Holy crap, I just tried the box trick, and now leg raises are so much more difficult! My ego definitely took a hit, but it was humbling for sure. Thanks Alex!
For years now I haven't been able to do hanging leg raises anymore. I start laughing mid set every time when I think about Jeff Cavaliere's form cue that he wants to see my ass
Most people skip the excentric phase of this lift that's why they swing, you're supposed to control your legs going down and that by itself will keep you in good form!
Used to do heavy weighted leg raises (+20kg) for reps, caused hyper active hip flexors during heavy deep squats, stopped it and no issues with squatting anymore. heavy leg raises don't go well if you also squat heavy.
I dont see a problem if youd be doing bulgarian split squats also, since those stretch the hip flexors and rdls to strengthen the backside of the body for the strength ratio.
I put knee sleeves around my lower leg/ankles for padding and tie plates to my legs with a chain for weighted knee raises. Just got to be creative! those ankle weights look great though
Phenomenal video! Dominik Sky always praises this excerise and you explained really nicely how to get the most from this exercise and how to do it properly.
I seem to find myself jumping on anytime you upload new content, keep up the good work, would love for you to address elbow clicking in pushing exercises
Awesome man! Can't speak much about the clicking thing, but the solutions in my elbow pain solution video would likely help. ruclips.net/video/xmOaEIKy8VE/видео.html&t
The box as a cue for proper pelvic positioning is a pretty good idea, thanks. I'm mainly interested in powerlifting and looking for core exercises with good carryover. Hanging leg raises on rings are my favorite atm for various reasons (like the decompression). Are there any other core exercises you can recommend for powerlifting /strongman type strength?
@@AlexLeonidas thanks, not a fan of the zercher holds(love zercher carries though) but I'll try the crunches. Currently only got bands but that should work too
What about doing hanging leg raises on rings instead on a fixed bar? It'd force you to ensure there's no any swinging / forward&backwards momentum in order to maintain a static position. That means doing the reps very slow and controlled, which would surely crush the abs.
I literally did this exercise today for tye first time after i heard in a vid u mentioning it, but i didn't know the movement, ur timing couldn't have been any better, thanks man
tried to help some younger guys at the gym a year ago with this kind of thing, but they looked at me gone out and then carried on flapping. Like, ok bro, ive got full front lever etc but by all means carry on swinging around pointlessly. haha
Timing on this is great, really needed tips for core training, KOTGuy also made a vid on bulletproofing the abs where you hold the chin up iso at the top and perform knee/ leg raises to work both the biceps and the abs, will try both variations out
I think kali muscle made a vid like this, saying to keep legs in front of you for constant tension.. it also removes momentum and works great.. But i'm too lazy to do this exercise
Hey Alex, I've been running your novice program and hit some numbers that im pretty satisfied with (140kg box squat). I'll admit, I've never done a back squat before as I've only ever ran your novice program, so I tried the back squat today and I'm weak at it. I can barely do 100kg for a triple. To clarify, the box I was squatting on during novice program was definately below parallel / crease of the hip. Any advice?
Thats normal man, if you have only trained box squats the potential/strength for a strong back squat is there but strength is a skill so you still have to train the exercise. Just take the strength you gained from box squats and train back squats now if you wanna increase that number
you just have strong hips and back. the regular squat is much more quad dominant. I would suggest doing mostly high bar squat to build the quad strength in addition to single leg accessory work (Bulgarian Split Squat for instance)
You can put a padded barbell at the location of behind your lower lumbar area. That solves the problem of momentum better than the plyo box method in my experience.
How much do you think leg and knee raise work has helped for your front lever? Currently at a 145lbs chinup at 200lbs, but hips keep dipping in front lever. Very sure it's core
@@AlexLeonidas fair enough. Any recommendations on how to fit it into a program? Currently doing full planche/front lever 3-4 times per week with one dedicated lower day. 2 x 15-20 at the end of each upper session sound like a good idea?
Do these tips also apply to ab straps (the things you can use so you dont have to hold onto the bar but can put your elbows inside)? Thanks in advance!
Great video! I'd like to ask though, is it possible to do them from a door frame pull up bar where your legs stay bent anyways? Should I just stick to the floor version?
Depends what you define as a close grip bench. If you mean slightly outside shoulder width (and not on the rings or beyond) then yes that's completely normal and definitely the same for me. Though if you're stronger by going exactly or even narrower than shoulder width, that's a bit off and specifically training the wider position should eventually even things out. For reference my regular bench is 405 and close grip is 380.
@@pullupparker6110 when you train a muscle it grows allowing them to be more defined, I didn’t do much ab work during my bull which was probably an error
Would you say that straight leg raises all the was to the bar are good? I feel like my lats get engages a lot too, which isnt necessarily a bad thinf but maybe it takes out too much abs.
