Raising your legs while resting on your elbows is the best way to work your abs. Raising the legs in support Raising the legs hanging on the elbows

The exercise is very common and is aimed at working the lower abdominals (rectus abdominis). These muscles are quite durable, and they need to be given no less attention than training your legs or back. For this, an exercise such as lifting the legs while resting on the elbows is perfect for us. Arriving at Gym, you can see that this exercise is very popular among visitors, and it is performed equally by both girls and boys. But for the most part, unfortunately, they do it incorrectly. But this is not their fault, since we were taught this exercise incorrectly from school. Let's look at the technique and main mistakes of this exercise.

Technique for performing leg raises while resting on your elbows:

1. Accept initial position. The back is pressed against the back, the elbows are on the supports and the hands are firmly holding the handles of the machine. The gaze is directed ahead.
2. Bend your knees slightly - this will be the starting point of this exercise.
3. Inhale and lift your legs up. When your hips are higher than horizontal with the floor, lift your pelvis off the back and try to lift it up, directing it towards your chest. It is at this moment that the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle will come into action.
4. Exhale as you pass the point of maximum load.
5. Having reached the point of maximum abdominal contraction, lower your legs down to the starting position.
6. At the bottom, inhale and repeat the leg lift for the set number of reps.

Muscles involved in the exercise

Features of leg raises resting on the elbows:

• Although this exercise sounds like a leg raise, by performing only this leg movement, we only indirectly engage the abdominal muscles, the iliopsoas, rectus femoris and pectineus muscles receive the main load. Therefore, if we do not want to pump only the legs, then it is necessary to lift the pelvis.
• The main task of our press is to bring the upper part of the body (chest) to the lower part (pelvis), and vice versa, the lower part to the upper. If you do not lift your pelvis from the back and lift it up, then the press will not perform its main function, and accordingly it will not receive any load.
• Do not lift your legs by inertia, swinging them like a pendulum. It is necessary to control and maintain your legs at any point in the movement.
• Do not throw your head back, raising your legs and pelvis up.

Effective press workouts on the website “Your Press Trainer”

Leg raises are an abdominal exercise. It partially engages the front of the thigh. The movement itself came to us from gymnastics. There, this exercise is performed in full support - hands hold the handles, elbows are straightened and inserted, and the legs are fully raised with the toes above the midline, passing at waist level. In the fitness version, the movement is performed in a machine, with the athlete standing on his forearms.

• Initial position
• Stand facing the machine;
• Step onto the footrests;
• Grasp the handles with your hands;
• Turn your back to the stops;
• Take a standing position on your forearms.

Movement

• The exercise itself is simple:
• You need to shorten your abs and pull your stomach inward;
• Next, the straight legs are brought upward by contracting the abs and pulling the pelvic bones to the lower ribs;
• For maximum contraction, the hips must pass the midline of the abs;
• Once peak contraction is achieved, the legs should be released slowly and in a controlled manner.

Attention

• It is necessary to completely eliminate attempts to cheat with your feet. The technique used in competitive CrossFit for the toes to bar exercise is not valid or acceptable here;
• The knees do not need to be pushed in so that the legs are straight. With this position of the joint, it will not be possible to achieve a full contraction of the abs, and the legs will be partially driven by the quadriceps;
• The tension in the trapezoid needs to be removed. Shoulders raised to the ears are a bad help here. They will only contribute to an even greater swing of the body and an active violation of technique; in addition, shoulders to ears greatly increase the risk of spasm of the trapezius and pain after training;
• Throwing your legs down is not recommended. For beginners, a barbell is often placed on the midline across the lower clamps of the machine so that they do not lower their legs below this bar and work in a balanced manner.

