home » Reviews » Alternate leg lifts. Leg raises while lying on your back. Lying leg raises: technique for performing exercises for the lower abs

Alternate leg lifts. Leg raises while lying on your back. Lying leg raises: technique for performing exercises for the lower abs

Lying on your back leg raises is an abdominal exercise that is suitable for people with a low level of training due to its accessibility and simplicity. To pump up bottom part You don’t have to go to the gym or look for parallel bars; it’s even more difficult to pump up your abs on the horizontal bar, so the supine leg raise is suitable for everyone, due to its versatility and the ability to do it at home. Below you will learn the main points of this exercise and how to perform it most effectively and correctly.

Initial position

Lie on the floor, place your hands along your body or under your buttocks - this position is best for beginners. For more trained practitioners, you need to raise your hands behind your head and grab any support with them, this is how the abdominal muscles will best stretch and contract. Press your back and head completely against a horizontal surface. Bend your legs slightly at the knees.

Technique for performing leg raises while lying on your back

We begin the exercise “lifting legs while lying on your back” from a horizontal position. Inhale and raise your lower limbs to a vertical position or slightly lower with an exhalation, lower them slowly with an inhale. When performing the exercise, I advise you not to lower your hips to the floor - due to the negative phase of the exercise, the abdominal muscles will be loaded faster. If you couldn't stand it and lowered it, don't worry, it's not entirely bad, as the abdominal muscles will relax more and subsequently tighten, although more repetitions will be required this exercise.

My advice to you is to work in a range where your legs will not fall on the surface on which you are lying and rise higher than 45 degrees. At vertical position legs, the abdominal muscles are switched off from work.

Do not throw your legs down, but lower them smoothly.
For greater stress on the abs, keep your limbs slightly bent in the lower position.
If you find it difficult to perform the exercise, bend your knees more.
To increase the load, hold a dumbbell between your legs and attach weights or an elastic band to them.
To better focus the load on the lower abdomen, when performing the “supine leg raise” exercise, place a pillow or rolled up towel under your lower back. Place your hands behind your head and grab something.

The human abdominal press has pronounced fragmentation. Achieving the appearance of relief is not easy work. “Cubes” are developed through training aimed at the lower abs. Lying leg raises will help us make the lower abdominal region work.

The leg raise exercise focuses on pumping the lower muscle segment. Develops the muscles of the abdominal region, hip flexors, develops hip joint. The process involves stabilizers and back muscles - this is the prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Performing the “lying leg raise” exercise does not require special training, exercise equipment - it is performed in the gym, at home, constantly supporting physical fitness. It is important to endure correct technique without harming the body.

Lying leg raises: technique for performing exercises for the lower abs

The body should be loaded gradually. Start with a slight variation of pumping the lower segment of the abdominal area, especially after undergoing surgical interventions in this location or childbirth. An easy variation for beginners is to lift your legs one at a time.

Alternating leg raises

Lie on the floor, press your lower back tightly. The arms are extended along the body and placed under the head.
Raise the straight line lower limb, having formed an acute angle, hold it and smoothly lower it.
Repeat the action with the second limb.

You should breathe correctly: at maximum tension (when your legs are raised above the floor), inhale; when lowering them to the mat, exhale.

If a person has undergone abdominal surgery, he is given a medical discharge. The attending physician allows you to attend classes. At the rehabilitation stage, it is easier to carry out the load with bent knees, the back of the head raised, and listen to the sensations: if discomfort appears in the surgical field, stop the action.

Raising both legs

A classic variation for working out the muscles of the lower abdominal segment is raising both legs from a lying position. Aimed at developing muscles and developing sculptural relief. Execution technology:

Lie down on a flat surface, mat or rug. Connect your legs, press your lower back. In the complicated version, do not raise your head.
Smoothly raise your legs at an acute angle, hold for a couple of moments, then lower smoothly.
Repeat.

Beginners are allowed to place their heels on the mat while working: the body rests and strength is restored. It is more effective not to touch it with your feet, leaving a distance of several centimeters: muscle tension will not be interrupted.

The number of repetitions starts with ten times, increasing to thirty, performing two or three approaches.

