Hanging leg raises are an advanced movement for building core strength, requiring high levels of grip and abdominal endurance. The exercise involves suspending the body from a pull-up bar and raising the legs toward the torso. This movement targets the musculature of the anterior core, requiring the abdominal muscles to work against the leverage created by the weight of the legs. Whether this exercise effectively targets the obliques depends heavily on the specific technique used.
Primary Muscle Focus of Hanging Leg Raises
The standard hanging leg raise is primarily driven by the hip flexors and the rectus abdominis. The initial phase involves flexing the hip joint, where hip flexors (including the iliopsoas group) lift the legs from a dead hang up to approximately a 90-degree angle. To continue the movement past this point, the rectus abdominis must engage to curl the pelvis toward the rib cage. This action, known as spinal flexion, targets the abdominal wall. Without this subsequent pelvic tilt, the exercise remains largely a hip flexor movement.
Oblique Activation During Standard Leg Raises
While the obliques are not the prime movers in a standard, straight-up-and-down hanging leg raise, they are certainly active. The external obliques show significant activation, with some studies indicating they can reach nearly 90% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Their role is primarily one of stabilization, preventing the torso and hips from twisting or swaying while the legs are being raised and lowered. This stabilization is necessary to maintain a straight plane of motion. Therefore, the standard variation is not considered a dedicated oblique exercise, as it relies on static stabilization rather than dynamic rotation or lateral flexion.
Maximizing Oblique Engagement
To shift the focus of the hanging leg raise from the rectus abdominis to the obliques, the movement must be modified to include rotation or lateral bending. A common variation is the “Twisting Hanging Leg Raise.” In this variation, the individual hangs from the bar and performs the leg raise, adding a deliberate twist as the knees come up toward the chest. The goal is to bring the knees or feet up toward one side of the torso. This rotation forces the oblique muscles to contract concentrically, driving the twist. The movement should be initiated by tilting the pelvis and flexing the rib cage, not just swinging the legs, to maximize the rotational stimulus.
Alternative Core Exercises for Oblique Development
For those who find the hanging variations too challenging or wish to focus entirely on rotational strength, several floor-based exercises are highly effective for oblique development. The Russian Twist is a popular option, involving a seated position with the feet lifted and the torso rotating from side to side. Bicycle Crunches are another dynamic movement, where the elbow is brought toward the opposite knee, creating continuous rotation and flexion of the torso. For isometric strength, the Side Plank requires the obliques to stabilize the spine against lateral flexion, maintaining a straight body line from head to heel. These alternatives provide direct ways to train the obliques through their full functional range of movement.