• The legs need to be lifted using the press, and not by the force of swing, inertia and quadriceps. To achieve this, you need to imagine how the pelvic bones are drawn to the lower ribs, and not how the athlete actively throws his legs;
• After passing the midline with your hips, you need to bring your legs a little higher, and then not throw them down, but smoothly “unwind” your abs and lower yourself down;
• You can’t pull your socks back like a ballerina, then they will allow you to “insert” your knees as much as possible, and the quadriceps will engage in work, but on the contrary, you need to work with your abs;
• You can master this movement better if you learn how to do a pelvic lift while lying down with your legs straight and pulled up. You need to understand exactly how the rectus abdominis muscle contracts, and not how a person simply swings his legs above the waist.

Execution options

This version of the exercise is suitable for beginners and those who find it difficult to lift their straight legs up. It is anatomically simpler, as it is easier to understand how to bring the hips to the ribs if the legs are bent. The athlete takes the starting position similar to the previous option, and then carefully pulls the pelvic bones to the lower ribs. Lowering is also smooth. There is no need to straighten your knees with each repetition.

This is the same gymnastic exercise, which simulates a fitness option. For fitness purposes, there is no need to learn to throw your legs with your toes pulled up due to inertia and rotation in shoulder joints. Here you need to carefully pull up your straightened legs with your toes pulled slightly above the midline of the body, and just as carefully lower the entire “structure” back.

This option is intended for those who want to pump up their oblique muscles. Here you need to pull your knees to your waist, but “obliquely”, aiming your knees first to one or the other shoulder.

Analysis of the exercise

Anatomy of exercise - which muscles work

This exercise uses the rectus abdominis muscle as the main engine. If an athlete bends his knees, then the hip flexors are also involved; if done carelessly, the load often goes into the quadriceps. The back muscles work as stabilizers and are activated when the athlete brings his shoulder blades together and lowers them towards the pelvis.

pros

• This movement allows you to build a strong core, especially for those who have problems with pumping the rectus abdominis muscle due to significant lumbar lordosis;
• The exercise uses the abs in isolation, but provides a significant load;
• One of the movements that relieves tension iliacus muscle. Those who like to work their back and buttocks with hyperextensions and any types of bending with a barbell need to do one of the hanging leg raises. This option is suitable even for those who have already done a fair amount of work on their grip and have done a bunch of deadlifts;
• The exercise is well suited for those who have problems with fixing the upper back and hanging coverage. It allows you to relieve the compression load from the spine, but does not additionally involve the muscles of the forearm and palm. Thus, the movement allows those who perform a lot of deadlifts to get their share of the load;
• This exercise will help relieve tension in your lower back. The athlete must properly press his back against the back of the machine and work by twisting upward.

Disadvantages of the exercise

• The movement will be technically difficult for those athletes who have not learned to work with the press and are trying to throw their legs by inertia, or lift them by swinging and using the body. Such athletes may not be able to perform the exercise correctly the first time;
• Spasms trapezius muscle with weak or, conversely, overloaded trapezius - this is a typical disadvantage of this movement.

Preparation can be considered ordinary and joint warm-up, as well as warming up the hip joint. But in ordinary life, this movement is performed as the last exercise of the workout, therefore the entire workout serves as a kind of warm-up; there is no need to perform additional warm-ups. Sometimes it is recommended to do one set of pelvic lifts from a supine position before lifting your legs in a hanging position in order to engage the abs in the work.

Proper execution

• Your back must be firmly pressed against the back of the machine and during the exercise, do not tear it off;
• The shoulder blades must be brought together to the spine and lowered to the pelvis, and the abs must be tightened, only then will it be possible to pull the lower ribs to the pelvic bones;
• Swinging of the legs is not allowed; there is no need to bring them behind the line of the back after lowering, and “throw them off” from top to bottom with sudden movements;
• The exercise is performed according to general rules synergy of muscle contraction and breathing, that is, exhalation occurs with effort;
• The movement should not be too active, that is, fast. You need to try to work more smoothly, and avoid sudden jerks and throwing your legs

• You cannot swing your legs sharply, change the position of your forearms on the supports and push your toes towards the bar too quickly;
• It is better to do the exercise synchronously with breathing, and not change the position of the body at random and hold your breath while making an effort;
• You should not place your hips behind the line of your back, so as not to gain excess inertia and train efficiently.

