How to do Leg raises Properly

I decided to start going to the gym, and as every novice gym-goer, I began to wonder how to do leg raises properly.

Turns out, why most people fail in doing leg raises properly, is because of the fact that they lack the necessary form and proper technique.

What is Leg raises?

Before I tell you how to do leg raises properly, I should at least tell you what is leg raises.

Leg raises is an abdominal workout done, by raising the legs upwards repeatedly. Hence the name leg raises.

Also, it is by far, the most effective abdominal workout for people of all shapes and sizes.

Types of Leg raises

There are many types of leg raises.

Floor leg raises (done horizontally on the floor).
Hanging leg raises (done vertically, hanging from a.
Mountain edge leg raises (done by extremely fit mountaineers, when they hang precociously along mountain edges).
Bench leg raises (almost like bruce lee’s iron flag).

Among these, I feel like the bench leg raise is the easiest and most effective in achieving desired results.

How to do leg raises? Steps

Lie on the workout bench back, legs straight and together. While gripping the sides of the bench firmly.
Slowly, lift both of your legs up, until your butt just leaves the floor, ever so slightly.
Lower your legs, till they are almost touching the chair.
Raise your legs back up.
Repeat the whole process again.

Benefits of Leg Raises

Like I said earlier, leg raises is by far the best ab workout you can ever engage in. As such, it is packed with many benefits, some of which I list below.

1. Trains the back muscles.

Leg raises hit the back muscles the hardest. This is important in people who want to increase the size of their back muscles.

2. Trains Oblique muscles.

The back muscles are connected to the oblique muscles, and by training the back muscles, an individual automatically trains the oblique muscle.

This can be good for people looking for that tapered and desirable v-shaped waist most women desire. Women can also use leg raises to improve the profile of their curves and shape.

In fact, women benefit more from this exercise, than men, since the exercise for some strange reason, molds their obliques faster than in men.

3. Trains abdominal muscles.

The back muscles are connected to the obliques, which in turn is connected to the abdominal muscles. So by default, the intense back muscle training, done by leg raises, also helps in giving the abdominal muscles a more defined look.

Asides that, this exercise targets the abdominal muscles directly in the beginning stages more than the back muscles.

4. Resolves Diastasis recti

Diastasis recti is a medical condition, in which an individual’s abdominal muscles (rectus abdominal), separate, due to external factors.

Since this exercise is so effective in targeting all groups in the abdominal muscles (six-pack abs muscles), it helps to grow these muscle groups and close down the space between the abdominal muscles in time.

4. Improves bowel movements.

Many people with weak abdominal muscles have poor bowel movements. Leg raises help to resolve this issue gradually and in time. Improving the bowel movements of anybody that does it regularly.

5. Reduces Bloating.

Bloating is mostly caused by poor bowel movements, which cause the body to retain gas, and become bloated.

When an individual’s bowel movements, improves, the rate at which they get bloated then reduces naturally.

6. Facilitates Weight loss.

Improve in bowel movements and reduced bloating also, brings about the phenomenon of rapid digestion, which aids I weight loss.

This is the number one reason, why some people, eat a lot of food which doesn’t cause them to gain weight, whereas, others eat little and gain lots of weight.

7. Prevents Weight gain.

When an engine is properly serviced and maintained. It runs smoothly and runs forever.

In the same vein, when your body is properly serviced by this exercise, it has no choice than to run smoothly, which is physically visibly by not gaining weight.

People that regularly engage in this exercise, have a hard time, gaining weight since their bodies become more and more efficient, in managing waste, which causes them not to gain weight.