When it comes to core exercises, leg raises often stand out as a popular choice. Whether a beginner or more advanced, you’ve likely seen this move in many ab workout routines. 

But how effective are leg raises when it comes to targeting your abs? Are they truly the best way to build a strong, defined midsection, or should you focus on other exercises?

Leg raises promise big results with a simple movement, but there’s more to it than just lifting your legs. To truly benefit, you need to understand the technique, how it engages your core, and what makes it stand out. If you want to add an effective ab move to your routine, leg raises could be the game-changer you need.

In this guide, we’ll cover the benefits of leg raises, how to perform them correctly, and common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to incorporate them into your ab routine for the best results.

Are Leg Raises Good For Abs?

Leg raises are often promoted as a highly effective exercise for strengthening the abs, especially the lower portion. But like many exercises, their effectiveness depends on proper technique and how they fit into your overall routine. While they primarily focus on your lower abs, they also require core stability, meaning other muscles assist during the movement.

One benefit of the leg raise is its ability to target the lower abs, an area often difficult to hit. The movement requires control and precision, making your core work harder to stabilize your body as you lift and lower. This directly focuses on the abs while helping improve overall core stability. 

However, leg raises do more than just activate your abs. They also recruit your hip flexors and quads, like the rectus femoris, during the exercise. This can be both a benefit and a challenge. If hip flexors and quads dominate the movement, tension is taken from your abs, reducing the effectiveness of core development. To avoid this, it’s crucial to focus on controlled movement and engage your core fully with each rep.

While leg raises offer plenty of benefits, they shouldn’t be the only exercise in your core routine. Developing true core strength requires a variety of movements that target deeper muscles like the transverse abdominis and obliques. These muscles are crucial in overall stability, posture, and preventing injury.

Incorporating leg raises into a well-rounded routine can provide a solid foundation for both strength and definition in your abs. They can be an excellent addition combined with compound ab exercises that target the core for balanced, lasting results.

Tips For Doing Leg Raises 

• Before lifting your legs, brace your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine. This ensures your abs are working from the start, not just your hip flexors.
• As you lower your legs, focus on the eccentric (lowering) phase by controlling the movement slowly. This creates more tension in your abs and improves overall strength.
• Before performing leg raises, include a proper warm-up, like dynamic stretches or light cardio. Warming up helps prevent injury and prepares your muscles for the movement.
• Press your lower back into the ground throughout the movement. If your back arches, it reduces ab engagement and can strain your lower back.
• If you struggle with the full movement, start with bent knees. This reduces the intensity while still allowing you to work your lower abs.
• Lower your legs only as far as you can while keeping your lower back flat on the ground. Dropping too far can cause strain.
• If your goal is endurance, aim for more reps with controlled, steady movement. For strength or hypertrophy, focus on fewer reps, ensuring each movement is slow and deliberate to maximize muscle engagement. Tailor your training load to match your goals.

Other Benefits Of Leg Raises 

Enhances Core Stability

Leg raises are crucial in improving core stability, which is vital for balance and overall body control. By engaging the lower abs and core, leg raises strengthen the muscles responsible for stabilizing the spine and pelvis. When performed correctly, they challenge your ability to keep steady as you lift, making your core work harder.

Core stability is essential for preventing injuries and improving posture. A stable core allows for better movement efficiency and reduces strain on the lower back. It can also help prevent imbalances that can lead to discomfort or injury during daily activities. 

Core stability enhances performance for athletes, improves movement, and reduces the risk of strain in everyday tasks.

Core stability becomes even more important as we age, particularly for older adults. A strong core helps maintain balance and prevent falls, which are common among older individuals. Falls can lead to serious injuries, such as fractures, sprains, and head trauma. 

Strengthening your core helps preserve your mobility and independence, making daily life easier and safer as you age.

Improves Leg Strength

Leg raises aren’t just for core strength; they also help build leg strength, especially in the hip flexors and quads. The hip flexors are muscles at the front of your hips that lift your legs and stabilize your pelvis. 

Strengthening these muscles is crucial for daily movements like walking and climbing stairs. It’s a valuable exercise for aiding recovery if you’ve experienced a leg injury or undergone rehabilitation.

In fact, leg raises are highly effective at activating the quads, engaging up to 23% of the rectus femoris muscle. This makes them a great addition to your leg-strengthening routine. Both core and leg strength are essential for balance, posture, and overall movement efficiency.

By targeting both the core and legs, leg raises provide a comprehensive approach to strengthening the body. Whether recovering from an injury or enhancing leg strength, leg raises offer a practical way to build a stronger foundation. 

Supports Functional Fitness

Functional movement refers to actions that replicate everyday tasks like bending, lifting, and twisting. Leg raises contribute to functional performance by strengthening the muscles that stabilize your core and hips. They are also a great way to build both strength and flexibility, key components of functional fitness. 

Strengthening the hip flexors and lower abs through leg raises enhances core stability and endurance, essential for everyday movements. This makes leg raises an ideal exercise for ab workouts at home.

For athletes, functional training improves performance by focusing on sport-specific movements, such as jumping, sprinting, or lateral movements. A stronger core and more developed hip flexors increase speed, agility, and stability, reducing injury risk during explosive movements.

Beyond athletics, functional performance is crucial for maintaining mobility and control, especially after injury. Leg raises strengthen the core, making activities like walking and climbing stairs more efficient. Incorporating them into your routine builds a strong foundation for overall health and performance.

Variations To Consider 

Bent-Knee Leg Raise

This variation is easier on the lower back while still targeting the core and hip flexors. It’s ideal for beginners or those recovering from injury. 

It’s a great exercise to include in a 30-day ab challenge for building foundational strength. Here is how to perform this variation:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands under your lower back for support.
3. Slowly lift your knees toward your chest, engaging your core.
4. Lower your legs back down until your feet hover just above the floor.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Scissor Kick

Scissor kicks add a dynamic challenge by constantly engaging your core while alternating leg movements. This variation increases endurance and strengthens the lower abs. Here is how to perform this variation: 

1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and hands by your sides or under your hips for support.
2. Lift both legs slightly off the ground, keeping them straight.
3. Alternate crossing one leg over the other in a scissor-like motion.
4. Keep your core engaged and movements controlled.
5. Continue for your desired time or number of reps.

Hanging Leg Raise

This challenging variation engages the core, upper body, and grip strength. It requires a pull-up bar for support. Here is how to perform this variation: 

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms extended and legs straight.
2. Engage your core and raise both legs until parallel to the ground.
3. Slowly lower your legs back down without swinging or losing control.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Conclusion

Leg raises are a highly effective exercise for targeting your abs, particularly the lower portion, while also building leg strength. One of the best things about leg raises is their versatility; you can perform them at home with no equipment. Additionally, multiple variations, from beginner to advanced, make it easy to adjust difficulty based on your fitness level.

However, like any exercise, leg raises aren’t without their limitations. If done with poor form, they can overwork the hip flexors and strain the lower back, reducing their effectiveness. That’s why it’s important to perform them with proper technique and balance with other core exercises for a well-rounded workout.

In conclusion, leg raises are a valuable exercise that can fit into any fitness routine. Their scalable variations and home-friendliness make them a great choice for strengthening abs, improving stability, and supporting core health.

Frequently Asked Questions