They're quite good but if you do weighted leg raises with bent legs, the need for them goes down. Plus a lot of people use bad form on those, but provided you can do it right.. hey go right ahead the gains are real.
If you want good core just just train hard compound exercises.. without a belt when it is safe... Put down the fork.... Get in some cardio.... Maybe experiment with regular or periodic intermittent fasting or other fasting protocols.... You do these things and you won't even have to train absolute but you will not have a strong but you will not have an extra strong core but at least you will be showing and that's what most students see and that's what most dudes seemed to want... You will have a good and strong core though because heavy squads and dead lifting and so forth will definitely handle biz. These are still some good tips over all though if you want to train this stuff.
Alpha, what would you reccomend to someone to feels there hip flexors too much in these movements? I’ve wanted to do these for so long, but they always jack my hips up. Keep up the good work, looking forward to some revers hyper content. Cheers.
Hip flexors taking over is most of the time caused by not being in a hollow body / hollow hold position. Your pelvis has to be curled up at all times during this exercise. Imagine that you have to be in the opposite position of an anterior pelvic tilt.
When I do hanging leg raises I get a short sharp stabbing pain in the bottom right of my abdominals. Any idea what would cause this? This is the only movement where I experience this pain.
@@nomaderic Hi mate. It comes and goes. I've observed it's more of a problem on days where I'm doing heavy compounds - belted deadlifts and squats. Perhaps something to do with the core pressure that they cause? Aside from that, no. I've not got anything more concrete. If I do L sit hold's in the same hanging position I don't have the same experience funnily enough.
hehe, I do straight leg 5lbs so far for 30 strict reps. I can finally say I gained nothing from one of your videos. Most guys always excuse core work cuz "I gEt aB wOrK fRoM mUh CoUmPoUnDs, bRuh."
Contrary to popular belief, front lever doesn't require much core strength, it is mostly lats. Being able to do an L sit for some time would be enough for core as related to the front lever.
I agree that it requires a ton of lats (way more than most realize), but definitely smashes the core very hard as well. I'd say you'd need a bit more than l-sit strength to get some solid time in.
![One Piece「AMV」 Roronoa Zoro - [4K] - Whatever It Takes](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YJ6TyeIDuc8/mqdefault.jpg)
The audio levels are perfect on this vid and the relaxed delivery was soothing. ASMR +100
Thanks man, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
That Plyo box hack is so key
0:54 Pro tip: Add knives pointing towards your feet so you eliminate 100% of your body swing and momentum
Thanks guts
@@demolitionist42 we struggle together
Holy crap, I just tried the box trick, and now leg raises are so much more difficult! My ego definitely took a hit, but it was humbling for sure. Thanks Alex!
Awesome man!!
Gym bros do leg raises like CrossFitters do "pull ups"
Too true
For years now I haven't been able to do hanging leg raises anymore. I start laughing mid set every time when I think about Jeff Cavaliere's form cue that he wants to see my ass
Most people skip the excentric phase of this lift that's why they swing, you're supposed to control your legs going down and that by itself will keep you in good form!
Nice dude. I dont go down all the way, always waist up
Thanks!
Nice video explaining and demonstrating proper form and progression, thank you :)
I like to add a band around the safeties and my shins hit the bands on the way up adding resistance
That's a pretty cool variation man
Used to do heavy weighted leg raises (+20kg) for reps, caused hyper active hip flexors during heavy deep squats, stopped it and no issues with squatting anymore. heavy leg raises don't go well if you also squat heavy.
Many have hip flexor weakness however
I dont see a problem if youd be doing bulgarian split squats also, since those stretch the hip flexors and rdls to strengthen the backside of the body for the strength ratio.
Yeah I don’t see anything inherently wrong with doing that just sounds like the programming was not balanced
I needed this video badly.
same
I have low ceiling issues and your idea using the dips bar to them is an excellent one that I did not think about.
brah.... I was about to type "what about doing them from a support hold position instead of hanging" and you brought up the dip bars
I put knee sleeves around my lower leg/ankles for padding and tie plates to my legs with a chain for weighted knee raises. Just got to be creative! those ankle weights look great though
Would love to see more content about just band excercises :)
Will do for sure
Hey alex can you do a video on how to build up to 100 pushups in a row?
Phenomenal video! Dominik Sky always praises this excerise and you explained really nicely how to get the most from this exercise and how to do it properly.
Dominik Sky's channel is dope, and I'm glad it was a clear video bro!
AMAZING TIPS I NEVER CONSIDERED! This is why I follow you Alex.
content has been insanely good the past week or so.