Weighted technique

For athletes and people with a decent level physical training, the leg lift exercise is performed lying on your back, weights are attached to the ankles.

The equipment is a small simulator that is worn on the limbs to enhance the productivity of the workout. The “weight” comes with a constant or adjustable weight.

Performance:

Attach a weighting element to the ankles.
From a horizontal position, raise your legs and hold them at an acute angle for several seconds.
Lower your legs without touching the floor surface, maintaining a distance of two to three centimeters from it. Performed thirty times, two or three approaches.

With stable sports activities, the body gets used to the loads imposed, muscle mass ceases to feel the weight of the weighting agent, it must be increased.

Raising both legs while lying on the floor in a single performance will not create relief muscle mass, it is effective in combination with additional exercises on the abdominal area.

To develop tirelessness and increase metabolism, the vertical leg raise exercise while lying on your back is performed at an accelerated pace with a maximum number of repetitions. The work is accompanied by a burning sensation in the affected location.

Training frequency

Lifting the legs while lying on your back is performed to harden the muscles, improve endurance, and form a pronounced relief.

You should start practicing gradually: with ten repetitions of raising your legs in turn. One or two approaches are enough for entry level. When the body gets used to kilograms of weights, the number of repetitions increases and the load is added.

To show relief, the norm is two sessions in seven days (in combination with other loads on the abdominal muscles). To improve the overall muscle strength exercise daily: two days loading the abs with a number of approaches, five days exercising to maintain tone.

Faulty Execution

Lifting your legs while lying down should be done efficiently.

What not to do:

Tear off the body from the surface. The legs are involved in the work, the body should be pressed tightly to the floor. Violation threatens injury to the intervertebral discs.
Exercise without bedding. No matter how hot it is during the process, a cold floor is the reason why a heated back gets cold. The rule includes a ban on being in rooms with air conditioning.
Perform sudden throwing and lifting of legs while lying on the floor. Jerks lead to inertial contraction of the body muscles, unloading the desired area. Intense speed must be accompanied by leisurely action.
If you don’t hold the moment at the highest point, the benefits of the training are reduced.
Perform leg lifts while lying on your back, overcoming pain. If you feel discomfort, reduce the weight of the weights. If it doesn't work, stop executing. The presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system requires early consultation with a specialist. When working with a trainer, warn him about the presence of ailments.
Raising bent legs. This is acceptable at the initial stage of physical training. Proper execution- with straight legs.
Workout with a full stomach. A hearty lunch is the reason for an unsuccessful visit to the fitness room, a feeling of heaviness, and nausea. Come to the hall in an hour.

The correct approach to training and adherence to execution technique will not harm the spine, organs and muscle tissue.

Well, that's all) Thank you all for reading our article. We also recommend reading the article on the topic - how to pump up your lower abs. It contains the TOP 9 most cool exercises on the lower press. See you soon in new articles.

There are 6–8 clearly defined muscle fragments on the abdomen of each person abdominals. These are the same cubes that every novice athlete dreams of getting. If the percentage of fat is high, they are not visible, but they are always present. The “lying leg raise” exercise is aimed at focusing on the lower half of the abs, although it involves it along the entire length of the muscle.

Purpose of the exercise

Performing leg raises while lying on the floor is an easier version of hanging leg raises. The exercise can be easily done at home. This does not require any additional devices. Therefore, it is a universal remedy for maintaining abdominal muscle tone in any circumstances.

What are lying leg raises used for:

To strengthen the abdominal muscles, especially the lower part, at any level of physical fitness.
For increase strength indicators abdominals and their endurance.
Exercise has a therapeutic effect on the body. In particular, it is used as an element in the prevention of osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias, and is also suitable for rehabilitation after abdominal surgery on the peritoneum.
As an element morning exercises for children and adults.

Various performance techniques

Let's look at three options for lying leg raises, designed for people with different levels of physical fitness:

People with weak abdominals who want to strengthen them.
Physically trained people who want to make their abs stronger and more prominent.
Athletes who require increased exercise.

Alternating Leg Raises for Beginners

Also, this version of the exercise is indicated for osteochondrosis or recovery after abdominal surgery.

