Hanging Leg Raise Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Tucked Leg Raises

   • Hang with arms fully extended and shoulders actively engaged — pull shoulder blades slightly down to prevent passive hanging

   • Tuck your knees tightly toward your chest — the tighter the tuck, the shorter the lever arm, making this the easiest hanging progression

   • Initiate the lift from your lower abs by curling the pelvis upward — think of bringing your belt buckle toward your chin, not just lifting your knees

   • Lift until your knees reach at least hip height, pause for 1-2 seconds at the top

   • Lower slowly back to the starting position — control the descent, do not let the legs swing freely

   • Keep your body as still as possible — if you start swinging, come to a complete stop before the next rep

   • This is the entry-level hanging leg raise — focus on building a strong mind-muscle connection with your lower abs before progressing

2. 02

   Advanced Tucked Leg Raises

   • Hang with arms fully extended and shoulder blades actively depressed — maintain this engagement throughout

   • Keep your knees at roughly 90° or slightly more extended — not fully tucked like the previous progression, increasing the lever arm and core demand

   • Initiate from the lower abs by curling the pelvis upward — lift until your feet are at or above hip height

   • Pause for 1-2 seconds at the top — maintain the knee angle and squeeze the abs hard

   • Lower slowly with control back to full extension — maintain the same knee angle throughout, do not tuck tighter on the way down

   • Keep swinging to an absolute minimum — each rep should start from a near-still position

   • If you find the knees opening wider as you fatigue, end the set — maintaining consistent knee angle is how you progress honestly

3. 03

   Leg Raises

   • Hang with arms fully extended and shoulder blades actively depressed — this is the full straight-leg hanging leg raise

   • Keep your knees completely locked out by engaging your quads — point your toes to create a clean line and slightly reduce hamstring tension

   • Initiate from the lower abs by curling the pelvis upward — lift the straight legs in a controlled arc until your feet reach at least hip/ab height

   • A slight backward lean at the top is natural and acceptable — but your body should not swing wildly, the lean should be minimal

   • Pause for 1-2 seconds at the top with legs at the target height — squeeze the abs hard during this hold

   • Lower slowly on a 1-2 second count with legs remaining fully straight — if your knees bend on the way down, you are fatiguing

   • If you cannot keep the knees locked throughout the full range of motion, go back to the advanced tucked variation until you build sufficient strength

4. 04

   Toes to Bar

   • Hang with arms fully extended — this is the most advanced hanging leg raise progression, requiring maximum core compression strength

   • Keep legs completely straight with toes pointed — engage quads hard to lock out the knees throughout the entire range of motion

   • Initiate from the lower abs with a strong pelvic curl — the movement should feel like you are folding your body in half, bringing your toes all the way up to the bar

   • Your body will naturally lean back as the legs pass horizontal — this is unavoidable at this range, but minimize unnecessary swing

   • Touch your toes to the bar at the top — do not count reps where the toes only reach near the bar, the full range of motion is what builds strength

   • Lower slowly with control on a 1-2 second count all the way back to full extension — the eccentric at this range is extremely challenging and highly effective

   • If you cannot reach the bar with toes consistently, work on the standard leg raise until you can easily reach hip height with full control

Common mistakes

• Excessive Swinging
• Passive Hanging Without Shoulder Engagement
• Lifting with Hip Flexors Only
• Bending Knees in Straight-Leg Progressions
• Dropping Legs on the Way Down
• Grip Giving Out Before Abs