The lying leg raise brings your legs from the floor or bench up to vertical: easier than hanging, and it teaches you to keep your lower back down.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Lie on a bench or the floor and hold the edge of the bench behind your head. Legs straight or slightly bent. Keep your lower back down — slide your hands under your hips if it lifts.
Execution
Lie on a bench with your legs off the end, hands under your glutes or holding the bench — starting position.
Exhale and raise your straight legs to a 90° angle with the floor.
Inhale and lower them back down slowly.
Common mistakes
Your lower back lifts when your legs are low — don't lower them further than you can keep it down.
Dropping your legs — lower them slowly.
Kicking your legs up — no swing, start from still.
Legs stop at the top but the pelvis doesn't move — finish by curling your pelvis slightly.
Alternatives
Equipment taken or the movement doesn't suit you — try Hanging Leg Raise, Hanging Knee Raise, Reverse Crunch. All 8 substitutes and what changes →
Not sure about your form? Send me a video of a set — I'll take a look and tell you what to fix first.
