Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Exercise Description
The lying alternate bent leg raise is a floor-based core stability and hip-flexion exercise performed with body weight. You’ll brace the abdominal wall to keep the ribs down and pelvis stable while one hip flexes at a time, emphasizing lumbopelvic control. The rectus abdominis and obliques work isometrically to resist lumbar extension, while the hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris, sartorius) move the lifting leg; the transversus abdominis contributes to trunk stiffness. Alternating legs lowers total load compared with double-leg raises, helping you practice precise control without excessive lumbar arching. Use a smooth, controlled tempo to prioritize range you can maintain with a neutral or slightly posteriorly tilted pelvis. This is a simple, equipment-free option that builds awareness of pelvic position and spinal alignment during lower-limb movement.
- Muscle Groups: Hips
- Target Muscles: Iliacus, Psoas Major
- Assisting Muscles: Rectus Femoris, Sartorius
- 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
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Hip Flexor
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Anterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Exercise
‘- Lie supine with knees bent about 90 degrees, feet flat hip-width, arms at sides, palms down.
– Gently brace your abdomen, draw the ribs down, and set a slight posterior pelvic tilt to minimize lumbar arch.
– Keep one knee bent at ~90 degrees and lift that foot by flexing the hip; raise until the thigh is near vertical—or only as high as you can without the low back lifting.
– Pause briefly; keep the pelvis level with no rotation or hiking.
– Lower the foot with control until the heel lightly taps the floor; maintain your brace.
– Alternate legs, exhaling on the lift and inhaling on the lower.
– Keep head and neck relaxed; avoid using momentum or allowing the ribs to flare.
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Tips
‘- Set up lying supine with knees bent about 90 degrees, feet flat hip-width, arms at your sides, palms down.
– Before you start lifting, gently brace your abdomen, draw the ribs down, and set a slight posterior pelvic tilt to minimize lumbar arch.
– Keep the working leg’s knee bent at roughly 90 degrees and focus on flexing at the hip to lift the foot.
– Only raise the thigh toward vertical as high as you can without the low back lifting off the floor.
– Briefly pause at the top of the lift while keeping the pelvis level, avoiding any rotation or hip hiking.
– Lower the foot with control until the heel only lightly taps the floor, maintaining your abdominal brace the entire time.
– Alternate legs while keeping the ribs down and pelvis stable, emphasizing lumbopelvic control.
– Exhale during the lifting phase and inhale as you lower the leg.
– Keep your head and neck relaxed throughout; do not use momentum.
– Move with a smooth, controlled tempo and stay within a range where you can maintain a neutral or slightly posteriorly tilted pelvis.
Lying Alternate Bent Leg Raise Beginner Introduction
The lying alternate bent leg raise is a simple floor-based core exercise that uses only body weight. Performed on the back with the knees bent, it features one leg lifting from the hip while the other stays grounded, then switching sides. The movement centers on steady hips and a quiet lower back as each leg rises and returns, emphasizing slow, deliberate motion rather than speed.
This exercise mainly challenges the abs and side abs to hold the middle of the body steady while the hip flexors guide the moving leg. Because only one leg lifts at a time, the overall demand is lower than with both legs raising together, which can make careful control easier to achieve. The pattern encourages awareness of how the pelvis and spine line up as the legs move, promoting a stable, braced feeling through the midsection while the lower body alternates.