Starting position – lying on your back, lower back pressed to the floor. The arms are extended along the body or clasped behind the head.
Beginners can raise their heads. Feet together. Raise one leg to an angle of 45–60 degrees, hold for 1–2 seconds and lower to initial position.
When the heel of the first leg touches the floor, you can lift the second leg.
Repeat the same for the second leg.

Watch your breathing. Exhale at maximum load. That is, we raise our legs - exhale, lower them - inhale.

To recover after surgery, it is recommended to further bend the leg at the knee so that there is no discomfort at the incision site. Gradually straighten your leg until it straightens. Attention! After the operation, you must wait the minimum time specified by the doctor, after which you can do any physical activity!

During pregnancy, it is better to cancel this exercise. Women should put less stress on their abs than men. Overdeveloped muscles can make childbirth difficult.

Simultaneous leg lift without weights

This exercise option is suitable for healthy people with an average level of physical fitness.

Starting position: as in the previous case. That is, lying on your back, on the floor. Raising your head is not recommended, as this makes the exercise easier. Feet together.
We begin raising both legs to an angle of 45–60 degrees, pause for 1–2 seconds while raised and lower them back.

There are two variations of this exercise technique:

Lowering your heels to the floor. This is easier to do, because when you touch the floor, your abs rest.
Without lowering your heels onto a horizontal surface, leaving 1–2 cm to it. This is the most effective option exercise that keeps your abs tense all the time.

It is recommended to perform 2-3 sets, starting with 10-12 repetitions. For yourself, you can reach 30 repetitions in each approach. You should start with the first option, when your feet fall to the floor. After 1–2 weeks, you can move on to the second option, when the heels do not touch the floor.

If desired, the legs can be held in the raised position for more than two seconds (depending on how you feel).

Lying leg raises with weights

If your abdominal muscles are well developed and you need to increase the load, this option is perfect.

The technique is the same as in the previous exercise. The nuance is this: a weighting agent is attached to each leg (standard on the mounts). Alternatively, you can hold a dumbbell with your feet. The weight of the dumbbell is selected individually.

Raise your legs to an angle of more than 60 degrees or less than 45. The meaning of the exercise is lost. When the legs are raised higher, the muscles relax. Below – the muscles do not reach peak tension.

How to develop abdominal strength, pump up your six-pack and increase endurance

It should be understood that it is impossible to pump up both at once. To achieve each goal, the tactics will be different.

Strength and volume

This exercise, in itself, when performed solo, is not very suitable for creating relief press. To achieve pronounced results, it is necessary to combine it with other exercises for the abdominal muscles. It can be:

double twists;
etc.

Note that when performing abdominal exercises, in particular, lying leg raises, volume and strength can be increased by following the following rules:

Number of approaches 3–4.
Reps in each approach are 10–12.
We use maximum weights(the kind where you can do with correct technique 10–12 repetitions, no more).
Adding loads. Do you feel like you can do more without your technique suffering? Let's increase it. Gradually, there is no need to rush!

Endurance

Everything is much simpler here. We do the maximum possible number of repetitions in a prone position in an accelerated version. Two approaches are quite enough to expand the limits of abdominal endurance. We work through the burning sensation in the muscles.

How many times a week should you exercise

As exercise, 1-2 sets of 10 repetitions can be done daily in the morning. Without weights, start by raising your legs one at a time. Depending on how you feel, switch to simultaneous lifting. Do not use weights.

To develop strength and abs, 2 times a week is enough. Remember, this is just one of several exercises, so you need to do other exercises to achieve this goal.

To develop endurance, you can train every day. Moreover, do the maximum number of repetitions 2 times a week. On other days - 2-3 sets of 30 times. For beginners, just 2-3 times a week is enough. Believe me, the effect will be noticeable.

Common mistakes

Below are the most common mistakes that most people make.

