Captains Chair Straight Leg Raise

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Position yourself in the Captain's Chair with your forearms resting on the padded armrests and hands gripping the handles.
2. Press your lower back firmly against the backrest and engage your lats to keep your shoulders down and away from your ears.
3. Suspend your legs straight down toward the floor, squeezing your thighs together and pointing your toes slightly.

How to do it

1. Exhale and engage your core to lift your legs straight out in front of you until they are at least parallel to the floor.
2. At the top of the movement, perform a slight posterior pelvic tilt by 'tucking' your hips forward to maximize abdominal contraction.
3. Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position over a 2-3 second count, maintaining tension in the abs.
4. Stop the descent just before your legs go behind your torso to prevent swinging and maintain constant tension.

Form checklist

• Keep your back glued to the backrest; do not let your lower back arch away from the pad.
• Avoid using momentum or swinging your legs to initiate the lift.
• Keep your knees locked and legs fully extended throughout the entire range of motion.
• Ensure your shoulders remain depressed; do not let your head 'sink' into your shoulders.

Pro tips

• To shift the focus from hip flexors to the abs, visualize pulling your pubic bone toward your ribcage as you lift.
• Maintain a slight 'hollow body' position even at the bottom of the rep to keep the rectus abdominis under continuous load.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second isometric hold at the top of each repetition when legs are parallel to the floor.
• Hold a light dumbbell between your feet to increase the resistance and challenge the lower abdominals further.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the captains chair straight leg raise work?

The captains chair straight leg raise primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the captains chair straight leg raise?

The captains chair straight leg raise requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the captains chair straight leg raise good for beginners?

The captains chair straight leg raise is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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