Cause its mostly about calisthenics=)
I seem to find myself jumping on anytime you upload new content, keep up the good work, would love for you to address elbow clicking in pushing exercises
Awesome man! Can't speak much about the clicking thing, but the solutions in my elbow pain solution video would likely help.
ruclips.net/video/xmOaEIKy8VE/видео.html&t
I had that when i started out, it kinda just goes away as you get stronger. Cuz then less tension is put on the joint, and more on the new muscle.
Great video. I really need to work on the hollow body form that some of these videos talk about.
Also, this guys upper body is on point, damn
The box as a cue for proper pelvic positioning is a pretty good idea, thanks. I'm mainly interested in powerlifting and looking for core exercises with good carryover. Hanging leg raises on rings are my favorite atm for various reasons (like the decompression). Are there any other core exercises you can recommend for powerlifting /strongman type strength?
I got a lot more to share, but for powerlifting/strongman I'd recommend standing cable crunches and zercher holds.
@@AlexLeonidas thanks, not a fan of the zercher holds(love zercher carries though) but I'll try the crunches. Currently only got bands but that should work too
Man the little stool to restrict momentum is so simple yet effective
Doing the dip version atm on my kitchen bench. Merci!
love this advice. Thankyou alex
What about doing hanging leg raises on rings instead on a fixed bar?
It'd force you to ensure there's no any swinging / forward&backwards momentum in order to maintain a static position. That means doing the reps very slow and controlled, which would surely crush the abs.
I literally did this exercise today for tye first time after i heard in a vid u mentioning it, but i didn't know the movement, ur timing couldn't have been any better, thanks man
I like a bar with a pad on it about lower back height on the outside of the cage, making the lower back arch slightly behind you
Great video! It’s highly informative and super helpful. Thanks for sharing! I highly appreciate it. 🙏
Pls make a video on how to structure calisthenics program to include legs, lower back and running as well!
I do ring dip support leg raises to make sure I don't swing too much, because if I'll call and a might not get up.
I cant do the straight leg version my hamstrings arent that flexible
tried to help some younger guys at the gym a year ago with this kind of thing, but they looked at me gone out and then carried on flapping. Like, ok bro, ive got full front lever etc but by all means carry on swinging around pointlessly. haha
It’s all about control
Word
That helped me alot on therapy class it helps alot to build core really good work out for ppl with back pain😎
Very useful and practical information. Thank you sir.
Happy to help, Chris!
needed this!
Hey Alex did you learn how to read minds while meditating during quarantine. I was thinking about this exact topic yesterday
ANOTHER BANGER BRO!!!!!!!!
You can also tie weights inbetween your feet with a long strap or cord for Infinite progression.
I need to work on my core specially abs,I’m pretty lazy on them
Really great video! Thank you
Very good techniques
I just crunch my abs and tryna tilt a bit that way i feel the abs instead of just lifting my legs
Timing on this is great, really needed tips for core training, KOTGuy also made a vid on bulletproofing the abs where you hold the chin up iso at the top and perform knee/ leg raises to work both the biceps and the abs, will try both variations out
Howd that pan out? I feel like id prefer to train abs and biceps seperately, love to hear your results tho
Thankyou alex
Bro reads my mind fr
Love this, been doing it like thos for years now and the strength gains in the abs blow up😏
I think kali muscle made a vid like this, saying to keep legs in front of you for constant tension.. it also removes momentum and works great.. But i'm too lazy to do this exercise
I use the arm straps what go over the bar
So concentrate more on the technique than relying on my muscles to execute the exercise
Did my first volume day on your naturally enhanced programme nearly died lol
Have you tried doing the C raise on rings instead of dip station?
Great tips
Loving the Calisthenics content!
Thanks for the info
Ooooo ima try this
Hollow body and slowly execute. This is the way.
Hey Alex, I've been running your novice program and hit some numbers that im pretty satisfied with (140kg box squat). I'll admit, I've never done a back squat before as I've only ever ran your novice program, so I tried the back squat today and I'm weak at it. I can barely do 100kg for a triple. To clarify, the box I was squatting on during novice program was definately below parallel / crease of the hip.
Any advice?
Thats normal man, if you have only trained box squats the potential/strength for a strong back squat is there but strength is a skill so you still have to train the exercise. Just take the strength you gained from box squats and train back squats now if you wanna increase that number
you just have strong hips and back. the regular squat is much more quad dominant. I would suggest doing mostly high bar squat to build the quad strength in addition to single leg accessory work (Bulgarian Split Squat for instance)
You can put a padded barbell at the location of behind your lower lumbar area. That solves the problem of momentum better than the plyo box method in my experience.
Cool tip!
How much do you think leg and knee raise work has helped for your front lever?
Currently at a 145lbs chinup at 200lbs, but hips keep dipping in front lever. Very sure it's core
I have zero doubt that leg raises helped me a lot, especially when I started doing isometrics with straight legs (and off dip bars).
