Hanging Leg Raise
The hanging leg raise is a bodyweight exercise where you hang from a pull-up bar and lift your legs in front of you. It works your abs hard, and your forearms and obliques help to hold you steady. It suits anyone who can hang comfortably from a bar for around 20-30 seconds, and it is easy to make easier or harder.
Muscles worked
The Hanging Leg Raise mainly works your abs, with your forearms and obliques helping.
Setting up
- Set the bar high enough that your feet clear the floor when you hang with straight arms. If it is too high, use a box or step to reach it, and step down when you finish.
- Take an overhand grip about shoulder-width apart, with your thumbs wrapped around the bar.
- Hang with your arms straight and your legs together, pointing straight down. Stand tall in the hang rather than sagging, and keep your ribs down.
- Before the first rep, stop any swinging. Take a breath and brace your abs as if you were about to be nudged in the stomach.
How to do the Hanging Leg Raise
- Hang from the bar with straight arms and your legs together, completely still.
- Brace your abs and tuck your pelvis under slightly, so your hips tilt as if you were pulling your belt buckle up towards your chin.
- Raise your legs in front of you, keeping them as straight as you can without forcing it. Bend your knees if you need to.
- Lift until your legs are parallel to the floor or a little higher, and feel your abs squeeze hard at the top.
- Pause briefly, then lower your legs slowly over about 2-3 seconds, keeping your abs tight the whole way down.
- Let your legs reach the bottom without swinging, then start the next rep from a still hang.
Form tips
- Think about curling your pelvis up towards your ribs, not just lifting your feet. The curl is what makes your abs do the work, rather than the front of your hips.
- Squeeze the bar firmly and keep your arms straight but not locked out. A tight grip helps keep your body steady and gives your forearms a good workout too.
- Breathe out as your legs rise and breathe in as they lower. Keep your ribs pulled down so you don't flare them out.
- If your legs drift to one side, you are probably leaning on your obliques unevenly. Keep your knees pointing straight ahead and aim for a straight line up and down.
- Start with bent-knee raises if straight legs are too hard. Progress to straight legs only when you can do 10-12 tidy reps without swinging.
Common mistakes
Swinging for momentum
Pause at the bottom of every rep until you are completely still, and lower more slowly. If you can't stay still, bend your knees or do fewer reps.
Only lifting the legs, not curling the pelvis
Start each rep by tilting your pelvis up, then let your legs follow. You should feel your abs, not just the tops of your thighs, doing the work.
Dropping the legs on the way down
The lowering phase is half the exercise. Take 2-3 seconds to lower your legs and keep your abs braced until they are fully down.
Arching and flaring the ribs
Keep your ribs pulled down towards your hips and your abs tight throughout. If you can't hold that position, shorten the range or bend your knees.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 3-5 sets of 5-8 slow, controlled reps with straight legs and a 1-second pause at the top, resting about 2 minutes between sets. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps, 60-90 seconds rest. Stop each set when your form starts to slip, not when you are completely spent. |
| Fat loss / general fitness | 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps, 45-60 seconds rest, as part of a wider plan with other exercises and regular activity. Use bent knees if you need to. |
Pick a weight where the last rep or two of each set is hard but your form stays clean. When every set feels easy, it's time to go up.
Hanging Leg Raise alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Hanging Leg Raise FAQs
Are hanging leg raises good for beginners?
They can be, if you start with bent-knee raises and small sets. If you can't hang for 20-30 seconds yet, practise hanging first. Build up gradually and stop the set when your form breaks down.
Why does my grip give out before my abs?
This is very common, as hanging works your forearms hard. Do shorter sets, chalk your hands, or use lifting straps. Keep practising hangs as well, because your grip will improve over time.
Should my legs be straight or bent?
Either is fine. Bent knees are easier and a good place to start, while straight legs are harder because the weight sits further from your body. Choose the version you can do without swinging and with your abs doing the work.
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