The hanging leg raise is one of the
most commonly used lower ab exercises you'll see in the gym. As
tough as it is, it can be done much more effectively with a small
modification.
Instead of hanging down with your
arms straight, do the hanging leg raise in the Flexed Arm Hang position!
This not only makes the exercise tougher, it has the added bonus
of removing much of the tension from the lower back that can happen
with the standard hanging leg raise.
All you'll need to do the exercise
is a chin-up bar (or something else to hang on). The nice thing
about this version is that the bar doesn't have to be as high as
with the regular version. You can do it in a power rack using an
Olympic bar. Just set the bar to a level just about at your forehead.
The exercise itself will be done exactly the same.
So grab the bar about shoulder-width,
with your hands in an underhand curl grip. Pull yourself to the
fully-flexed arm position and hold your body there.
Now do a leg raise/knee raise movement,
bringing your legs up towards your chest.
As you come up, don't just bend at
the hips but be sure to actually curl your pelvis up as well. This
is what activates the abs.
I like to do this exercise with the
knees to further remove stress from the lower back. Because of the
increased tension of the exercise, it's still plenty tough!
Hold at the top then lower down and
repeat.
This reason this works better? Your
abs get NO rest at the bottom, like they normally do in a hanging
leg raise. When you're doing the flexed arm hang, your abs are contracting
isometrically to support the weight of your legs.
They're also contracting to support
the tension of the arm hang! It's double-trouble on the abs to start
with then you throw in a leg raise. Very challenging!
If you're strong and are feeling adventurous,
you can do this exercise with a one-arm hang. Instead of gripping
both hands onto the bar, grip with one hand, then grab your wrist
with your other hand.
This not only makes it harder, it
sends more tension through the obliques as you do the exercise.
Be sure to work both sides to keep things even.
Nick Nilsson is the Director
of Online Operations for Staley Training Systems. He has
a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been
inventing powerful new training techniques for more than
18 years.
Nick is the author of a number
of bodybuilding eBooks (listed below) all available by clicking
here and has written for a variety of publications
including Men's Fitness, Reps, Musclemag, Bodybuilding.com
and many others. He can be contacted at nick@staleytraining.com.
