Plank Leg Raise

The plank leg raise combines the classic plank with a dynamic leg movement. Incorporating plank leg raises into your routine helps improve balance, stability, and core strength. It’s a great addition to leg workouts for strengthening both your core and lower body muscles.

In this guide, you’ll learn the correct form for plank leg raises. We’ll also share tips to improve your performance and explain how to fit this exercise into your routine effectively.

How To Do

  1. Begin by lying face down. Place your forearms on the ground, elbows directly under your shoulders.
  2. Extend your legs straight behind you, with your toes on the floor. Lift your body off the ground, forming a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Tighten your abs and glutes to maintain a stable, flat back. Avoid letting your hips sag or arching your lower back.
  4. Lift one leg off the ground while keeping it straight. Raise it until it’s in line with your hips or slightly higher.
  5. Hold the leg raise for 1–2 seconds, keeping the rest of your body still and stable.
  6. Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position, staying controlled throughout the movement.
  7. Raise the opposite leg and repeat the movement. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips From Expert

  • Focus on evenly distributing your weight across your forearms and toes to prevent unnecessary strain on any area.
  • Keep your head in line with your spine to avoid straining your neck.
  • Raise and lower your leg slowly to maximize muscle activation and prevent jerky movements.
  • Keep your back flat and avoid arching to protect your lower back.
  • If you're new to the exercise, start with fewer reps and build up as you get stronger.

Optimal Sets and Reps

The plank leg raise is a versatile exercise that can be adjusted based on your training goals. Whether you're focusing on strength, endurance, or overall core stability, here’s how to program your sets and reps:

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–12
Endurance Training 3–4 12–20
Power Training 3–5 1–5 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Plank Leg Raise

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The plank leg raise is a great exercise for building core strength, glute activation, and overall body stability. This movement helps improve balance and coordination while strengthening your lower body and core.

Here’s how to incorporate the plank leg raise into various workout splits:

  1. Core Days — Add plank leg raises toward the end of your core-focused workout. It’s a great finisher after exercises like planks and crunches. This helps target the deep core muscles and glutes for maximum effect.
  2. Leg Days — On your leg day, use plank leg raises as a finishing move to engage the glutes and core further. Pair them with squats or lunges to balance strength and stability.
  3. Full-Body Workouts — In full-body routines, incorporate plank leg raises as part of a circuit. This pairs well with movements like push-ups or lunges, ensuring your core and glutes remain engaged throughout the workout.

For strength and power, focus on controlled movements and core stability, emphasizing explosive leg raises for power. In hypertrophy, slow down your reps to maximize time under tension, targeting the glutes and core. For endurance, maintain a steady pace, and consider adding ankle weights to increase resistance while keeping proper form.

Primary Muscle Groups

Gluteus

Large, superficial muscles located at your buttocks just below your lower back area.

Upper Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located just below the lower chest and above the lower abdominals. Between your ribs and pubic bone.

Lower Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located below your upper abs and above your public bone between your ribs.

Obliques

Muscles located on the sides of your rectus abdominals. Runs on the sides of your trunk.

Gluteus

The gluteus muscles, located in your buttocks, are a key muscle group in the plank leg raise. The glutes consist of three parts: the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. They are responsible for extending your hips and stabilizing your pelvis as you raise your leg.

The gluteus maximus helps lift the leg (hip extension), showing a 15.5% activation rate in maximum voluntary isometric contraction. MVIC refers to the maximum force a muscle can produce during a contraction. It is used to measure strength and activation.

The gluteus medius and minimus provide stability throughout the movement. Strengthening the glutes improves hip mobility and lower body strength. It’s also crucial for exercises like squats, lunges, dumbbell glute exercises, and deadlifts.

Obliques

The obliques, located on the sides of your abdomen, play a crucial role in stabilizing your core during the plank leg raise. These muscles help control torso rotation and prevent your body from twisting as you raise one leg.

During the plank, the internal obliques show activation rates of 26% maximal voluntary contraction or MVC. The external obliques reach 38.4% MVC. MVC is another measure of how hard the muscle is working.

