ProgreviaHanging leg raise: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
Hanging from the bar, raise the legs by curling the pelvis up, not just flexing the hip; avoid swinging and lower under control. Bend the knees for an easier version.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: abs. When it plans weekly volume, every set of this exercise counts in full for abs: the generator does not split it with other muscles.
Hanging leg raise or V-sit: two ways to load the abs with long legs
In the hanging leg raise your body hangs and the legs rise in a dynamic movement; in the V-sit you are seated, the position is nearly static, and the challenge is balancing on your sit bones. Both use the lever of the legs, but here the limit is usually not the abs: it is your grip first, and then the ability to curl the pelvis instead of just bending at the hip. That is why most people feel their hip flexors and forearms before their abs.
It suits you if you have a bar and want a demanding exercise for the rectus abdominis that also makes your shoulders and lats switch on. If you do pull-ups that day, leave it for the end, since your grip will already be tired. To start, bend the knees and lift slowly; if the swing gets out of hand, stop and reset. Do not push through pain in the shoulders or elbows.
Progress in steps: knees bent, legs nearly straight, straight up to horizontal and, much later, toes to bar. Before raising the legs, tilt the pelvis backward: that first move is what turns this into a real ab exercise. If your grip gives out before your abs do, use straps.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Core
- Minimum level
- Intermediate
- Technical demand
- Needs coaching
- Fatigue it generates
- Low (0.6 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Low
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As an isolation exercise, it works best in 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 0–2 RIR. Use it at the end of the session to add volume without systemic fatigue.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Swinging your legs with momentum instead of curling your pelvis up with your abs.
- Sticking with the same version once you can do more than 20 reps: move to a harder variation or add load.
- Doing reps too fast, without controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase.
What the research says
As an isolation move, it is mostly a way to add volume to one muscle. Gentil and colleagues (2013) found that, in beginners, adding it to a multi-joint exercise gave no extra arm growth; it pays off later on, or for muscles the compounds barely reach.
You do not need to reach failure on every set: according to the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023), stopping one or two reps short gives very similar growth. The generator prescribes it with RIR for that reason.
- Gentil P, Soares SR, Pereira MC, et al. Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2013;38(3):341-344.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Hanging leg raise compares with other abs exercises
Of the 14 abs exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Hanging leg raise is number 10 (tied with one other).
That makes it a good candidate for adding abs sets at the end of a session or in heavy weeks, when you want volume without extra fatigue.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 3 alternatives, such as Cable crunch, Pallof press and Landmine rotation.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plank | bodyweight | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Side plank | bodyweight | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Hollow hold | bodyweight | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Lateral plank walk | bodyweight | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Hanging leg raise | bodyweight | Low (0.6 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| V-sit | bodyweight | Low (0.6 out of 2.2) | Advanced |
| Ab Wheel (kneeling) | bodyweight | Moderate (0.8 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Ab wheel rollout | bodyweight | Moderate (0.8 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
Bodyweight. In the trial by Kotarsky et al. (2018), four weeks of progressively harder push-ups significantly improved bench press 1RM, just like training the bench press itself. It is a strength result, not a hypertrophy one, and the condition is the word progressive: the exercise has to keep getting harder.
An isolation exercise. In the trial by Gentil et al. (2015), with untrained young men over ten weeks, the biceps curl and the lat pulldown were equally effective for gaining strength and size in the elbow flexors: isolation is not filler.
- Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of progressive calisthenic push-up training on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2018;32(3):651-659.
- Gentil P, Soares S, Bottaro M. Single vs. multi-joint resistance exercises: effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;6(2):e24057.
Related guide
How to get visible abs: the truth about the six-pack
Alternative exercises
More core exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Hanging leg raise work?
Hanging leg raise mainly works the abs muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Hanging leg raise should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for abs to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Can I do hanging leg raises if I cannot hang for very long?
Yes, but your grip will end sets before your abs do. Train hanging as its own skill, use straps if you want to focus on the abs, and start with bent knees and a few reps. In the meantime, the reverse crunch on the floor lets you practice the same pelvic action without needing a grip.
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