Leg Raise Slightly Bent Knee

Cómo hacer el Leg Raise Slightly Bent Knee

1. 1Lie flat on your back on a mat with your legs extended, a slight (15–20 degree) bend in both knees, and your arms at your sides with palms facing down.
2. 2Press your lower back gently into the mat by engaging your core before initiating any movement.
3. 3Maintain the same slight knee bend throughout — this is the fixed position for the entire set, not a dynamic flex.
4. 4Exhale and raise both legs together in a controlled arc until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor, or as close to vertical as your flexibility allows.
5. 5Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your lower abdominals, ensuring your lower back remains in contact with the mat.
6. 6Inhale and slowly lower your legs back toward the floor in a controlled manner, resisting gravity the entire way down.
7. 7Stop the descent just before your feet touch the floor to keep continuous tension on the core.
8. 8Reset your breath and repeat for the target number of repetitions.

Consejos de técnica

• Think of the knee bend as a fixed joint angle, not a movement — your knees should stay at the same degree of bend from start to finish rather than straightening on the way up or bending further on the way down.
• Press your palms lightly into the mat to help anchor your upper body; this bracing cue prevents your torso from rocking and keeps the effort in the core.
• Lower your legs at a 2–3 second tempo to maximize time under tension — the eccentric (lowering) portion is where significant core strength is built.
• If your lower back begins to arch or lift off the mat during the descent, reduce the range of motion by stopping the lowering phase earlier rather than compromising spinal position.
• Keep your neck long and your chin slightly tucked; avoid craning your head up to watch your legs, which can create unnecessary cervical tension.

Errores comunes

• Letting the knees bend further during the lowering phase: dynamically flexing the knees on the way down shortens the lever arm even more, dramatically reducing the load on the hip flexors and lower abs and turning the exercise into something far easier than intended.
• Allowing the lower back to arch off the mat: lumbar hyperextension during the descent transfers load from the abdominals to the spinal erectors and lumbar discs, increasing injury risk with repeated loading.
• Using momentum to swing the legs up: generating speed by rocking the torso or whipping the hips bypasses the iliopsoas and rectus abdominis, reducing the training stimulus and defeating the purpose of the controlled variation.
• Holding the breath: breath-holding spikes intra-abdominal pressure in an uncontrolled way; exhale on the raise and inhale on the lower to maintain rhythm and stable core engagement.
• Fully resting the feet on the floor between reps: touching down releases core tension and turns each rep into a fresh start rather than a continuous set — stopping just short of the floor maintains muscular tension throughout the set.

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