Start/Finish
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Midpoint
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Tip: Keep your toes slightly pointed while you're lifting your legs. This reduces the
amount of work being done by the hip flexors and increases the load on the lower abs.
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Start Position
To begin, hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, or utilize arm
straps that allow you to hold your bodyweight with your upper arms, instead of
just the grip of your hands. Next, allow your legs to hang down, keeping them
very relaxed, so your knees are bent a bit and your toes are slightly pointed.
The Movement
From here, take a deep breath, and begin to lift your legs upward, while you
focus on contracting your abs. Breathe out slowly, continue lifting your legs
while you roll your hips upward. Continue until your feet are pointed straight
out and hold that contracted position for a full count of "one-thousand-one,
one-thousand-two." Then, slowly lower your legs to the starting position, take a
deep breath, and repeat.
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Properly performed, this exercise targets Region 2, the lower abs. And while I
have to admit this exercise can be effective, it has always been a bit
challenging for me. You see, over the years, I've had several shoulder injuries.
None of them serious enough that I would need surgery, but they have been
serious enough that I have to be extremely careful how I position my shoulders
during exercises so as to not aggravate the inner workings of that complicated
and vitally important upper body area specifically known as the "rotator cuff."
For that reason, I only do the hanging leg lift once in a while. But that
doesn't mean it won't be an effective exercise for you unless you, too, have had
a shoulder injury.
You can perform this exercise with your knees slightly bent or
almost straight. Slightly bent is easier and is good if you're just beginning to
strengthen the lower abs.
A common mistake I see people make while performing this exercise
at the gym is, once again, they simply do it too fast and end up doing little
more than swinging their legs up and down, forward and back, and doing very
little to stimulate the abdominal muscles. This exercise must be done
s-l-o-w-l-y for it to be effective!
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Keep your toes slightly pointed while you're lifting your legs to reduce the
amount of work being done by the hip flexors and increase the lower ab work.
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