Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Hanging Straight Leg Raise: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The hanging straight leg raise is an advanced core exercise performed by hanging from a pull-up bar and lifting the legs straight up in front of the body. It primarily targets the abdominal muscles and also engages the hip flexors.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Quads
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the hanging straight leg raise
Front view: muscles worked by the hanging straight leg raise. Primary: abs. Secondary: quads.
Back view: muscles worked by the hanging straight leg raise. Primary: abs. Secondary: quads.
Primary Secondary

How to do the hanging straight leg raise

  1. Step 1: Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
  2. Step 2: Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
  3. Step 3: Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the hanging straight leg raise by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Hanging Straight Leg Raise alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

More abs exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.