Leg Raise

These notes combine advice from 21 reviewed passages across 17 workouts.

Overview

Leg raises include floor, hanging, L-sit, and handstand-related forms. Their muscular emphasis can differ: a straight-leg bar touch was used for the lower abdomen, while one separately described version was assigned for the back muscles. [1] [2] [9] [10] [12] [14] [15]

Floor technique

For the floor version with a hip lift, lie down with straight legs and lift them vertically as the hips rise. Keep the knees and fingertips engaged, and keep the lower part of the movement close to the floor. [10] [11] [13]

A separate 90-degree floor version uses less pelvic movement. Raise the legs to about 90 degrees, allow only a slight hip lift, and keep the lower back on the floor. [2]

In the face-directed variation, maintain straight legs as you draw them toward the face. [7]

Hanging technique

Start from a straight hang, raise the legs as far as possible, and extend them back to a straight position. During a bar touch, maintain straight legs through both the touch and the descent. If the legs bend on the way up, straighten them for the descent, and end the set when the descents also begin to bend. [1] [5]

Keep the straight-leg raise distinct from a knee raise. The knee-raise version pulls the knees inward, while the straight-leg version raises the extended legs. [4]

For the alternating bar drill, keep both legs straight and move them outside one hand and then the other, alternating right and left. [18]

Variations and skill transfer

In the wide-leg variation, separate the straight legs and raise them toward the outer sides of the hands. [16]

Raise the legs slowly during an L-sit leg raise. [9]

Use leg raises to develop the leg action when an athlete cannot yet complete that part of a pullover. [6]

For the handstand-related lift, draw the shoulders inward and then apply the leg-raise action to bring the body upward. [12]

During the version assigned for the back muscles, keep the arms engaged throughout the movement. [14]

Programming and recovery

Coach’s claim

When a demanding straight-leg bar movement follows dumbbell work, reducing the dumbbell portion may leave more capacity for the bar exercise. [3]

Pain and safety

Coach’s claim

Back pain during an L-sit leg raise may warrant being reported as soon as it occurs. [9]

Coach’s claim

For this specific high-bar drill, keep the area in front clear. Overhead clearance may be unnecessary for this setup. [17]

Coach’s experience

In his own training, the coach found that leg raises and front-lever work complemented each other. After training the related movement, he felt that his front lever improved and became straighter. [8]

Sources

1. 2024-01-11, 4784.8-4794.6s

Workout: workout:2024-01-11

Passage: passage:2024-01-11:001948-001953

2. 2024-11-04, 1830.0-1837.1s

Workout: workout:2024-11-04

Passage: passage:2024-11-04:000827-000832

3. 2024-11-07, 1878.4-1893.8s

Workout: workout:2024-11-07

Passage: passage:2024-11-07:000740-000744

4. 2024-11-07, 1897.8-1901.5s

Workout: workout:2024-11-07

Passage: passage:2024-11-07:000748-000749

5. 2024-11-07, 3759.2-3798.5s

Workout: workout:2024-11-07

Passage: passage:2024-11-07:001439-001454

6. 2024-12-10, 190.3-204.6s

Workout: workout:2024-12-10

Passage: passage:2024-12-10:000057-000063

7. 2025-02-14, 3677.3-3680.9s

Workout: workout:2025-02-14

Passage: passage:2025-02-14:001219-001219

8. 2025-03-01, 3338.6-3359.5s

Workout: workout:2025-03-01

Passage: passage:2025-03-01:001112-001117

9. 2025-03-23, 2879.6-2892.4s

Workout: workout:2025-03-23

Passage: passage:2025-03-23:000709-000711

10. 2025-06-13, 1256.5-1267.7s

Workout: workout:2025-06-13

Passage: passage:2025-06-13:000448-000456

11. 2025-06-15, 751.6-769.8s

Workout: workout:2025-06-15

Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000235-000250

12. 2025-06-18, 3463.8-3499.7s

Workout: workout:2025-06-18

Passage: passage:2025-06-18:001002-001014

13. 2025-06-19, 1289.9-1305.9s

Workout: workout:2025-06-19

Passage: passage:2025-06-19:000410-000418

14. 2025-07-06, 1719.5-1731.5s

Workout: workout:2025-07-06

Passage: passage:2025-07-06:000516-000521

15. 2026-01-25, 4246.1-4254.7s

Workout: workout:2026-01-25

Passage: passage:2026-01-25:000954-000958

16. 2026-04-14, 3664.7-3674.9s

Workout: workout:2026-04-14

Passage: passage:2026-04-14:000912-000916

17. 2026-07-24, 2913.5-2926.1s

Workout: workout:2026-07-24

Passage: passage:2026-07-24:000923-000928

18. 2026-07-24, 2929.3-2943.6s

Workout: workout:2026-07-24

Passage: passage:2026-07-24:000929-000935