Hanging Leg Raise

Who Should Do?

Athletes

Core training has been shown to help athletes achieve better skill performance. The hanging leg raise has a profound ability to target the core muscles and engage many upper body muscles.

Every set you perform activates the core while engaging the back, arms, and forearms. This improves grip strength, abdominal strength, and coordination, all of which are major assets for athletes.

Bodybuilders

Used regularly by competitive bodybuilders, the hanging leg raise is great for overloading the abs with nothing more than your body weight. 

To progressively overload the abs without adding additional weight, you can increase the number of sets or repetitions instead. This will promote greater muscle growth. 

Adding them to your lower ab workout can increase abdominal muscle mass and improve definition and symmetry. This allows you to carve out those competition-winning abs.

Everyday Gym Goers

Hanging leg raises are great for your everyday gym goer. Unlike other abdominal exercises where you may not feel your core contractions, the hanging leg raise has it in spades.

This is because the hanging position requires our abdominals to contract to lift the legs. While this is happening, the rest of our upper body contracts to hold and reduce unwanted movement.

Who Should Not Do?

People With Low Back Pain

During the hanging leg raise, our iliopsoas and abdominals work incredibly hard to keep our core rigid. 

However, if you are experiencing pain and weakness in the vertebrae, discs, muscles, or ligaments of the lower back, raising the legs can be difficult.

When the legs are lifted, the iliopsoas activate, which can pull the lumbar spine forward. This may aggravate an existing injury, causing pain and further damage.

People With Abdominal Tears

Performing hanging leg raises when you have an abdominal tear may lead to further injury. The hanging straight leg raise places an incredible demand on the abdominal muscle. 

Applying this level of pressure to damaged tissue may cause discomfort and lead to poor technique. If you have sustained an abdominal injury, it’s recommended to restrict movement to limit further injury. 

People With Elbow Tendinopathy

If you suffer from elbow tendinopathy, you should avoid performing the hanging leg raise. Tendinopathy is the inflammation of a tendon due to overuse, which can make it difficult to grab and hold objects with your hand.

This can cause issues when performing the hanging leg raise, as holding the bar can cause serious pain. 

If you do have tendinitis or tendinopathy, consult your physical therapist. They will give you corrective exercise and pain management strategies to aid you in recovery. 

Benefits Of The Exercise

Builds Core Muscle And Strength

The biggest upside of hanging leg raises is that they require us to lift the weight of our legs against gravity. This places an incredible load on our abdominals, obliques, and hip flexors, promoting muscle hypertrophy.

To train for strength, perform sets of 1-5 repetitions at 80%–100% of the maximum weight you can lift for one repetition (1RM). You can add weight ankle braces if needed. 

For muscle hypertrophy, perform sets of 8–12 repetitions at 60%–80% of your 1RM. 

Improves Tendon Structure And Function

The hanging leg raise isn’t just for creating greater core strength. It is a powerful exercise for developing stronger tendons.

When we perform the hanging leg raise, our hands, and forearms isometrically contract to maintain our grip. This form of contraction has been shown to improve tendon strength and function. 

By regularly performing the hanging leg raise, you will improve your grip and strengthen your muscular attachments.

Increases Grip Strength

The hanging leg raise is an awesome exercise for increasing grip strength. Performing hanging leg raises requires us to dead-hang for the duration of the set. This is shown to increase grip endurance. 

When performing the hanging leg raise your hands and forearm must work overtime to maintain a firm grip for stability. This means you can sculpt an incredible set of abs while forging an iron grip.

If you want to take your grip strength to the next level, consider performing a hanging ab workout. This will increase the volume of exercise that requires sustained grip, leading to strength.   

Strengthens Hip Flexors

During the hanging leg raise, our hip flexors (iliopsoas) work alongside our rectus abdominis to lift the legs, increasing their strength.  

Legs are large, heavy body parts, and lifting them when they are straight is a difficult task.

Each repetition will overload this muscle group, increasing their strength and promoting muscle hypertrophy.

Frequently Asked Questions