and return to the starting position, where the legs lie on the ground. Exhale slowly during this process.

Info

This exercise variant has strong parallels to lying knee raises. However, in lying knee raises, you do not place your legs on the ground, unlike in leg raises.

To start with this variant of classic lying leg raises, lift your legs vertically upward. The legs are not fully extended to protect the joints, maintaining a minimal bend in the knees. However, you should slightly lift your buttocks to generate or intensify the muscle stimulus. Your upper body, head, and neck remain motionless. Tighten your abdomen and slowly lower your legs downwards afterward. Continue the downward movement until your lower back can still touch the ground. Your legs may briefly touch the ground. Exhale slowly, then inhale and start the exercise anew.

In classic leg raises on a bench, the thighs rest on the bench, while the shins, along with the knees, hang freely in the air. The legs form a straight, horizontal line. Exhale as you move the legs upward until they are almost perpendicular to the air. Maintain a slight bend in the knees. Ensure that the lower back stays on the bench while lifting your buttocks slightly. Then return to the starting position while keeping tension in your abdominal muscles.

Common mistakes with leg raises

Not everything goes smoothly with the fitness exercise Leg Raises. In the following section, you'll discover the most common mistakes that occur during lying leg raises and tips on how to avoid them in the future.

✅ Legs moved too quickly: When performing lying leg raises, you should move your legs at a moderate pace. Too fast movements diminish the effectiveness of the workout.

✅ Lower back lifts off: At the same time, the lower back should always remain on the ground. Avoid lifting the lower back while raising and lowering the legs. In contrast, the buttocks and hips can lift slightly.

✅ Body swinging: Swinging the body introduces unnecessary strains and risks. Therefore, throughout the entire exercise, you should draw strength only from your legs and abdomen.

✅ Neck and head are tense: The neck and head should be completely relaxed on the ground. Avoid excessive tension in the neck and head during the exercise.

Alternatives and similar exercises to lying leg raises

For a good dose of variety, you can incorporate different exercises into your training plan. Here are some alternatives that function similarly to lying leg raises.