Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Exercise Description
The Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise is a controlled supine core drill that trains trunk stability while the hips move. You’ll alternate lifting one bent knee at a time, keeping the pelvis level and the ribcage anchored to prevent lumbar extension. Primary movers are the hip flexors (iliopsoas and rectus femoris); the abdominal wall (rectus abdominis, external/internal obliques, and transversus abdominis) works isometrically to resist arching or pelvic rocking. Bending the knees shortens the lever arm, making it more accessible than straight-leg raises while still reinforcing anti-extension control. It’s a bodyweight exercise that emphasizes precise positioning, smooth breathing, and controlled tempo for clean movement quality.
- Muscle Groups: Hips, Quads
- Target Muscles: Iliacus, Psoas Major, Rectus Femoris
- Assisting Muscles: Sartorius, Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Internal Obliques, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Front
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Flexors, Knee Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Front Quad, Hip Flexor
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Anterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Exercise
‘- Lie on your back with knees bent about 90°, feet hip-width and flat. Place arms at your sides, palms down.
– Lightly brace your abdomen (360°), draw the lower ribs down, and maintain a neutral spine; avoid letting the low back arch.
– Keep your pelvis level—imagine balancing a bowl of water on your waistband.
– Without shifting your hips, lift one foot and bring that thigh toward 90° of hip flexion; keep the knee bent near 90° with the shin roughly parallel to the floor.
– Pause briefly; breathe steadily and keep shoulders and neck relaxed.
– Lower the heel back to the floor with control, maintaining the same pelvic position.
– Alternate sides smoothly, touching the heel down lightly each time.
– Quality checks: no rib flaring, no pelvis rocking, and no pulling the knee past where the low back wants to lift.
– Make it easier by lifting a little less or keeping the heel closer to the floor; make it harder by hovering the heel just above the floor instead of touching down.
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Tips
‘- Start lying on your back with knees bent about 90°, feet hip-width and flat, arms at your sides with palms down.
– Lightly brace your abdomen 360° and draw the lower ribs down to help maintain a neutral spine.
– Avoid letting your low back arch as you move; keep the ribcage anchored.
– Keep your pelvis level—imagine balancing a bowl of water on your waistband.
– As you lift a leg, avoid shifting your hips; bring the thigh toward 90° of hip flexion with the knee bent near 90° and shin roughly parallel to the floor.
– Pause briefly at the top while breathing steadily and keeping shoulders and neck relaxed.
– Lower the heel back to the floor with control, without changing your pelvic position.
– Alternate sides smoothly, touching the heel down lightly each time.
– Use quality checks: no rib flaring, no pelvis rocking, and stop the knee before your low back wants to lift.
– To adjust difficulty, lift a little less or keep the heel closer to the floor to make it easier, or hover the heel just above the floor instead of touching down to make it harder.
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Beginner Introduction
The Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise is a floor-based core exercise that highlights how the middle of the body holds steady while the legs move. The person rests on their back with the knees bent, then lifts one leg at a time in a smooth, alternating pattern. The front of the hips does most of the lifting work, while the abs and side abs stay engaged to limit arching through the lower back and to reduce any tipping of the pelvis.
Because the knees stay bent, the legs feel lighter than in a straight-leg version, which can make this drill more approachable while still challenging core control. The movement style emphasizes calm, even breathing, steady rhythm, and careful control rather than speed or momentum. Small changes in how high the leg travels or how close the heel comes to the floor can gently shift the challenge, allowing the exercise to match different strength and coordination levels while reinforcing solid positioning through the torso.