Gina Jackson Personal Fitness

Looking to get a leg up on the competition? The hanging leg raise may confirm your status among the fitness elite—but be forewarned—this is an exercise that takes no prisoners.

If there’s one exercise that strikes fear in the hearts of even the staunchest fitness enthusiasts it’s the hanging leg raise, and no wonder. This unforgiving maneuver seems especially designed to expose any and all upper body weaknesses, leaving no doubt as to the state of your conditioning or quality of your strength training program.

There are no half-measures with hanging leg raises—either you can execute them successfully or you’re left in the dumpster, re-evaluating your training regime.

Those capable of performing them derive enormous benefits, making this one exercise you should definitely add to your inventory of tough conquests.

“Hanging leg raises are certainly an advanced exercise,”comments Gina Jackson, a personal trainer, coach and Pilates instructor operating in Bergen and Hudson County New Jersey.

“I wouldn’t recommend them for the faint of heart or faint of body. That being said, beginners or even intermediate level exercisers should not use them. Athletes, body builders, and gymnasts like to add the exercise to their routine as they have great control in stabilizing the torso to perform the straight leg lift without injury to the lower
back. The benefits to the athlete and a well-conditioned body are further refinement of that six pack abdominal wall, as the muscle doing the hard work in the exercise is the rectus abdominis. The lats, spinal erectors, shoulder and arms are providing significant stabilizing support to complete each movement.”

Despite its intimidating nature, the hanging leg raise is a simple, graceful exercise easy to perfect for those strong enough to perform them:

• Grip a pull-up bar with arms slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
• Raise your (straight legs waist level) or knees to your waist and hold.
• Lower and repeat, striving to maintain stability throughout.
• Legs are softly bent at the knees, not locked and extended, and hands grip with palms facing out.

Of course, any lower back problems or shoulder injuries preclude execution of this exercise.

According to Jackson, the most common mistake people make when doing hanging leg raises is letting the torso swing through the movement instead of controlling the lift of the legs through contraction of the abdominal.

She recommends using gloves, grip wraps or an abdominal strap (which attaches to the pull- up bar) to aid stability and minimize swing.

Jackson also advises that you keep the knees “softly bent” and legs slightly open rather than locked: “Keeping the knees locked and straight may place more pressure on the lower back—I suggest softening the knees and controlling the movement by lifting the legs up a few inches above the hip line only. Alternatively, one may completely bend the knees, thus shortening the lever, as they lift the knees toward the chest. When you start to throw
the legs up, the back becomes arched and all control, concentration and quality is lost in the exercise. Finally, using momentum – rather than control – to complete the exercise, should be avoided. If you can complete five to seven repetitions with control, consider your work
done rather than compromising the form to complete 10 or 12 repetitions.”

While Jackson teaches her female clients to do the same activities as men, including hanging leg raises, she acknowledges that some women may lack the upper body strength needed to perform this demanding exercise. For those requiring additional support, she
recommends using an ab strap.

“It can be a very useful tool to support the shoulders and upper back.”

Hanging leg raises can be made even more difficult by placing a medicine ball between the knees or feet. But Jackson advises caution: “Adding weight to the exercise greatly intensifies it as well as increasing stress to the back. Be careful, mindful and purposeful when adding resistance.”

Muscle Bound

Jackson prefers to help her clients progress to hanging leg raises by starting with other less challenging exercises first. Here is the training regime she typically follows:

1. Working from a stabilized point: Pelvic lift/thrust from the floor.
2. Graduating to a bench or stability ball: Performing crunches.
3. Utilizing a vertical chair: A bent knee or straight leg-raise.

This article was written by Arthur Kelly for The Alaska Club Online Fitness Magazine. http://alaskaclubs.fitdv.com/new/mainpage.html