A well-developed oblique section boosts core stability and balance, making it easier to control twisting and lateral movements. This makes them crucial for exercises like side planks, Russian twists, and other rotational movements.

Upper Rectus Abdominis

The upper rectus abdominis, commonly referred to as the upper abs, is the top section of your six-pack muscles. In the plank leg raise, the upper and lower rectus abdominis work together to stabilize your torso and prevent sagging.

During the plank, the rectus abdominis shows an activation rate of 46% MVIC, ensuring the core stays tight and aligned. Strengthening this muscle improves core stability and is essential for exercises like crunches, sit-ups, and overhead movements.

Lower Rectus Abdominis

The lower rectus abdominis, located below the navel, is essential for stabilizing the lower body during the plank leg raise. It prevents your hips from sagging as you lift your leg and maintains core control.

Strengthening the lower abs improves your overall core strength, making it easier to perform other core exercises. A stronger lower rectus abdominis helps prevent injuries by supporting proper pelvic alignment. It also reduces strain on the lower back during daily activities and workouts.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Quadriceps

Muscles located at the front portion of your upper legs, below your pelvis and above your knees. Consists of four parts.

Hamstrings

Muscles located at the back of your upper leg, below your glutes and above your calves. Consists of three muscles.

Erector Spinae

Muscles that span the entire length of your spine on either side.

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Hamstrings

The hamstrings, located at the back of your thighs, help stabilize the hips and extend the leg as it lifts. While the glutes drive the movement, the hamstrings provide support and control.

In the plank leg raise, they strengthen in a lengthened position, improving resilience and reducing injury risk during hip extension. Strong hamstrings also help maintain balance and prevent the lower body from sagging during exercise.

Building hamstring strength not only enhances stability but also boosts performance in movements like deadlifts and lunges.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae muscles, running along your spine, are responsible for keeping your back straight during the plank leg raise. These muscles work to prevent your torso from arching or collapsing as you hold the plank position.

Strong erector spinae muscles help maintain proper posture, ensuring your spine stays aligned throughout the movement. Proper engagement of these muscles supports better control and stability in core-focused movements.

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid, at the front of your shoulder, activates during the plank leg raise to stabilize the upper body. As you hold the plank, the anterior deltoids support your arms and shoulders, preventing them from collapsing under your weight.

This muscle works in coordination with the core and upper back muscles to maintain proper form. Strengthening the anterior deltoids improves shoulder stability and endurance, benefiting exercises like push-ups and other upper-body movements requiring shoulder control.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps, in front of your thighs, engage during the plank leg raise to support leg extension and maintain stability.

These muscles are essential for movements like squats and leg presses, where knee extension is critical. Weak quads can increase the risk of knee pain and instability, affecting overall lower body function.

Strengthening them not only supports your knees but also enhances your performance in a wide range of lower-body exercises.

Equipment

Bodyweight

Bodyweight

Requires bodyweight resistance and additional equipment for proper execution.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Sit-Up

Russian Twist

Dead Bug

Side Plank

Plank

Mountain Climber

Hanging Leg Raise

V-Up

Flutter Kick

Scissor Kick

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Hack Squat

Barbell Deadlift

Barbell Squat

Front Squat

Kneeling Cable Crunch

Standing Ab Wheel Rollout

Dumbbell V-Up

Hip Thrust Machine

Kneeling Ab Wheel Rollout

Barbell Sumo Deadlift

Who Should Do?

Fitness Enthusiasts

Fitness enthusiasts will benefit from adding plank leg raises to their workouts. This exercise strengthens the core, glutes, and hamstrings, which are essential for overall fitness. It also improves balance and core stability, which are key for better performance in various workouts.

A stable core reduces strain on the lower back and helps maintain proper form when lifting or performing other exercises. Plank leg raises activate your glutes, making it a great overall lower-body exercise. Strong glutes support hip mobility and power, which are vital for activities like running and cycling.

