Do you struggle with getting the most out of your ab workouts? Are you tired of performing the same old exercises, but still not seeing results? One exercise that often gets overlooked is the leg raise crunch. The problem with this exercise is that many people perform it incorrectly, resulting in minimal results or even potential injury. However, it’s not your fault – the lack of proper education and guidance in the fitness industry is a common cause of this problem. But fear not, in this blog post, we will walk you through step by step on how to properly perform the leg raise crunch for maximum results and safety.
Leg Raise Crunch Summary
- Primary Muscles: Rectus Abdominis
- Secondary Muscles: Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus, Iliopsoas (Psoas Major & Iliacus), Obliques, Pectineus, Rectus Femoris, Sartorius, and Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Equipment: Body Weight
- Mechanics Type: Isolated
- Force: Pull
- Utility: Auxiliary
Leg Raise Crunch Instructions
- Start by getting in a standard sit-up position on your back with your knees bent together.
- Now pull your upper body up with a couch while simultaneously lifting your feet off the ground and bringing your knees and elbows together.
- Then, slowly lower your upper body and your legs back to the ground together.
- Repeat your Leg Raise Crunch for 10-30 repetitions.
Video Tutorial
Leg Raise Crunch Muscles
Target (Agonist)
- Iliopsoas (Psoas Major & Iliacus)
Synergists
- Adductor Brevis
- Adductor Longus
- Pectineus
- Rectus Femoris
- Sartorius
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
Dynamic Stabilizers
- None
Stabilizers
Antagonist Stabilizers
- None
Benefits of Leg Raise Crunch
The leg raise crunch is an excellent exercise for strengthening the core muscles, especially the Rectus Abdominis. This muscle, commonly referred to as the “six-pack”, is responsible for providing support to the spine and creating a flat, toned stomach. Performing this exercise regularly can help to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles, leading to improved posture, core strength, and balance. Additionally, it helps to burn fat and reduce overall body weight. Furthermore, the leg raise crunch stimulates blood circulation throughout the abdominal area, helping to improve digestive health.
Tips for Performing Leg Raise Crunch
You’ve come to the right place if you’re trying to enhance your leg raise crunch performance. These tips will enable you to fully benefit from this wonderful workout and maximize its results. You’ll have the ability to develop your abs muscles, and minimize your chance of injury. Let’s begin and take a look at how these tips will benefit you.
- Breathe Properly – Make sure to inhale deeply and exhale as you contract your abdominal muscles during the leg raise crunch. This will help to oxygenate the muscles and ensure you get the most out of the exercise.
- Keep Your Feet Together – Keeping your feet together throughout the entire exercise will ensure that you are targeting the right muscles and getting the most out of the exercise.
- Maintain Proper Form – Keeping your back flat and your core engaged throughout the entire movement will help to maximize the benefit of the exercise and reduce the risk of injury. Plus, you’ll look super cool doing it!
Benefits and Tips Video
Frequent Mistakes To Avoid
Staying away from errors can mean the distinction between a successful training session and an injury when executing leg raise crunch. Additionally, achieving optimal results from this exercise requires proper form, and avoiding perform typical errors can allow you to perform the exercise correctly and obtain optimal results. But relax, it’s not quite as difficult as it might seem. By knowing the mistakes to avoid and taking the appropriate actions, you can execute the exercise securely and effectively. So it is time for you to maximize your results from this exercise and enjoy the benefits of a productive workout.
- Not engaging their core muscles: Not engaging the core muscles when performing a leg raise crunch can lead to poor form and an ineffective exercise, reducing the potential benefits.
- Not paying attention to breathing: Not breathing properly while doing a leg raise crunch can put unnecessary strain on the body and cause dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Not performing the exercise slowly: If the leg raise crunch is done too quickly, it can increase the risk of injury and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
Find More Bodyweight Exercises Here
Variations and Complementary Exercises
Other exercises that can be used in place of the Leg Raise Crunch are variations, complementary, or alternative exercises. These exercises can help increase the difficulty of the workout or target different muscle groups. Below is a list of exercises that work similar muscles as the Leg Raise Crunch.
Leg Raise
The Leg Raise exercise is an excellent alternative or complementary exercise to the Leg Raise Crunch. It involves lying flat on the floor, raising your legs straight up in the air, and then slowly lowering them back down to the ground. This strengthens your core muscles and helps improve balance, coordination, and posture. This exercise also helps strengthen your hip flexors and hamstrings, which can help improve your overall performance in a variety of activities. Additionally, it can help reduce back pain and improve flexibility.
