Hanging Leg Raise
Hanging Leg Raise Exercise Description
The Hanging Leg Raise is a vertical hip-flexion exercise performed from an active hang. It primarily trains the hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris) while placing high demand on the anterior core, especially the rectus abdominis when you add a posterior pelvic tilt at the top. The obliques assist with lumbopelvic control, and the lats, lower trapezius, and forearms work isometrically to stabilize the shoulder girdle and maintain grip. Because of the leverage and shoulder demands, it suits lifters with solid baseline hanging strength and trunk control. The goal is smooth, controlled reps through a range you can own—no kipping, no swinging, and no lumbar hyperextension. Keep the focus on bracing, shoulder stability, and precise hip flexion so the legs move while the torso stays quiet.
- Muscle Groups: Hips
- Target Muscles: Iliacus, Psoas Major
- Assisting Muscles: Rectus Abdominis, Rectus Femoris
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Flexor Digitorum Superficialis, Internal Obliques, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Front
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Flexors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Hip Flexor
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Anterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Hanging Leg Raise Exercise
‘- Grip a pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulders; thumb around the bar.
– Set an active hang: depress and lightly retract the scapulae (shoulders down, away from ears).
– Keep ribs stacked over pelvis; brace the abdominal wall.
– Legs together, knees straight (a slight bend is fine), toes pointed forward.
– Exhale and initiate by tucking the pelvis slightly (posterior pelvic tilt), then flex the hips to raise legs.
– Lift until thighs reach parallel to the floor or a height you can control without swinging.
– At the top, briefly hold; keep the neck neutral and spine long.
– Inhale as you lower the legs under control; maintain the active hang and avoid arching the low back.
– Stop just short of a dead hang to prevent swinging, then continue with the next controlled repetition.
– Throughout, avoid shrugging, momentum, and leaning back—let the legs move, not the torso.
Hanging Leg Raise Tips
‘- Grip the pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with your thumb around the bar.
– Set an active hang by depressing and lightly retracting your shoulder blades so the shoulders stay down, away from your ears.
– Keep your ribs stacked over your pelvis and brace your abdominal wall before you start moving.
– Hold your legs together with mostly straight knees (a slight bend is fine) and toes pointed forward as you lift.
– Exhale and initiate each rep by slightly tucking your pelvis (posterior pelvic tilt), then flex your hips to raise your legs.
– Lift only to where your thighs reach parallel to the floor or to the highest point you can control without swinging.
– Briefly hold at the top with a neutral neck and long spine to reinforce control.
– Inhale as you lower your legs under control, maintaining the active hang and avoiding arching your lower back.
– Stop just short of a dead hang at the bottom to help prevent swinging between reps.
– Throughout, avoid shrugging, momentum, leaning back, or kipping so the legs move while the torso stays quiet.
Hanging Leg Raise Beginner Introduction
The Hanging Leg Raise is a hanging bar exercise where the lower body lifts while the upper body stays steady. It centers on bending at the hips to raise the legs, turning the movement into a demanding challenge for the hip flexors and the front of the thighs. As the legs come higher and the hips subtly tuck underneath, the abs and side abs take on more of the work, especially around the top portion of the motion.
While the legs move, the rest of the body acts as a stable frame. The back and shoulder muscles around the shoulder blades, along with the lats, create a strong hanging position, and the forearms support the grip on the bar. This combination of strong hips, mid-section tension, and upper-body stability gives the exercise its reputation for building control rather than momentum. It generally fits people who already feel confident hanging from a bar and managing their trunk position, and it rewards patient, deliberate lifting and lowering of the legs with minimal swinging.