Lifting the body off the floor following the legs. This exercise involves only raising your legs - your back lies on the floor.
No mat, doing the exercise on a cold floor. Neglecting this seemingly trifle is harmful to your health. First, purchase a polymer soft mat. Secondly, ensure there is no draft.
Performing the exercise in jerks. If you repeat the movements very quickly, you get a chaotic contraction of the muscles of the whole body. Inertia arises, and a lot of necessary forces are spent on extinguishing it. Obey speed limits.
No delay when raised. This is acceptable if your abs are still weak. To increase efficiency, it is recommended to linger at the top point for 1–2 seconds.
Throwing your legs to the floor after lifting. Each movement must be performed smoothly and under muscle control. When using weights, you can get a sprain (in the case of abs, it’s rare, but it happens).
Listen to your body. If it hurts, stop doing the exercise. Try again another time. If it hurts another time, reduce the load. Usually the back hurts when you start lifting both legs at once.
The angle of leg bending should be determined by your strength abilities and stretching. Aim for straight legs.
If you have eaten, wait at least an hour. Exercising on a full stomach is harmful and difficult.

As with any workout, when working on the abs, you should follow the principle of gradualness. If your body didn't know before physical activity- start with the simplest option. That is, start with lifting one leg, and if this is easy for you, move on to raising both legs.

Leg Raise

Raising legs while hanging on a horizontal bar

Leg raises are one of the most effective exercises for developing and strengthening the abdominal muscles, which can be performed in various variations, including hanging, using a horizontal bar, parallel bars or other devices, lying down, using exercise machines, incline bench or directly on the floor. At this load maximum work falls on the rectus abdominis, iliopsoas, and oblique abdominal muscles.

Variations

When talking about variations of this hanging exercise, two main options for performing it are mentioned: with straight or bent legs. Performing with straight legs is considered more difficult and requires more energy, but for beginners the effectiveness of these two exercise options will be approximately the same. When lifting straight legs, in addition to the abdominal muscles, the rectus femoris muscle is also involved in the work.

They perform hanging leg raises using a horizontal bar, parallel bars, rings, or even special sleeves for the elbows.

To train the lower segment of the abs, which suffers most from the sedentary lifestyle of a modern person, raising the legs while lying on the floor or any other horizontal surface is quite effective.

What muscles are involved?

Leg raises - crunches

When performing leg lifts, the abdominal muscles are mainly involved: when lifting the legs while hanging, the maximum load falls on the rectus abdominis, iliopsoas, and oblique abdominal muscles; When you lift your legs while lying on a horizontal surface, the lower segment of the abs is intensively trained.

Leg lift technique

When performing the hanging exercise, it is necessary, holding the bar with a direct grip, to take the starting position when the arms are aligned at the elbows, the back is slightly arched in the lower back, and the legs are relaxed and do not touch the floor. The exercise should begin from this position. You can use the force of inertia by moving your legs back a little and, as if swinging, begin lifting your legs up to the crossbar. When performing the exercise, the knees can be bent at the angle at which the athlete is most comfortable, but it is important to maintain this angle the same throughout the entire exercise.

Having reached the top point when your feet touch the bar or bent knees touch the chest, it is recommended to stay in this position for a few seconds to make the exercise more effective. Next comes the stage of the most difficult part of this exercise - lowering the legs to the starting position. It is recommended to do this slowly, without rushing, without allowing the abdominal muscles to relax, since a negative movement is no less effective for strengthening muscles than a positive one. Therefore, for beginners, it is better to perform fewer repetitions of this exercise, but in a high-quality and technically correct manner.

Among the abdominal exercises, leg raises are considered one of the most difficult, so it is better to start training your abdominal muscles with it. It is recommended to rest between approaches for a minute to two to fully restore strength and breathing. At the same time, you need to perform from three to four approaches per workout, for each approach you need to perform about 10-15 repetitions, but this depends more on the individual characteristics of the athlete, his preparation and state of health.

Do not forget about the importance of breathing when performing an exercise, since it is thanks to breathing that the athlete’s body is intensively enriched with oxygen and also enters into the rhythm of the exercise, which makes it easier to perform. Recommended to do deep breath before starting to lift your legs, and perform the exercise itself while exhaling, however, it is better to start exhaling air when your legs rise parallel to the floor.

