Abdominal leg supports. Raising your legs while resting on your elbows is the best way to work your abs. Exercise with weights

Leg raises are an exercise with which you can pump up your abdominal muscles. In terms of technique, it can be compared to lifting your legs while hanging on a bar. However, it is much easier to do. This exercise can be done on a special machine or on uneven bars.

What muscles work when lifting your legs?

When performing leg lifts, the muscles work first of all lower area press. In particular, we are talking about the rectus abdominis muscle. It bears the main load.

The obliques, superior rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis also work. In addition, the iliopsoas muscle and the rectus and pectineus muscles of the thigh are actively working. Also, when performing the exercise, the muscles of the shoulder girdle and legs are involved. If you perform the exercise on the uneven bars, and not on a special simulator, then the arm muscles receive a greater load.

Rules for performing leg raises

Lifting the legs in support must be carried out taking into account certain rules, namely:

• There is no need to keep your legs straight. They should be slightly bent at the knees, otherwise the load will not be on the abdominal muscles, but on the back muscles.
• When lifting your legs, you also need to twist your pelvis. Thanks to this movement, the abdominal muscles will receive the necessary load and soon cubes will form on the stomach.
• It is not recommended to lower your legs completely when returning to the starting position. Thanks to this, the effectiveness of the exercise will increase, since the muscles will receive more load.
• Movements should be smooth and unhurried. If you do the exercise sharply, you can “earn” a muscle strain.
• Do not swing while performing the exercise. Raise your legs and pelvis only using muscle strength.
• Keep your head straight. You can't tilt it back.
• Conduct classes at least 3 times a week. It is not recommended to skip workouts.
• In total, you should do 10-15 repetitions and 3 approaches.

Leg lift technique

Leg lifts can be performed on a special simulator, as well as on uneven bars. The technique will be approximately the same, but with some nuances. Therefore, each type of exercise will be considered separately below.

Leg raises on the simulator.

The advantage of performing leg raises on a machine rather than on parallel bars is that your back is pressed against the wall. This means that doing the exercise will be much easier.

The technique for doing it is as follows:

• Press your back against the back of the machine, place your forearms on special supports. Grasp the handrails with your palms. Hold them tightly as this is what will allow you to maintain your balance. Bend your legs slightly and lift them slightly.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. The abdominal muscles should be as tense as possible when performing the exercise. Freeze at the top point for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and return to the position you were in from the beginning. There is no need to rest at the bottom point; immediately perform the repetition. Perform the exercise the prescribed number of times.

Exercise on the uneven bars.

The parallel bars exercise can only be performed if you have Strong arms.

The fact is that in this case you need not only to hold your entire weight, but also to control how you hold the position, despite the fact that you cannot swing when lifting your legs. Therefore, if you are not yet confident in your abilities, then it is better not to try. If you have strong arms, then you can afford to lift your legs just like this. The technique for performing the exercise on the uneven bars will be as follows:

• Rise up on the parallel bars so that the emphasis is on your straight arms. Bend your legs slightly at the knees and move your pelvis forward slightly.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. Try to tense your abdominal muscles at this time. Freeze in this position for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and come back. Repeat without resting. Do the exercise the prescribed number of times and repetitions.

Exercise with weights.

Leg raises can be done with weights. This exercise can be done both on the machine and on the uneven bars. You can use a barbell disk or dumbbell as a weighting agent.

The weight of the projectile initially should not be too large, because the exercise will be difficult. Over time you can increase it a little. The technique for performing the exercise with weights will be as follows:

• Take your starting position on the machine or on the uneven bars. After that, ask someone to give you a shell. Secure it between your feet.
• Take a deep breath and lift your legs as high as possible, twisting your pelvis. Stay at the top point for 3 seconds.
• Exhale and slowly return back. At the first stage, this exercise should be done as many repetitions as you can complete. Gradually increase them to 15 times. The sets remain unchanged. Number of approaches – 3.

Raising your legs while pushing will help you quickly pump up your abdominal muscles, but only if you don’t skip workouts and do the exercise according to all the rules. Then in a month you will be able to evaluate the result.

October 26, 2016

Everyone knows that the best and most significant exercise for the abs is the horizontal leg raise. In each gym you can find a specially equipped exercise machine with an elbow support, which is designed for this exercise.

However, what to do if it is not possible to go to the gym, but have a durable and relief press still want it? In this case, it is necessary to find a replacement for this exercise.

While it's not that easy, there are still ways you can add variety to your ab workout at home without sacrificing effectiveness. So let's get started!

If you are the happy owner of a horizontal bar, you can perform this exercise no worse, and even better, than in the hall. The core muscles work much better when your body is as stretched as possible, which is facilitated by hanging from a bar.

Therefore, even if you visit the gym, it is better to give preference not to a machine with an elbow grip, but to a regular horizontal bar. This will make your abdominal workout more effective.

If you don’t have a horizontal bar, then you shouldn’t get upset ahead of time, because leg lifting can be done not only in the vertical, but also in the horizontal plane.

