The reference exercise for targeting the lower abs. The leg raise requires real pelvic control to prevent the back from arching, making it a far more technical movement than it appears.
Execution
Lie on your back, arms alongside your body (palms down) or hands tucked under your glutes to stabilize your pelvis. Legs extended and together, lift your feet a few centimetres off the floor. Keeping your lower back pressed to the floor, raise your straight legs to vertical (90 degrees) by contracting your abs. Lower slowly, controlling the descent over 3–4 seconds, until your feet nearly touch the floor without touching it. If straight legs are too challenging, bend your knees slightly to reduce leverage. The key to the movement is never letting your lower back lift off the floor.
Breathing
Exhale as you raise your legs (belly drawn in, lower back pressed to floor); inhale as you lower. Forced exhalation on the way up helps maintain pelvic retroversion and protects the lower back.
Benefits
- •Targets the lower portion of the rectus abdominis, often underdeveloped compared to the upper portion
- •Strengthens hip flexors, essential for running and walking
- •Develops pelvic control and lumbar stabilization
- •A natural progression toward advanced movements (toes-to-bar, L-sit)
- •Improves body awareness and proprioception in the lumbo-pelvic region
Variants
Flutter kicks
Legs extended a few centimetres off the floor, perform small rapid alternating kicks. Sustained tension with the lower back pressed to the floor burns the abs and hip flexors.
Scissors
Legs extended off the floor, cross them alternately like scissors. The crossing motion adds an adduction component and oblique work to the abdominal holding effort.
Our tips
- 1.Place your hands under your glutes if your back arches — it helps maintain pelvic retroversion
- 2.Control the descent: it's the eccentric phase that builds strength. If your legs drop, the load is too heavy.
- 3.Never touch the floor with your feet between reps to maintain continuous tension
- 4.Bend your knees slightly if straight legs cause tension in your lower back — movement quality trumps range of motion
Common mistakes
- •Lower back arching on the descent — the most common and dangerous error. Reduce range of motion or bend your knees until you can control your pelvic position.
- •Using momentum to raise the legs — each rise must be initiated by ab contraction, not a swing
- •Letting your legs fall under gravity — the descent must last at least 3–4 seconds. If you can't control it, reduce the range of motion.
- •Pulling on your neck or lifting your head — keep your head resting on the floor, neck relaxed; the work is in your abs, not your neck
- •Reflexively holding your breath — breath-holding uncontrollably increases intra-abdominal pressure and prevents effective core engagement