Lever Abdominal Leg Raise

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Sit or stand in the leverage machine with your back pressed firmly against the backrest.
2. Place your forearms on the padded rests and grip the handles securely to stabilize your upper body.
3. Position your shins or ankles against the lever arm pads, ensuring your legs are fully extended or slightly bent.
4. Engage your core to pull your lower back flat against the machine's padding.

How to do it

1. Exhale and contract your abdominals to lift the lever arm by raising your legs toward your torso.
2. Continue the lift until your hips begin to slightly tilt upward, ensuring maximum abdominal engagement.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower the lever arm back to the starting position using a controlled 3-second tempo.
4. Stop just before the weight stack touches or tension is lost to maintain constant muscle engagement.

Form checklist

• Keep your lower back in constant contact with the backrest to protect the spine.
• Avoid using momentum or swinging the lever arm to complete the repetition.
• Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, pushing through your forearms.
• Ensure the movement occurs at the hips and waist, not by pulling with your arms.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'curling' your pelvis toward your ribs at the top of the movement to shift the load from the hip flexors to the lower abs.
• Maintain a slight bend in the knees to reduce strain on the lower back while keeping the tension on the core.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second pause at the peak of the contraction to increase time under tension.
• Slow the eccentric phase to 5 seconds to challenge the core's ability to resist gravity.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the lever abdominal leg raise work?

The lever abdominal leg raise primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the hip flexors as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the lever abdominal leg raise?

The lever abdominal leg raise uses leverage machine.

Is the lever abdominal leg raise good for beginners?

The lever abdominal 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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