The movement additionally improves balance and coordination, ensuring that you can perform a wide range of exercises more efficiently. Adding it to your routine will enhance your overall strength and endurance, benefiting everything from weightlifting to cardio.

Athletes

Athletes in all sports can benefit from adding plank leg raises to their training. Core strength plays a critical role in sports performance, helping athletes maintain power, balance, and agility. Plank leg raises enhance core stability, which supports high-intensity movements like sprinting.

This exercise also targets the glutes, strengthening them for improved hip mobility and explosiveness. As a unilateral movement, plank leg raises help correct muscle imbalances, particularly in the glutes. This is essential for athletes, as balanced glutes reduce strain on the lower body and improve coordination.

Whether you’re a runner looking to enhance stride efficiency or a basketball player aiming for quicker pivots, this exercise improves overall body control. Plank leg raises are a versatile tool for any athletic training program, offering benefits from stability to injury prevention.

Who Should Not Do?

Individuals With Lower Back Injuries

People with existing lower back injuries, such as herniated discs or chronic lower back pain, should avoid plank leg raises. This exercise places a significant load on the core and lower back muscles, which can worsen existing conditions.

The stress of holding a plank, combined with the movement of leg raises, could strain an already vulnerable lower back.

If you have a history of lower back issues, consult your physical therapist before attempting plank leg raises. Modifications or alternative methods that place less stress on the lower back may strengthen the core without risking injury.

Those With Shoulder Or Wrist Problems

People with shoulder or wrist injuries should also avoid plank leg raises. This exercise requires you to bear your body weight on your arms, which can place stress on sensitive joints. If you have any conditions like tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, this movement could exacerbate pain and limit recovery.

Working with a trainer or physical therapist to modify exercises can help prevent further injury. This allows you to safely strengthen your core and glutes without putting strain on injured joints.

Benefits Of The Plank Leg Raise

Builds Strength

The plank leg raise builds strength by targeting multiple muscle groups simultaneously. By lifting one leg, you introduce an additional challenge that increases the workload on your core, glutes, and hamstrings. This variation requires more stabilization, which forces your muscles to work harder compared to a regular plank. 

Progressive overload is the key to getting stronger. By gradually increasing the difficulty, adding weight, or extending the hold, your muscles grow stronger over time. By improving both core and functional strength, this exercise enhances your performance in everyday movements and athletic activities.

Tones Physique

A toned physique refers to having firm and defined muscles. Core balance training, such as plank leg raises, has been shown to improve muscle tone by increasing muscle stiffness and firmness. 

This means exercises like this can enhance muscle elasticity and stiffness, giving your body a more sculpted appearance. By engaging multiple muscle groups and improving overall stability, this exercise helps you achieve a more defined and toned appearance.

Improves Posture

Many people struggle with poor posture, often caused by weak core muscles and sedentary lifestyles. About 70.5% of individuals experienced discomfort in areas like the neck, lower back, and shoulders. Strengthening the abdominal muscles is essential for improving posture, as stronger abs help support the spine and prevent slouching.

However, abs alone aren’t the only component. Proper posture requires strengthening other muscles, such as the glutes and back. Plank leg raises target the core and glutes, helping create a stable foundation, which leads to better posture.

Stronger abs also contribute to reducing pressure on the lower back, crucial for maintaining proper form in everyday activities. Along with improved posture, this can lead to fewer aches and pains, making daily movements more comfortable and efficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do plank leg raises do?

Plank leg raises improve core strength, balance, and stability. They also engage the glutes and hamstrings, providing the benefits of leg raises for overall functional strength.

What muscles do plank leg raises work?

They target the core, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and shoulders, providing a full-body workout.

How many plank leg raises should I do?

It depends on your goals and intensity. A general recommendation is 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg. Adjust the sets and reps based on your fitness level and progress over time.

Can I do plank leg raises every day?

Daily plank leg raises aren’t necessary and can lead to overtraining. Allow 24–36 hours of rest between sessions for proper recovery and maximum benefits.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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