• Experienced athletes can do this exercise with weights. It is convenient to hold the medicine ball between your shins and lift your legs up. If there is no ball in the gym, you can try hanging weights on your feet, or lifting a dumbbell by holding it between your legs. At a slow pace of exercise, this is more than realistic;
• The start always occurs through the muscles of the legs, but if you move your hips forward a little and start by twisting your abdominal muscles, you can make the exercise more effective;
• The slower the pace, the better it will be to pump up your abdominal muscles;
• If you use the option for pumping obliques, it is important to press the upper back to the back. The hips must be carefully brought to one and the other shoulder;
• It is more effective to do the exercise with straight legs, but in this case you need to maintain a slight angle in the knee joint and not straighten your knees completely;
• Bent legs are suitable for beginners and those who find it difficult to do twisting.

It is worth including this movement in the training program at the stage when you already have the physical ability to perform the exercise and there are no problems with mobility in the hip joints. Beginner women often simply cannot hold onto the forearm stand. They fall down due to the fact that a weak back and trapezius do not allow them to stabilize own weight. Girls should first strengthen their backs with pull-downs and standing (plank) exercises, and then do this movement. You can replace the exercise with hanging leg raises.

Typically, the movement is included on the day when the athlete squats rather than pulls, but with the parallel bars this rule does not work; you can do any option, even if it is not possible to space the deadlift and abdominal exercise on different days.

Contraindications

• Intervertebral hernias and protrusions are considered a contraindication for this exercise, but this is not recognized by all trainers. A number of experts believe that you can perform exercises in this style without any problems, even if there is a hernia, but then you will have to twist quite smoothly and train slowly, under control;
• Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle is a contraindication for all crunches, including this exercise too;
• The movement is not suitable for training pregnant women, although it does not involve direct pressure on the abdominal area;
• This option cannot be performed with injuries to the hip joints;
• If a person cannot move his head away from his shoulders and stand firmly throughout the entire approach, he should strengthen the trapezius muscles;
• You should not do the exercise when the trapezius is overtrained and the inflammatory process has already begun;
• Usually the movement is not placed on a heavy bench day if the lifter prefers medium grip and triceps press;
• The exercise is contraindicated for radicular syndrome, that is, pinched nerves in lumbar region spine;
• Forearm stand is not recommended for injuries and inflammation of the elbows, shoulders, and other joints. Should not be done when cervical osteochondrosis if pinched nerves occur.

This favorite exercise past champion Mike Francois. He believed that only hanging leg raises help build a strong and relief press, and no amount of twisting can compare with lifting in this great task. Mike recommended alternating regular hanging leg raises with weights, and a fast tempo with a slow tempo to get better abs. He did the movement three sets to failure, but fitness enthusiasts can limit themselves to 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. Only experienced athletes should do more.

What to replace

Alternatives to this exercise are:

• Leg raises from a lying position on the floor, heels up;
• Reverse crunches using an incline bench;
• Hanging leg raises on the horizontal bar

Lord of the entire site and fitness trainer | more details >>

Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

Place in : out of competition ()
Date of: 2012-05-29 Views: 1 598 569 Grade: 5.0

Why medals are given to articles:

Core muscles- iliopsoas
Additional -
Difficulty of execution- average

Leg raises - video

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions without weight. 2 - 3 approaches.
For women: 10 - 15 repetitions without weight. 2 - 3 approaches.

Load by muscle group

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

Description of the exercise

To make it more difficult for yourself, try to barely bend your knees. If you twist your pelvis further, the rectus abdominis muscle will work harder.

