Hanging leg raises!

[Pujdo]

Hey guys!

I do a lot of hanging leg raises (legs straight). Now i know most people lift their legs up to a 90 degree angle, but i do it all the way to the bar. I've got 2 questions here:
1. What is the best way to engage abs in this exercise and avoid engaging hip flexors?
2. Are full length leg lifts too hard on hip flexors and is doing 90 degree lifts more beneficial to the abs?

[Garage Rat]

One thing is doing this movement will always engage the hip flexors especially with straight legs to 90 degrees.
The only thing you can do is minimize hip flexor involvement as much as possible.
You should try to curl your butt and hips up like a reverse crunch if that makes sense.
That means the legs/feet will come up past a 90 degree angle to chest or face.
You need to contract abs and blow air out when coming up and lower slowly coming down.
If you don't feel your abs after that then i don't know what else to tell you.

[Pujdo]

One thing is doing this movement will always engage the hip flexors especially with straight legs to 90 degrees.
The only thing you can do is minimize hip flexor involvement as much as possible.
You should try to curl your butt and hips up like a reverse crunch if that makes sense.
That means the legs/feet will come up past a 90 degree angle to chest or face.
You need to contract abs and blow air out when coming up and lower slowly coming down.
If you don't feel your abs after that then i don't know what else to tell you.

Alright, I will definitely try this out. I get a burn in my abs when i do the exercise, but i also feel it in my hip flexors and i was just wondering if i could minimize flexor involvement. Hopefully this will help!

[KCUtah]

Do the hollow body position while hanging from a bar, and then do leg raises slowly under control. And eventually progress to the front lever.

[dukmysink]

leg raises are trash works mostly hip flexor

do knee raises and starting position = like ur sitting in a chair. no hip flexor involvement, all abs.

[Pujdo]

Do the hollow body position while hanging from a bar, and then do leg raises slowly under control. And eventually progress to the front lever.

Alright! Will try! Btw i can already do a front lever for about 10 secs

[Tommy W.]

You're doing it right. Coming all the way up does it. The bottom portion is hip and the upper portion is abs

[louistan100046]

Full length better than 90 degree provided not using momentum. If using momentum, then it may not be better.

[STEFANOSSS]

No way you can eliminate hip flexors during this movement.

[melDorado]

Some days these (90degree slow raises) are the only ab exercise I do, and my abs are so sore after that I can't believe its mostly hip flexor?

[Tommy W.]

Some days these (90degree slow raises) are the only ab exercise I do, and my abs are so sore after that I can't believe its mostly hip flexor?

Try pulling your knees into your chest for the full effect.

[Pujdo]

Alright i found that doing legs straight (but not completely, bent a little bit in the knees) knees hitting the bar, slow reps giving me the most burn in the abs. Now i only need to find something to hold me so that i don't have to use full grip strength, because it usually runs out before my abs get exhausted

[louistan100046]

Grip strength is 1 of the reasons I moved from hanging leg raises to front lever progressions (though I still can't do full front lever). There is no way grip strength can be the bottle neck for front lever.

[Pujdo]

Grip strength is 1 of the reasons I moved from hanging leg raises to front lever progressions (though I still can't do full front lever). There is no way grip strength can be the bottle neck for front lever.

Front lever uses much much more latissimus power, that's why i don't use it in my abs workouts. But the statement about grip is true though! I will try to find some sort of straps or improvise something to hold me up.

[Tommy W.]

Alright i found that doing legs straight (but not completely, bent a little bit in the knees) knees hitting the bar, slow reps giving me the most burn in the abs. Now i only need to find something to hold me so that i don't have to use full grip strength, because it usually runs out before my abs get exhausted

Use the captains chair when you run out of grip. It's important that when you come up you concentrate on bringing the knees up as high as possible. You want to concentrate on using your abs and not just throwing your knees up. Your low back will be off the support when you do it right.