Description
This exercise involves raising your legs with assistance while lying down and then forcefully throwing them to the side. It primarily targets the abdominal muscles.
How to Do Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down
- 1Setup
Lie on your back on the floor or a mat, gripping a stable object directly above your head (like a bench or rack) with an overhand grip for support.
- 2Setup
Fully extend your legs, keeping them straight or with a slight bend in your knees, and engage your core to press your lower back firmly into the floor.
- 3
Inhale and slowly raise your legs by flexing your hips until they are perpendicular to the floor, or as high as possible without lifting your lower back.
- 4
Exhale and, using your core, forcefully but with control, lower your legs towards one side of your body, stopping just before they touch the floor.
- 5
Immediately engage your obliques to powerfully pull your legs back up to the center vertical position.
- 6
Repeat the controlled, forceful lateral lowering to the opposite side, maintaining constant core tension throughout the entire set.
Tips
- Maintain lower back contact: Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout the entire movement to protect your spine and maximize abdominal engagement.
- Control the descent: While the "throw down" implies force, always maintain control over your legs as they descend laterally to prevent injury and work the obliques effectively.
- Breathe with the movement: Exhale as you lower your legs to the side and inhale as you bring them back to center to aid in core engagement and stability.
- Focus on oblique contraction: Actively think about squeezing your obliques to initiate and control the lateral movement and the return to the center.
Common Mistakes
- ×Arching the lower back: Many people arch their lower back when raising or lowering their legs; fix this by actively pressing your lumbar spine into the floor and only lowering your legs as far as you can maintain this contact.
- ×Using momentum: Swinging the legs up or down without control reduces core engagement; fix this by performing each phase of the movement slowly and deliberately, focusing on muscle contraction.
- ×Lifting the head/shoulders: Lifting your head or shoulders off the floor can strain your neck; fix this by keeping your head relaxed on the floor and focusing all effort on your core.
Variations
Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down
Strengthen your rectus abdominis with Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down. Resist a partner's downward leg force to build powerful abdominal control
Assisted Hanging Knee Raise With Throw Down
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Alternate Leg Raise with Head-up
Strengthen your core and hip flexors with the Alternate Leg Raise. Lie on your back, lift your head, and alternately raise your legs to build abdominal
Medicine Ball Lying Leg Raise
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