
In case you are in search of workouts that concentrate on your belly muscle groups and work on the decrease physique on the identical time, contemplate including leg raises to your power coaching exercise routine.
The leg elevate, often known as leg carry, is a really efficient body weight train that strengthens and challenges the belly muscle groups, significantly the decrease abs. It’s a easy train that helps construct six-pack abs, strengthens the core, and likewise targets a number of muscle teams all through the physique, together with the higher and decrease abs, hip flexors, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and decrease again.
Whereas the usual leg elevate is kind of helpful and advantageous, including it to each power session can get boring. The excellent news is that there are a selection of leg raises that may degree your exercise and fireplace up your muscle groups all of the extra. These workouts could make your session more durable or simpler relying in your health degree.
6 Finest Leg Raises to Attempt
When you’ve mastered the usual and fundamental leg elevate, strive these different variations to make your routine much more difficult:
1. Single Leg Raises
Single-leg raises are beginner-friendly workouts carried out utilizing one leg at a time. This train is right for folks with flexibility points and those that have difficulties lifting each legs collectively.
To do that train:
- Lie in your again together with your legs prolonged straight on the ground.
- Bend your left leg, and hold your proper leg straight on the bottom.
- Place your neck and head in a steady place, and place your arms alongside your physique.
- Now carry your proper leg as excessive as you possibly can whereas protecting your left knee bent and maintain for 2 seconds.
- Return your leg to the beginning and full a number of extra reps.
- Swap legs and repeat. You’ll be able to both full desired variety of reps on one leg earlier than switching or proceed to alternate legs concurrently.
2. Corkscrew Leg Lifts
The corkscrew leg raises are one other nice belly train that targets the obliques and gently stretches the decrease again and hip flexors. This train additionally works on the internal thigh muscle groups and adductors.
To do that train:
- Lie on the ground together with your face up, toes flat on the ground, and knees bent, and place your fingers underneath your hips.
- Transfer each legs up in direction of the ceiling, and slowly carry your decrease again and glutes off the ground on the identical time.
- Decrease your legs whereas protecting them straight and steady, however don’t allow them to contact the ground.
- Repeat the following rep instantly.
3. Weighted Leg Lifts
The weighted leg carry is kind of a difficult leg elevate train because it requires you to make use of a free weight reminiscent of a dumbbell whereas executing the carry.
To do that train:
- Sit straight and hold a dumbbell between your toes earlier than slowly mendacity down in your again.
- Transfer your toes up in direction of the ceiling with the dumbbell and switch your toes straight up.
- Decrease your legs till they contact the ground and press them up once more.
- Repeat for a number of reps.
4. Standing Leg Raises
That is one other beginner-level leg carry train that’s carried out whereas standing and gives nice full-body advantages. It promotes physique stabilization, improves the vary of movement within the hips, and likewise boosts muscle endurance.
To do that train:
- Begin standing together with your fingers in your hips, and your toes barely wider than your shoulders together with your toes going through ahead.
- Shift your weight into your proper foot, and carry your left leg off the ground as excessive as you possibly can.
- Deliver the leg all the way down to the beginning place.
- Repeat a number of occasions extra after which do the train together with your proper leg.
5. Hanging Leg Lifts
That is one other very difficult but efficient leg carry train that requires you to hold from a pull-up bar and carry your legs till they’re parallel to the ground.
To do that train:
- Maintain the pull-up bar utilizing an overhand grip together with your thumbs wrapped across the bar.
- Maintain your abs tight as you dangle from the bar, after which carry your toes out in entrance of you.
- Bend your pelvis again and have interaction your hip flexors to maintain your physique balanced.
- Attempt to carry your self till your chin reaches the bar or larger.
- Decrease again down slowly to the beginning place and repeat the train.
6. Supine Facet Leg Raises
Facet leg lifts are a fantastic leg abduction train that targets the glutes, hip flexors, decrease again, hamstrings, and hip abductors. This train improves power within the hip abductor and internal thigh muscle groups and likewise reduces hip and decrease again ache.
To do that train:
- Lie down in your proper aspect and be certain that your physique is in a straight line.
- Stack your legs on prime of each other and place your proper hand underneath your head for assist.
- Your left hand ought to be positioned in your proper hip or leg.
- Slowly transfer your left leg up as excessive as you possibly can and maintain for 2 seconds.
- Decrease your leg all the way down to the beginning and repeat the motion.
- Subsequent, change sides and repeat the train together with your proper leg.
Takeaway
Whereas doing the aforementioned leg raises, make certain to maintain your decrease again completely pressed on the ground and don’t carry it throughout the train. Maintain your legs straight and thighs engaged always. For additional assist and luxury, strive supine leg raises on an train mat.