Hanging Leg Raise

How to do the Hanging Leg Raise

1. Grip a pull-up bar with hands shoulder-width apart and hang with arms fully extended and shoulders engaged.
2. Keep your legs together and relatively straight with a slight bend in the knees.
3. Raise your legs by flexing at the hips, lifting them until your thighs reach parallel to the floor.
4. Pause briefly at the top position while maintaining tension in your abs.
5. Lower your legs back to the starting position with control, avoiding excessive swinging.

Form tips

• Initiate the movement by tilting your pelvis backward and engaging your abs before your legs begin to rise.
• Keep your shoulders pulled down and back throughout the movement to prevent your body from swinging.
• Control the descent for at least two seconds to maximize time under tension and prevent momentum from taking over.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the body to generate momentum: this reduces abdominal engagement and turns the exercise into a momentum-based movement rather than a strength exercise.
• Raising the legs using hip flexors alone without posterior pelvic tilt: this shifts the work away from the abs and can strain the lower back.
• Letting the shoulders shrug up toward the ears: this creates instability and reduces your ability to control the movement properly.

Sets and reps

For strength, perform 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 10 controlled reps, and for hypertrophy, aim for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with focused tempo.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hanging leg raises and knee raises?

Hanging leg raises keep the legs relatively straight and require greater abdominal strength and hip flexor control throughout a longer range of motion. Knee raises bend the knees to shorten the lever arm, making the exercise easier and more accessible for beginners.

How do I stop swinging during hanging leg raises?

Focus on keeping your shoulders actively pulled down and engage your core before initiating each rep to create a stable base. Lower your legs slowly and pause at the bottom to eliminate momentum before starting the next repetition.

Should I raise my legs higher than parallel?

Raising your legs beyond parallel increases the difficulty and range of motion, but only do so if you can maintain a posterior pelvic tilt and avoid swinging. If you cannot control the movement past parallel, stop at parallel until you build sufficient strength.

More core exercises

• Bear Plank Shoulder TapCore · Bodyweight
• Bicycle CrunchCore · Bodyweight
• Bird DogCore · Bodyweight
• Copenhagen PlankCore · Bodyweight
• CrunchCore · Bodyweight
• Dead BugCore · Bodyweight