Hanging leg raises is a great way to build strength and stability in your core, hips, and glutes all while challenging your balance as well. In addition to the traditional hanging leg raise, you can also add resistance or make it more difficult by performing different variations of this exercise. Listed below are some effective hanging leg raise-specific exercises with tips on how to do them properly.
Hanging Knee Raise
The hanging knee raise is an advanced variation of the hanging leg raise, but it’s also very effective at strengthening the core and building overall strength. It’s important to note that you can only really do this while using a pull-up bar, and there are some bar grips that aren’t suitable for this movement. An underhand grip is preferred for this exercise, so that the palms of your hands are pointed towards the floor. Also the hanging knee raise is a very difficult exercise to perform, so you may only be able to do one or two at first, and you may need to perform and Practice them more slowly until you get used to doing them.
Hanging Dumbbell Leg Raise
If you’re looking to increase the difficulty of your hanging leg raises, you can do so by holding dumbbells in your hands. You can also perform this one as a single-leg variation by holding only one dumbbell in one hand which gives you some instability and forces you to engage your core strength even more. If you’re new to this exercise, you’ll want to start with just one dumbbell. If you’re using one dumbbell, you’ll want to hold it between your thumb and forefinger and make sure to keep your palm facing towards the ground.
Hanging Leg Lift with a Resistance Band
The hanging leg lift with a resistance band is a challenging variation of the leg lift that will strengthen your core and glutes. This exercise can also be performed as a single-leg variation. You can use a band with some stretch in it, but it should still be challenging in order to get the most out of this exercise. There are many types of resistance bands when it comes to how stretchy they are.
Hanging Single-Leg Raise
You can also perform this exercise as a single-leg variation. For the single-leg variation, you’ll want to lift both your legs in the air, but you’ll only be lifting one leg at a time. This is another advanced variation of the hanging leg raise, but it’s also very effective at strengthening the core and building overall strength.
Bottom-half Crunch with Foot Drop
The bottom-half crunch with foot drop is a challenging variation of the classic crunch that will work your core especially your lower abs very well. You may want to start by only holding this crunch for one or two reps, and as you get stronger, you can increase the time you spend holding the crunch. To make this variation of the crunch more difficult, you can hold a dumbbell in one hand, or you can perform the crunch with a foot drop by hanging one leg off the side of the bench or raising one foot in the air.
Ankle Jumpers
The ankle jumpers are a great way to increase the intensity of your hanging leg raises. In order to perform the ankle jumpers, simply lift your legs up in the air and then quickly drop them back down. You can perform multiple reps of this exercise, or you can hold the leg lift for a few seconds at a time.
Push-up Plus
The push-up plus is a challenging variation of the push-up that’s performed with your feet in the air. You can do this with your hands on a bench, or you can use a pull-up bar and you can perform the push-up plus with your hands on the bar or with your feet on the bar. The push-up plus is a challenging variation of the push-up that’s performed with your feet in the air. You can perform this variation with your hands on a bench or a bar. The push-up plus with your feet on the bar will give you a greater core challenge than with your hands on the bar. The variation with your feet on the bar is a great way to increase the intensity of your push-ups.
Conclusion
Hanging leg raises are an excellent exercise for building strength in the core, hips, and glutes. You can make this exercise more challenging by performing different variations of the leg raise, including hanging knee raises, hanging leg lifts with a resistance band, and push-ups plus with your feet in the air.