Elevator

Strengthen your core and sculpt your abs with the Elevator exercise. This bodyweight movement challenges your abdominal control by raising and lowering

IntermediateBack Body weight

Movement: Compound
Force: Push
Per set: 1 min
Rest: 30s

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Description

The elevator is a strength training exercise that targets the core, specifically the abdominals. It involves lying on your back and moving your legs as if you're in an elevator, pushing up from floor to floor.

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How to do Elevator

01
Setup
Lie on your back with your legs extended straight, feet together. Place your hands flat on the floor beside your hips or slightly under your glutes for support.
02
Setup
Engage your core by pressing your lower back firmly into the floor, ensuring there is no arch. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed on the mat.
03
Slowly lift your legs together, keeping them straight, until they reach approximately a 30-degree angle from the floor (the first "floor"). Hold this position briefly.
04
Continue to lift your legs to a 60-degree angle (the second "floor"), pausing again with control.
05
Finally, raise your legs to a 90-degree angle, perpendicular to the floor (the top "floor"), and hold briefly before slowly reversing the movement, pausing at each "floor" on the way down.
06
Lower your legs back to the starting position, hovering just above the floor without resting, and immediately begin the next repetition.

Tips

Focus on initiating the movement from your lower abdominals, not just your hip flexors, to maximize core engagement and prevent hip strain.
Maintain constant tension in your core throughout the entire movement, especially as you lower your legs, to prevent your lower back from arching away from the floor.
Breathe steadily, exhaling as you lift your legs and inhaling as you lower them, to help maintain core stability and rhythm.
Keep your legs as straight as possible without locking your knees; a slight bend is acceptable if it helps maintain form and prevents lower back strain.

Common mistakes

Arching the lower back during the leg lift compromises core engagement and can strain the lumbar spine; fix this by actively pressing your lower back into the floor throughout the exercise.
Using momentum to swing the legs up reduces the abdominal work; fix this by performing each "floor" transition and the entire movement slowly and with deliberate control.
Not pausing at each "floor" diminishes the exercise's unique benefit of sustained tension; fix this by holding each designated angle for a 1-2 second count before moving to the next.

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Questions

Is Elevator good for beginners?

Elevator is rated intermediate. Beginners can still attempt it with lighter weight and careful form, but it's best to master easier variations first.

What equipment do I need for Elevator?

You need Body weight to perform Elevator. If you don't have this equipment, look for variations that target the same muscles with what you have available.

What are the best tips for Elevator?

Focus on initiating the movement from your lower abdominals, not just your hip flexors, to maximize core engagement and prevent hip strain. Maintain constant tension in your core throughout the entire movement, especially as you lower your legs, to prevent your lower back from arching away from the floor. Breathe steadily, exhaling as you lift your legs and inhaling as you lower them, to help maintain core stability and rhythm. Keep your legs as straight as possible without locking your knees; a slight bend is acceptable if it helps maintain form and prevents lower back strain.

What are common mistakes when doing Elevator?

Arching the lower back during the leg lift compromises core engagement and can strain the lumbar spine; fix this by actively pressing your lower back into the floor throughout the exercise. Using momentum to swing the legs up reduces the abdominal work; fix this by performing each "floor" transition and the entire movement slowly and with deliberate control. Not pausing at each "floor" diminishes the exercise's unique benefit of sustained tension; fix this by holding each designated angle for a 1-2 second count before moving to the next.