Main features

1. There is no need to raise your legs completely straight. Then the press turns off from work, and mainly the iliopsoas muscle works. 2. The legs should be slightly bent, and the pelvis should be twisted upward at the end of the movement. It is then that the press actively comes into play. 3. In general, the more your legs are bent, the easier it is. You can simply pull your knees to your chest, while not forgetting to twist your pelvis. 4. It happens that some beginners (especially those who have a lot of excess weight) cannot do this exercise because they slide down. That is, their shoulder girdle can't bear their weight own body. Then pump up your abs with other exercises. And you will return to this exercise in a couple of months, when you get stronger. 5. As a weight, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet, or place a disc from a barbell on your feet. In this case, not only will it become more difficult for you to do the exercise, but you will be forced to do it more slowly so that the disc or dumbbell does not fly off. 6. You don’t have to lower your legs all the way down to constantly keep your abs tense.

Leg raises are an exercise with which you can pump up your abdominal muscles. In terms of technique, it can be compared to lifting your legs while hanging on a bar. However, it is much easier to do. This exercise can be done on special simulator or on uneven bars.

What muscles work when lifting your legs?

When performing leg lifts, the muscles of the lower abdominal area work first of all. In particular, we are talking about the rectus abdominis muscle. It bears the main load.

The obliques, superior rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis also work. In addition, the iliopsoas muscle and the rectus and pectineus muscles of the thigh are actively working. Also, when performing the exercise, the muscles of the shoulder girdle and legs are involved. If you perform the exercise on the uneven bars, and not on a special simulator, then the arm muscles receive a greater load.

Rules for performing leg raises

Lifting the legs in support must be carried out taking into account certain rules, namely:

• There is no need to keep your legs straight. They should be slightly bent at the knees, otherwise the load will not be on the abdominal muscles, but on the back muscles.
• When lifting your legs, you also need to twist your pelvis. Thanks to this movement, the abdominal muscles will receive required load and soon cubes will form on your stomach.
• It is not recommended to lower your legs completely when returning to the starting position. Thanks to this, the effectiveness of the exercise will increase, since the muscles will receive more load.
• Movements should be smooth and unhurried. If you do the exercise sharply, you can “earn” a muscle strain.
• Do not swing while performing the exercise. Raise your legs and pelvis only using muscle strength.
• Keep your head straight. You can't tilt it back.
• Conduct classes at least 3 times a week. It is not recommended to skip workouts.
• In total, you should do 10-15 repetitions and 3 approaches.

Leg lift technique

Leg lifts can be performed on a special simulator, as well as on uneven bars. The technique will be approximately the same, but with some nuances. Therefore, each type of exercise will be considered separately below.

Leg raises on the simulator.

The advantage of performing leg raises on a machine rather than on parallel bars is that your back is pressed against the wall. This means that doing the exercise will be much easier.

The technique for doing it is as follows:

• Press your back against the back of the machine, place your forearms on special supports. Grasp the handrails with your palms. Hold them tightly as this is what will allow you to maintain your balance. Bend your legs slightly and lift them slightly.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. The abdominal muscles should be as tense as possible when performing the exercise. Freeze at the top point for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and return to the position you were in from the beginning. There is no need to rest at the bottom point; immediately perform the repetition. Perform the exercise the prescribed number of times.

Exercise on the uneven bars.

The parallel bars exercise can only be performed if you have strong arms.

The point is that in in this case you need not only to maintain your entire weight, but also to control how you hold the position, despite the fact that you cannot swing when lifting your legs. Therefore, if you are not yet confident in your abilities, then it is better not to try. If you have strong arms, then you can afford to lift your legs just like this. The technique for performing the exercise on the uneven bars will be as follows:

• Rise up on the parallel bars so that the emphasis is on your straight arms. Bend your legs slightly at the knees and move your pelvis forward slightly.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. Try to tense your abdominal muscles at this time. Freeze in this position for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and come back. Repeat without resting. Do the exercise the prescribed number of times and repetitions.

Exercise with weights.

Leg raises can be done with weights. This exercise can be done both on the machine and on the uneven bars. You can use a barbell disc or dumbbell as a weighting agent.

The weight of the projectile should not initially be too large, because the exercise will be difficult. Over time you can increase it a little. The technique for performing the exercise with weights will be as follows:

• Take your starting position on the machine or on the uneven bars. After this, ask someone to give you a shell. Secure it between your feet.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. Stay at the top point for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and slowly return back. This exercise at the first stage you need to do as many repetitions as you can complete. Gradually increase them to 15 times. The sets remain unchanged. Number of approaches – 3.

