The hanging leg raise is a great core exercise that works your whole abdominal area. The emphasis, however, goes on the hip flexors and the lower ab area. The stabilizing muscles involved in the exercise are the rectus abdominis and the obliques. This exercise also improves the stability in the lower back.
How to do the hanging leg raise
- Grab on to a pull up bar with an overhand grip.
- Raise your legs by flexing the hips and knees until the knees are well above hips or close to your chest. Return until hips and knees are extended downward. Repeat.
Notes
Advanced hanging leg raises
Optionally, you can make the hanging leg raise harder to execute by keeping the knees extended throughout the movement.