Muscles worked
What the hanging leg raise trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick a bar. Use a pull-up bar high enough that your feet clear the floor with straight legs. Step up from a box so you start still instead of jumping into a swing.
- 02
Grip. Overhand grip about shoulder width, thumbs wrapped around the bar. On a captain's chair, put your forearms on the pads, hold the handles and press your back into the back pad.
- 03
Set your shoulders. Hang with straight arms, then pull your shoulders down a little away from your ears. Do not shrug up or hang loose in the joint.
- 04
Start still. Squeeze your legs together, point your toes slightly and let your body settle until it stops moving. Ribs down, legs just in front of the bar line.
Step by step
How to do the hanging leg raise
- 01
Brace. Breathe in, then tighten your abs as if bracing for a light punch. Keep your arms straight for the whole set.
- 02
Curl the pelvis. Start the rep by tilting your pelvis back, tail tucking under, so your lower back rounds slightly. This is the part your abs do.
- 03
Raise the legs. Keep curling as your legs rise, knees straight for the full version or bent for the knee raise, until your legs are at least parallel to the floor, or your knees pass hip height in the knee raise. Breathe out as you lift.
- 04
Pause. Hold the top for a moment with your hips still curled up. If your legs fall the second you stop moving, the lift was momentum.
- 05
Lower slowly. Take two to three seconds to lower until your legs hang straight below you again. Stop there, let any swing settle, then start the next rep.
Cues to say in your head
- Shoulders down, arms long
- Tuck your tail first
- Hips to your ribs
- Pause at the top
- Slow on the way down
- Kill the swing
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Swinging into each rep
Start every rep from a dead still hang and lower slowly. If you cannot stop the swing, use bent knees or a captain's chair until you can.
Lifting the legs without curling the pelvis
Tilt your pelvis back first and keep curling as your legs rise. Lifting straight legs with a flat or arched lower back turns it into a hip flexor lift.
Dropping the legs on the way down
Lower in two to three seconds. The slow lowering is half the work, and dropping is what starts the swing.
Bending the arms and shrugging
Keep your arms straight and your shoulders pulled slightly down. Pulling with your arms makes the rep look higher than it is.
Going straight to straight legs too early
Build clean knee raises first. Straight legs are a much longer lever, and most people cheat them with an arched back or a swing.
Grip failing before the abs
Use a captain's chair or ab straps for some sets, and train your hang separately with dead hangs.
Stay safe
Get onto the bar from a box and start still, rather than jumping up into a swing. To end a set or a failed rep, lower your legs under control until they hang straight, then step back onto the box or drop a short way to the floor with soft knees. Use a bar high enough that your feet do not hit the floor, and keep the area under you clear. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your lower back, shoulders or groin, or a pulling or bulging feeling in your abdomen, and get it checked before you train it again.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | 2 to 3 | 6 to 10 | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 1.5 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 8 to 12 | 65–80% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 5 to 8 | 80–87% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 | 15 to 20 | 50–65% 1RM | 45 to 90 sec |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
140–173lb
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, 1 to 2 min rest. Straight legs once you can do about 12 clean knee raises. Take sets close to failure with a slow lowering.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Hanging Leg Raise questions
What muscles does the hanging leg raise work?
Mainly the abs, which curl your pelvis up, with the obliques helping. The hip flexors lift your legs, and your grip, lats and upper back hold you still on the bar.
Is the hanging knee raise easier than the hanging leg raise?
Yes. Bending your knees shortens the lever, so the knee raise is the usual starting point. Move to straight legs once you can do about 12 strict knee raises with no swing.
Is a captain's chair leg raise as good as a hanging leg raise?
It trains the same muscles with less grip demand and almost no swing, because your back and forearms rest on pads. It is a good choice when grip gives out first; the bar version adds more grip and shoulder work.
How do you do hanging windshield wipers?
Hang with active shoulders and raise your straight legs up toward the bar, then rotate them in a slow arc to one side, back through the middle and to the other, keeping your upper body still. It is an advanced move, so build strict leg raises first.
Why do I feel hanging leg raises in my hip flexors and not my abs?
Usually because the legs are lifting without the pelvis curling up. Tuck your tail first, keep curling to the top and lower slowly, or bend your knees until you feel your abs doing the work.
How many sets and reps of hanging leg raises should I do?
Three to four sets of 8 to 12 slow, strict reps suits most people. If you cannot reach 8, use bent knees and build up from there.
Train in Protocol
Log your hanging leg raise by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.