Targeted Muscles: Lower Rectus Abdomen, Hip Flexors, Glutes

Equipment: Surface Mat

No of Reps: 12-15 per Set

When it comes to work for your abs, many fitness experts prefer crunches or twists. But there also exists one of the prime workouts that partially targets your abs called Leg Raises. This workout requires nothing except than a surface mat to carry and works for six-packs. As the name suggests it is suitable for your leg muscles as well. One has named this exercise a compound workout due to its effectiveness for different muscle groups. In this brief article, we will explore benefits, how to perform, and discuss some alternatives to leg raises. Let’s dive in and catch some valuable information.

Leg Raises

Leg Raises is a simple and easy to perform exercise that will empower your core, glutes, and hip flexors.  Whether you are at home or working in your office, you can perform this compound workout without any hesitation. No specific machinery or gym presence is required so time flexibility and portability also make it a better choice for all.  However, your thigh muscles will also get activated throughout the whole movement and gain positive results. If its your core day and you need to activate your abs, then give a chance to leg raises for muscle activation.

Benefits of Leg Raises

Leg raises have different benefits over your health but some of the important ones are as follows:

Better Posture: As it is a lying exercise and you need to focus on your body stability. Keeping the right angle will bring fruitful results and it also does good impact over your posturing.

Muscle Mass: Leg raises are well-known for increasing your muscle mass. It works differently for your muscles but mainly you will see difference in your abs.

Range of Motion: if you are suffering from short range of motion and lets your body to be more flexible, then leg raises are a wonderful choice.

Less Painful: However, this workout is weight less and offers no pressure on the joints. But the risk of injury can arise only if you will ignore the right way to perform it.

Improves Body Balancing: Lying on the surface and perform activities against the gravity sounds great for your body balancing. Thus, this workout is respectable for coordination and is impactful for right balancing.

How to Perform:

A proper way of performing any exercise is very important and you must consider some points before practicing an exercise. Here are some points you must consider:

• Lie flat on the surface and keep your hands under the lower back.
• As you need to target your abs so you must use your core and don’t bend the knees.
• Avoid putting pressure on the lower back otherwise the chance of injury will arise.
• Lift the legs upward with the engagement of your core and bring them down slowly.
• While bringing the legs down, you have to keep your legs up from the floor. Repeat the steps accordingly and gain fruitful results.

Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid while doing leg raises:

Leg Swinging: Don’t swing the legs too much or keep the legs parallel to the lower abs on the peak point.

Abs Focus: Engage your lower abs to gain maximum results and don’t put pressure on the back muscles to lift legs.

Distance Between Legs: you must try to keep your legs joined and avoid any sort of distance between the legs. If you feel some space between your both legs, this is so risky.

Knees Bending: Throughout the movement, you must make sure to keep your knees straight. Either your legs are downward or in the upward direction, don’t make a bend. It will cause pain in the knees and becomes tough to carry on.

Alternatives to Leg Raises

Some of the most common alternatives to leg raises are as follows:

1. Reverse Crunches

One of the greatest alternatives to leg raises is reverse crunches as it targets the lower abs quite gently. The difference between leg raises and reverse crunches is the knee bending. For example, leg raises don’t allow you bend knees whereas reverse crunches work only if you have bent knees. So if you want to target abs while bending the knees keeping the movement stable, then give a try to this workout.

All you need is a surface mat and start practicing anywhere. Keep your feet and hips at a parallel angle with a 90-degree bend in the knees. Move the legs up in such a way that your knees will touch the upper part of the chest and all the pressure is building on the lower abs.

Must Read: 5 Best Alternatives to Wall Sit

2. Dragon Flags

If you want a lying exercise just like leg raises and looking to build abs, then Dragon Flag is a good game. Bruce Lee is the co-founder of this workout specially for the abs and requires nothing except a bench. This compound workout works for different muscle groups like hip flexors, traps, etc. The movement engages your lats muscles and of course the main, abs.

However, this versatile exercise needs your back to be lifted off the ground along with legs. On the peak position, you must shift your body load to the upper back. This workout poses to be brilliant for proper body controlling and really impactful for lats, glutes, and core.

3. Hanging Oblique Crunches

If you are looking to train your abs without any machine, then hanging oblique crunches have gained popularity. Not only abs are targeted but it also have a good impact on your lats and hip flexors. All you need is to grip the horizontal bar firmly outside of the shoulder level. Now bring the legs upward in such a way that the lower abs will feel all the pressure.

Make sure to bring your hips closer to the ribcage and work on full range of motion. Don’t allow the legs to swing too much and control the movement accordingly. Repeat the steps for both legs and carry on to gain great core muscles.

4. Hollow Rock

It can be a great choice as an alternative to leg raises because it is very similar to the main workout. Significantly, this exercise is targeting the abs and with no particular equipment. It can be done anytime and anywhere so you can train abs at home or office. Lie straight on the floor and keep both hands over your head.

Make sure to keep the shoulders parallel to the feet. Now lift the legs and arms up from the floor to some height. Keeping your core engaged and shifting the weight right on the abs, you need to control the body posture for 30 seconds in the beginning.

5. Deadbug

One of the most significant core workouts that is similar to leg raises is deadbug. This painless exercise is carried out without any machine and is flexible for all and sundry. Your internal obliques and rectus abdominal muscles will be the main course whereas the erector spine and pelvic floor will gain results to some extent.

Lie on the floor with bent knees and make sure to have a curve in the spine. Lift the hands upward and hold the position.  Now bring one hand over your head and shift the same leg downward to the floor. Alternate the arm/leg accordingly and repeat the movements slowly.

Conclusion

If you are feeling any discomfort with Leg Raises or cause pain in the legs/back, then you must go with other similar exercises. Your core are the integral muscles and no one can ignore the frontend muscles. Try different alternatives to leg raises and maintain your rectus abdominals, glutes, and hip flexors at the same time.