Raising your legs while pushing will help you quickly pump up your abdominal muscles, but only if you don’t skip workouts and do the exercise according to all the rules. Then in a month you will be able to evaluate the result.

During the exercise, the hip flexors additionally begin to work: the iliopsoas muscle, as well as the rectus femoris muscle.

Correct technique

To perform lifts on the elbows, you will need a special training machine that has comfortable supports for the forearms and elbows. They will allow you to completely turn off your arm muscles. At its core, this exercise refers to a lightweight version of swinging the press on a horizontal bar. To perform the lift correctly you must:

1. Stand in the exercise machine, leaning your back against its back. Then you need to take a comfortable position resting on your elbows. At the same time, your legs should be bent at the knees so that all the load goes into the abdominal press and not into the legs.
2. You should hold your breath and raise your knees fully with your muscles as high as possible, and then a little higher.
3. At the top point of the amplitude, the muscles should tense as much as possible. To do this, you need to stay for a few seconds. Only after this can you lower your legs down.
4. It is advisable to perform 20-25 repetitions for trained athletes and 15-20 for beginners.

This is what it looks like:

Safety

Before you start lifting, you need to make sure that the machine itself is stable. If the position of the bar is too shaky, it can cause it to constantly wobble, preventing the athlete from completing the exercise.

Leg lift is difficult exercise for beginners, so they should be careful to elbows and forearms did not move. Constantly forcing this part of the body can lead to painful elbow injuries. That is why it is better to prepare in advance for working out the abs by improving arm strength.

It is important to properly protect your back. It should press well against the back of the machine, since any deflection in the lower back can stretch it. If you can’t keep your back straight, you can ask your partner to help - hold your legs or reduce the sway of the machine.

Common mistakes

Most often during leg lifts the pelvis comes off the back of the machine too far. This way the exercise is much more difficult to do, since not only the lower one is included in the dynamic work, but also upper press. For beginners, such an exercise may seem almost impossible, and professionals will not be able to pay maximum attention to the lower abdomen.

Also, athletes often begin to lift their legs completely straight. This position increases the load on the lower back and stretches it. In poorly trained people, this can cause injury or severe pain. To prevent this, it is enough to keep your knees constantly bent.

Equipment

The exercise is performed on a special simulator that has a comfortable backrest and hand rests. Beginners may not want to use extra weights because they need to develop their abdominal muscles to the point where they can support their own weight. As for professionals, they often take additional weights: barbell discs and dumbbells.

The first and most important tip: do not perform the exercise with straight legs. At this moment, the press stops working and the entire load goes to the lower back. This may cause injury. Legs must be bent at the knees. When reaching the top point of the amplitude, it is worth twisting your pelvis slightly upward. It is at this moment that the abdominal press is maximally tense.

Beginners need to remember - the more your legs are bent, the easier it is to lift. This should be taken into account during your first training sessions. For those people who suffer from excess weight, experts generally do not advise exercising on such a simulator.

Usually in such cases the shoulders cannot support the weight of the body, so it is better to pump the abs with the help of more simple exercises. You can return to doing push-ups on your elbows after a few months, when some of the excess weight is gone and your shoulders are stronger.

For those athletes who easily lift their own weight, you can make the work more difficult using dumbbells, squeezed between the feet. You can also place a barbell disc on your feet. Thus, the exercise becomes so difficult that it must be done slowly so that the weight does not fly down. At the same time, you can not lower your legs too low - this will allow you to maximally strain the lower abdominals.

Conclusion

Raising the legs while resting on the elbows is good exercise to work the abdominal muscles. It is perfect for training both men and women. However, at the beginning of training, it is important to determine whether your shoulder girdle can support your own body weight. If the shoulders cannot stand it, then they need to be additionally trained, and with abdominals you will have to work on the floor.