When performing leg raises while lying on the floor, the athlete takes the starting position when the body lies on a horizontal surface, arms are extended to the sides or directed parallel behind the head for a more complex version of the exercise. The lower back should not lift off the floor, and the legs should be kept straight at the knees. Breathing is similar to exercise on the horizontal bar.

Having raised your legs from the floor and fixed them, you should keep them suspended for as long as possible. To relieve pain and excessive tension, it is allowed from time to time to do horizontal scissors with your legs to switch the intense load to other muscle groups.

Notes and Features

When raising your legs while hanging, it is important to avoid swaying the entire body during the negative phase of the exercise; to do this, you need to lower slowly and smoothly, holding your legs with the force of your abs. The arms in this exercise are used solely to support the body in an upright position and should not assist in any way in moving the legs. You should try to raise the legs themselves as high as possible, since the abdominal muscles begin to actively engage in work only after overcoming the legs three quarters distance to the crossbar.

It would not be amiss to do a slight twist at the top point and help yourself with your pelvis; because of this, the abdominal muscles will be additionally loaded. If you do not lower your legs all the way when performing the reverse movement, the exercise will become more difficult, but the effect from it will be many times greater than the expected result. To relieve excess stress from the rectus abdominis muscle, you can perform slight turns of your knees to the sides while lifting your legs to the bar. You need to lower your legs smoothly, making sure that your lower back does not leave the floor.

When performing leg raises lying on a flat surface, you need to remember that a little bent legs cancel out the entire effect of this exercise, since they mostly use not the abdominal muscles, but the muscles of the buttocks, hips and lower back. This exercise also puts a lot of stress on the lower back, so to avoid injury, you need to stretch your torso well before starting to lift your legs. When an athlete reaches a level where he can effortlessly keep his feet at a minimum distance from the floor for a long time, it becomes rational to use leg weights to increase the effectiveness of this exercise.

Lying on your back leg raises- an exercise aimed at working mainly the lower abdominal area press(parts of the rectus abdominis muscle). In addition to the abdominal muscles, the work also includes quadriceps hips.

There are several options for performing leg raises, each of which differs in the degree of effectiveness and level of safety for the lower back.

These criteria include:

Body position. Holding the body up creates additional static load on top part rectus abdominis muscle;
Hand position. If your palms are placed under the lower part of the buttocks, they will slightly lift the pelvis, which will give them an inclined position. A slightly raised pelvis makes it possible to tightly press the lower back to the floor and protect against the 2 most traumatic phases - at the beginning and end of the lift;
Leg position. The more the legs are straightened, the greater the amplitude of the execution. The greater the amplitude, the more difficult and effective the exercise, but the greater the load on the lower back;
Using weights(weights) or gymnastic ball, which additionally holds in static voltage inner part hips. This is an advanced level of training. The use of weights is aimed at increasing the volume of abdominal muscle mass (those same cubes);
Bench angle. The lower the bench is inclined, the greater the load on the abdominal muscles. A more difficult option is to lie on a bench, leaving your legs hanging.

Lying leg raises can be performed simultaneously, alternately or sequentially. In principle, the effectiveness of performing each variant of leg lifting is the same, the difference is in the level of safety for lumbar region. The choice of one or another implementation option also depends on the level of training.
Initial position:
lie down on your back. Place your hands along your body, palms down. Press your head, shoulder blades, lower back and buttocks to the floor. The position of the arms and body can vary, and the lower back must be pressed to the floor;
if you perform the exercise while holding your body in weight, then place your hands behind your head;
Straighten and extend your legs, touching your heels to the floor. Alternatively, your legs can be slightly bent at the knees.

Exercise technique:
being in the starting position, using the efforts of the abdominal muscles (especially the lower part of the rectus abdominis), exhaling, raise your legs until the hips make a right angle with the body;
slowly, controlling the movement, inhaling, return your legs to their original position;
do not lift your lower back off the floor. It should be pressed throughout the entire approach;
As soon as your heels touch the floor, raise your legs again. Do the required number of repetitions.

Don't let your abdominal muscles relax.
Watch your lower back position. She must remain pressed. This is a prerequisite for her safety.

Watch the video on the topic: