Raising the legs from a support while lying down is a gymnastic exercise of medium difficulty, which is aimed at developing the muscles of the core. Exercise is often included in various strength training programs for weight loss. Here it is aimed at using the maximum number of muscles during work. Another name for the exercise is a plank with leg raises, or a plank on straight arms with hip extension and an emphasis on the buttocks.
Execution technique
Initial position
- First you need to learn how to keep your back neutral in the prone position. For this, a lying emphasis is taken as for push-ups, and the press is pulled up. The shoulder blades must be lowered to the pelvis and slightly brought to the spine, but not so much that the back seems to collapse. The position of the body should remain as close to neutral as possible. The benefits of an even posture should be exploited more. The press is pulled up, statically tense. Due to this, the back takes a neutral position;
- The palm rest should be such that the elbows remain straight and the shoulders are away from the ears. You should not lift them to the back of the head and strain the trapezius muscles;
- Legs are completely straight, resting on the floor with toes, knees are extended, quads are tense;
- Breathing is calm.
Traffic
- Lift your right leg off the floor and, by contracting the muscles of the buttocks, lift it up. Perform a precise, non-swinging motion, do not increase the natural deflection of the lower back;
- Lift your straight leg back and forth until the gluteus muscle is fully contracted;
- Lower it to the floor;
- Repeat on the other leg, making sure to shift the center of gravity to the right leg and arms.
Recommendations
- The movement should be small, if the amplitude is too large and the athlete flexes the lower back, injury to the lumbar spine is likely over time. This is especially true if the muscles are weak and the athlete cannot control the position of the body;
- The exercise should be done at a calm measured pace, exhaling as the muscles contract;
- There is no need to save time on taking the starting position. Correct starting in this movement completely determines the efficiency of muscle work. It is necessary to activate the core, tighten the abdominal muscles and stabilize the top due to the correct position of the shoulder blades;
- The exercise is not strength. It is better not to use such popular methods of increasing the load as the use of weights, or performing it with rubber. Such variations are suitable only for experienced
Notes (edit)
Including this exercise in the program requires basic plank standing skills. If the athlete does not have them, and he is not yet able to stabilize his core in the simplest exercise, you should completely focus on getting them. The bar in this case will be more promising. It is worth moving to a plank with leg raises only when you are completely used to the usual variation and do not move the body to the sides in it.
The exercise can be performed in 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions, it is not necessary to do it for time intervals or to failure. It is best to include other movements for the legs and buttocks in the program, not just this. If the main goal of the athlete is not only health, but also aesthetics, exercises should also be added to the program that will contribute to the collection of muscle mass in the area of the legs and buttocks. These are squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and other variations of exercises for the hamstrings and glutes.
Plank leg raises are the perfect post-workout movement. It should be used when you have completed the bulk of the strength work and are ready for the exercises, the purpose of which is to build muscle hypertrophy, and not just general mass.
Leg swings in the plank can also be replaced with regular swings on all fours if the work of the press distracts from the target muscle group. It is also allowed to perform the exercise in a low-repetition mode if the main goal is rehabilitation, and you need to achieve complete recovery and stabilization of the core.