Leg Lift Knee Raise
The Leg Lift Knee Raise is a great complementary or alternative exercise to the Leg Raise Crunch. This exercise focuses on strengthening and toning the abs and obliques in a slightly different manner. Starting by lying flat on the back, you lift your legs towards your chest while simultaneously raising your knees up towards your chest. This exercise is an effective way to work the core muscles in your abdomen and strengthen them for a variety of activities.
Knee Hug Crunch
The Knee Hug Crunch is a great complement or alternative to the Leg Raise Crunch. This exercise targets both the upper and lower abs and obliques, while also engaging the hip flexors. To perform this exercise, start by lying on your back with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Reach your hands around the back of your legs and bring your knees into your chest. With your abs engaged, crunch up and hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. This exercise is a great way to engage your core, strengthen your abs, and improve stability and balance.
Check Out These Top Bodyweight Exercises
Jack Knife Sit Up
The Jack Knife Sit Up is a great alternative or complementary exercise to the Leg Raise Crunch. It focuses on the same abdominal muscles and is an effective exercise for targeting the core. The Jack Knife Sit Up requires a person to lie flat on their back, with their arms extended above their head and their legs straight. From this starting position, the person then raises their torso and legs together, until they touch their toes with their hands. This exercise is great for developing core strength and stability, as well as improving flexibility. Additionally, it can be done at home or in the gym, making it an excellent choice for those who want to mix up their core routine.
Incline Leg Hip Raise
The Incline Leg Hip Raise is a great alternative or complementary exercise to the Leg Raise Crunch. This exercise works the same muscles as a Leg Raise Crunch, but in a different way. The Incline Leg Hip Raise targets the hip flexors, glutes, and lower abdominals while the Leg Raise Crunch focuses on the upper abdominals. The Incline Leg Hip Raise is also a great way to work on stability and coordination as it requires core strength to keep your body in a straight line while raising your legs. The combination of these two exercises will give you a great full-body workout that will target both the upper and lower abs.
Hanging Leg Raise
Hanging Leg Raise is a great alternative or complementary exercise to the Leg Raise Crunch. It is an abdominal exercise that works the lower abdominal region, as well as the hip flexors. With this exercise, you are suspended from a bar and you raise your legs up towards your chest. This exercise helps to strengthen your core and can help to improve your posture. Hanging Leg Raises can also be used as an alternative exercise for those who cannot do Leg Raise Crunches due to injuries or other limitations.
Find More Abs Exercises Here
Opposing Complementary Exercises
To further strengthen the lower abdominal muscles and improve core stability, you can incorporate exercises that target opposing muscle groups. By working the opposing muscle groups, you will be able to achieve a more balanced workout and greater overall muscle tone. Here are a few exercises that you can do to complement the Leg Raise Crunch:
Barbell Good Morning
The Barbell Good Morning is a great exercise to complement the Leg Raise Crunch because it works the opposite muscle group. It targets the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, while the Leg Raise Crunch works the abdominals, hip flexors, and lower back. By alternating between these two exercises, you can achieve a balanced workout that strengthens both the front and back of your body. The Barbell Good Morning also helps to build core strength and stability, which can help to improve your overall performance during other exercises.
Good Mornings With Bands
Good Mornings with Bands are a great way to complement the Leg Raise Crunch exercise. By using the opposing muscle group, Good Mornings with Bands provide an extra challenge to the core area and help to build strength. These exercises focus on strengthening the lower back and glutes, which are key for stabilizing the core. They also help improve flexibility in the hips and hamstrings, making them essential for any leg-based workout. Good Mornings with Bands should be done with light to medium resistance bands and controlled movements to ensure maximum results.
Smith Machine Good Morning Off Pins
The Smith Machine Good Morning Off Pins is an ideal exercise to complement the Leg Raise Crunch, as it works the opposing muscle group. This exercise targets the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings by placing your feet on pins at shoulder width apart and then bending your torso forward. This exercise increases lower back strength, allowing you to perform the Leg Raise Crunch with more intensity and stability. Additionally, the Smith Machine Good Morning Off Pins can help prevent injury while doing the Leg Raise Crunch by strengthening and activating the opposing muscles.
Get Stronger Abs with Leg Raise Crunch!
If you’re looking to strengthen your core and sculpt those abs, leg raise crunches are a great exercise to add to your routine. This move targets your lower abs and hip flexors, helping to build a strong foundation for more advanced exercises. As with any exercise, start with proper form and gradually increase the difficulty and intensity over time. Remember to engage your core throughout the movement and breathe deeply. With consistency and effort, you’ll be on your way to a stronger, more defined midsection.
References: Wikipedia | ExRx.net | PubMed.gov | Comprehensive List of Abs Bodyweight Exercises
