This simple exercise, practiced on a daily basis, can help you achieve marked abs in a short time.
The benefits of leg raises
If you have a passing interest in building muscle and ripping your abs, you've probably already heard that crunches aren't the best way to achieve this.
There are a few reasons for that, but one of the biggest is that they do little to work the lower abs, so even if you do crunches every day, you're more likely to end up with part of your abs working, and not on its own. set.
Luckily, there are plenty of effective lower abs exercises that you can use to round out your core workout, and one of the best is the leg lift. . It's a simple, yet highly effective exercise that often feels easy on the first rep and then completely impossible on rep ten.
In addition to working the lower abs, the leg raise also improves the strength and flexibility of the hips and lower back, which is a considerable benefit for anyone who spends a lot of time sitting at a desk.
How the exercise is performed
Read on for our complete guide on how to achieve the perfect leg lift. Once you've mastered it, move on to the challenging variations you can use to confirm your status as a lower-extremity lifting legend.
Begin by lying down on the floor or a mat. Unfortunately, it gets more difficult from here. Lie down with your arms by your sides and your legs stretched out next to each other, then lift your legs. Even if you can't keep them perfectly rigid, keep your legs as straight as possible and lift them until they point to the ceiling or as close as you can. Make sure your toes are pointed.
Then lower them back down, being careful to keep your movements measured. The return trip should be at the same rate that you raised your legs. Lower them until they are floating just above the ground and then raise them back up. Do three sets of 10 reps, or just do as many lifts as you can, keeping a steady pace, in a set amount of time as part of a circuit.
If you're having a hard time doing even 10 traditional leg raises, you can make the movement a little easier by bending your legs at a right angle as you raise them. Once your thighs are perpendicular to your body, try to straighten your legs to point toward the ceiling.
A good way to make sure you keep your movements steady and test your leg lifting skills is to play a metronome and do the exercise to the beat. At 50 bpm, you should go up on one beat and down on the second. Try to hold the rhythm for a minute, rest for 30 seconds, and do it again.
