Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise
Hanging from a bar, lift your straight legs to engage your rectus abdominis and hip flexors. Build a strong, defined core with this challenging exercise.
- Movement
- Compound
- Force
- Pull
- Per set
- 1 min
- Rest
- 2 min
Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store
Variations of Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise
Assisted Hanging Knee Raise
Waist · Rectus Abdominis · Assisted
Incline Leg Hip Raise (leg straight)
Waist · Iliopsoas · Body weight
Hanging Straight Twisting Leg Hip Raise
Waist · Obliques · Body weight
Hanging Leg Hip Raise
Waist · Iliopsoas · Body weight
Description
A core exercise performed by hanging from a bar and lifting your legs straight up in front of you, engaging your hip flexors and lower abdominals.
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How to do Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise
- 01Setup
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring your body is fully extended.
- 02Setup
Keep your arms straight but not locked, engage your lats slightly to stabilize your body, and maintain a neutral spine.
- 03
Exhale and slowly raise your legs straight up in front of you, keeping them together, until your hips are fully flexed and your torso forms an L-shape.
- 04
Hold briefly at the top, squeezing your rectus abdominis, ensuring your lower back remains flat or slightly rounded.
- 05
Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting hanging position with control, preventing momentum or swinging.
Tips
- Focus on a controlled descent: Actively resist gravity as you lower your legs to maximize time under tension for your abdominal muscles.
- Minimize swinging: Initiate the movement from your core and hips, not by swinging your legs, to isolate the target muscles effectively.
- Breathing technique: Exhale forcefully as you raise your legs to enhance abdominal contraction and inhale as you slowly lower them.
- Progressive overload: If full straight leg raises are too challenging, start with bent-knee raises or knee raises, gradually straightening your legs as your core strength improves.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs for momentum often reduces abdominal engagement; instead, maintain a controlled, deliberate movement by engaging your core from the start.
- Arching the lower back at the top can strain the spine; focus on a posterior pelvic tilt and keep your lower back flat or slightly rounded to fully contract the rectus abdominis.
- Only partially raising the legs limits abdominal activation; strive to raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor or higher, forming an L-shape with your torso.
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Get Ellim — FreeQuestions
What muscles does Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise work?
Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise primarily targets Rectus Abdominis. Secondary muscles include Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus, Iliopsoas, Obliques, Quadriceps, Sartorius.
Is Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise good for beginners?
Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise is rated advanced. 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 Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise?
You need Body weight to perform Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise. 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 Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise?
Focus on a controlled descent: Actively resist gravity as you lower your legs to maximize time under tension for your abdominal muscles. Minimize swinging: Initiate the movement from your core and hips, not by swinging your legs, to isolate the target muscles effectively. Breathing technique: Exhale forcefully as you raise your legs to enhance abdominal contraction and inhale as you slowly lower them. Progressive overload: If full straight leg raises are too challenging, start with bent-knee raises or knee raises, gradually straightening your legs as your core strength improves.
What are common mistakes when doing Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise?
Swinging the legs for momentum often reduces abdominal engagement; instead, maintain a controlled, deliberate movement by engaging your core from the start. Arching the lower back at the top can strain the spine; focus on a posterior pelvic tilt and keep your lower back flat or slightly rounded to fully contract the rectus abdominis. Only partially raising the legs limits abdominal activation; strive to raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor or higher, forming an L-shape with your torso.
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Hanging Oblique Knee Raise
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Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
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Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
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Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store