In the latter case, the load will be slightly less, which can easily be compensated for by an increased number of repetitions.

IT IS ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING THAT WHEN PERFORMING LEG RAITS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

1. Constantly maintain tension in the press;
2. Perform leg lifts with the force of the press, and not due to inertia;
3. Avoid body swaying;
4. Perform each movement at a slow pace, pausing at the highest point for 1 second.

When doing abdominal exercises correctly, the maximum number of repetitions will be from 12 to 20, after which the burning sensation will not allow you to perform even a few additional lifts.

This is one of the best static exercises, which will make your abs not only sculpted, but also healthy. The strap allows you to make your waist narrower, “tighten up” internal organs and develop deep muscles that are almost never used in regular exercises.

It is often considered as "exercises" lower press", Although …

... in fact, in human physiology there is no concept of upper, lower or middle abs. This is a solid layer of muscles that are intertwined so closely that it is impossible to pump only one section.

Therefore, the bar allows you to simultaneously load all the abdominal muscles.

Since this is not a dynamic ab exercise, timing it correctly is important. IT IS NECESSARY TO FINISH THE APPROACH ONLY IF when the burning sensation is simply unbearable, and all the muscles tremble as if you are being electrocuted.

It is in such conditions that the plank no longer becomes just an exercise from school physical education, but a powerful tool in pumping up your abs.

Don’t forget about progression, so try to add time with each new day, or week by week.

Bike

It's pretty simple but effective exercise, which will strengthen your abs.

Working muscles

Main working muscles:

1. Abdominal muscles that stabilize the spine: rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse muscle belly.
2. Muscles that extend the leg at the hip joint: large gluteal muscle, back group thigh muscles (semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles, biceps hips).
3. Muscles that abduct the scapulae: serratus anterior, minor pectoral muscle.

Accessory muscles:

1. Back muscles that stabilize the spine: the erector spinae muscle.
2. Muscles that extend the leg in knee joint: quadriceps femoris muscle.
3. Muscles that perform plantar flexion of the foot in ankle joint: calf muscle, soleus muscle.
4. Muscles that flex the arm shoulder joint: front beam deltoid muscle, pectoralis major muscle (clavicular bundle).
5. Muscles that extend the arm elbow joint: triceps.

The starting position when lifting the legs from the support is lying down. The body rests on the palms and toes. Arms and legs are fully straightened at the elbows and knees. The palms are directly under the shoulders, with the fingers facing forward. The body is fully erect and, when viewed from the side, appears as one straight line from the ankles to the ears (this position is called the prone position).

Inhale. Raise one leg.

Exhalation. Lower your leg to the starting position.

Inhale. Raise your other leg.

Exhalation. Lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat the lying leg lift 10 times (5 times with each leg).

During the entire exercise, the muscles that straighten the arm at the elbow joint are actively working. The arms rest firmly on the mat, which forces the shoulder blades to spread, and the muscles that flex the arm at the shoulder joint support the weight of the torso. Pay attention to the work of the abdominal muscles, which stabilize the position lumbar region spine and pelvis.

In phases 2 and 4, extensor muscles hip joint lift the leg, the muscles that extend the leg at the knee joint straighten it, and the muscles that provide plantar flexion of the foot at the ankle joint pull back the toe. Make sure that when you move your legs, your pelvis does not tilt to the sides. This is achieved through the work of the oblique abdominal muscles. In addition, the abdominal muscles tilt the pelvis slightly forward when the leg reaches the highest point of the lift.

In the 3rd and 5th phases of lifting the leg from the prone position, the pelvis returns to a neutral position. The hip extensor muscles work eccentrically to control the lowering of the leg, and the foot dorsiflexion muscles work to return the foot to its original position on the mat.

Mental image. Imagine that your torso, arms and supporting leg- this is a strong bridge, the stability of which is not affected in any way by the movements of the second leg.

Notes

The prone leg raise poses a completely different challenge in terms of pelvic stability than the previous one, since you are facing down instead of up. Adopting a neutral position requires the active work of the abdominal muscles, preventing the force of gravity, which tries to arch the spine in the lower back and tilt the pelvis forward. Too much effort from the abdominal muscles can lead to the opposite effect - flexion of the spine. Raising the leg allows you to work the muscles that extend the leg at the hip joint, but at the same time makes it difficult to maintain stability. If you manage to maintain a neutral pelvic position, the exercise will provide good stretching hip flexor muscles, as already described in the “Scissors” exercise. In addition, you have the opportunity to develop scapular stabilization skills, which will be useful for all pushing exercises and will help eliminate the common postural problem of protruding shoulder blades.

Stabilization with the abductor muscles. In the prone position (1st phase), the force of gravity forces the shoulder blades to converge in the direction of the spine (reduction of the shoulder blades). This is counteracted by the muscles that dilute the shoulder blades, in particular the serratus anterior muscle, which makes it possible to maintain a neutral position of the shoulder girdle. Retracting your shoulder blades significantly reduces the potential benefits of this exercise.

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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