Hanging Leg Raise
Core · Bodyweight · Beginner
How to do it
- Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
- Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
- Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles worked
Primary: Abs
Secondary: Hip Flexors
Is your Hanging Leg Raise good?
Enter your bodyweight to compare against Buffro's nine strength ranks. The source is Buffro's exercise-specific standards, not a generic chart copied across every movement.
| Buffro rank | Clean reps |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 1 reps |
| Novice | 5 reps |
| Intermediate | 8 reps |
| Advanced | 13 reps |
| Expert | 17 reps |
| Veteran | 23 reps |
| Elite | 28 reps |
| Master | 34 reps |
| Apex | 39 reps |
These targets mirror Buffro's bodyweight-rep rank math for adults under 40 and adjust for bodyweight. They are training benchmarks, not medical or safety limits.
The table uses the same nine tiers as the Buffro app for Hanging Leg Raise.
Sets and reps
Use an easy load and stop well before failure while you learn the movement.
Finish most sets with 1-3 good reps still available.
Use strict form and progress the load only after the top of the rep range is clean.
Common mistakes
- Using momentum to finish the rep. Keep your body controlled so the target muscles, not swinging, create the movement.
- Shortening the range as fatigue builds. Use the largest pain-free range that keeps tension on your abs.
- Turning the set into a speed contest. Pause briefly in the hardest position, then control the return instead of dropping into the next rep.
Hanging Leg Raise FAQ
What muscles does the Hanging Leg Raise work?
The primary target is abs. It also involves hip flexors while you keep the movement controlled.
How many sets and reps should I do for the Hanging Leg Raise?
Start with 3 sets in a repeatable range. Use 6-12 reps for most compound work or 10-15 for smaller isolation work, then add load after you can complete every rep cleanly.
How should I read the Hanging Leg Raise strength standards?
Use clean reps through the same range each set. Buffro adjusts bodyweight-rep standards for bodyweight, sex, and the movement's difficulty family.