I think dragon flags might be more specific
@@AlexLeonidas fair enough. Any recommendations on how to fit it into a program? Currently doing full planche/front lever 3-4 times per week with one dedicated lower day. 2 x 15-20 at the end of each upper session sound like a good idea?
How many weight to use on ankle when doing leg raise ?
Great content. What sneakers are those?
Do these tips also apply to ab straps (the things you can use so you dont have to hold onto the bar but can put your elbows inside)? Thanks in advance!
How high are you plyo boxes, I'm interested in purchasing some for HSPU and belt squats.
12 inches. The 12-16 range should be perfect
2:37 shoes untied
Fackkkkkk
@@AlexLeonidas GOT EM
Another pro tip that really helps is to put a foam roller between your knees
what exercises would you suggest for obliques ?
godddam, thank you so much for this video, will report back in 3 months for progress
When I do leg raises i get extreme cramps in my muscles around hip. This is probably a sign of an imbalance?
Great video! I'd like to ask though, is it possible to do them from a door frame pull up bar where your legs stay bent anyways? Should I just stick to the floor version?
Good , side ways are good as well for the ribs .
Hey Alex ! In terms of specialty bars what order would you personally order them and which ones would you consider optional and mandatory?
great vid
Alpha is it normal that i feel a lot stronger on my closer grip bench than normal bench? Is this the same for u?
It’s not normal, it used to be the same for me, my chest was weak
Depends what you define as a close grip bench. If you mean slightly outside shoulder width (and not on the rings or beyond) then yes that's completely normal and definitely the same for me. Though if you're stronger by going exactly or even narrower than shoulder width, that's a bit off and specifically training the wider position should eventually even things out. For reference my regular bench is 405 and close grip is 380.
With the dip bars, is it best to retract and depress the scapula? If anybody knows I'd appreciate it.
Need to do these during my cutting season lol
Why? Can’t spot reduce
@Big Smoke yeah
@@pullupparker6110 when you train a muscle it grows allowing them to be more defined, I didn’t do much ab work during my bull which was probably an error
Nice video man. Looking up knee raises to develop my sixpack
Alex what do you think is better for core strength on OHP leg raises or crunches?
Leg raises
@@AlexLeonidas thanks
0:30 going to fly brother
Would you say that straight leg raises all the was to the bar are good? I feel like my lats get engages a lot too, which isnt necessarily a bad thinf but maybe it takes out too much abs.
They're quite good but if you do weighted leg raises with bent legs, the need for them goes down. Plus a lot of people use bad form on those, but provided you can do it right.. hey go right ahead the gains are real.
@@AlexLeonidas got it, thanks for the answer!
Just did these today… are you watching me Alex???
What shoes are those alex
Any tips for avoiding shoulder pain when doing this, the dead hang position for long time puts lots of stress
Check your hand placement
Hey alpha, do you think i have a serious grip issue/weakness if when i do leg raises my grip starts to give up after 8th rep ?
Yeah that's a big problem bro
Could be your bodyFat % is too high.
If you want good core just just train hard compound exercises.. without a belt when it is safe... Put down the fork.... Get in some cardio.... Maybe experiment with regular or periodic intermittent fasting or other fasting protocols.... You do these things and you won't even have to train absolute but you will not have a strong but you will not have an extra strong core but at least you will be showing and that's what most students see and that's what most dudes seemed to want... You will have a good and strong core though because heavy squads and dead lifting and so forth will definitely handle biz. These are still some good tips over all though if you want to train this stuff.
Alex any tips for incline bench I can’t get past 135x7 I can’t apply progressive overload even if I go full effort
I’m eating 3100
Calories I’m 6 foot 2 175 lbs
Alpha, what would you reccomend to someone to feels there hip flexors too much in these movements? I’ve wanted to do these for so long, but they always jack my hips up. Keep up the good work, looking forward to some revers hyper content. Cheers.
Hip flexors taking over is most of the time caused by not being in a hollow body / hollow hold position.
Your pelvis has to be curled up at all times during this exercise.
Imagine that you have to be in the opposite position of an anterior pelvic tilt.
Do it with knees bent rather than straight legs
When I do hanging leg raises I get a short sharp stabbing pain in the bottom right of my abdominals. Any idea what would cause this?
This is the only movement where I experience this pain.
Did you find out why? I get this but not while I'm doing it but right after and it lasts for a while
@@nomaderic Hi mate.
It comes and goes.
I've observed it's more of a problem on days where I'm doing heavy compounds - belted deadlifts and squats. Perhaps something to do with the core pressure that they cause?
Aside from that, no. I've not got anything more concrete. If I do L sit hold's in the same hanging position I don't have the same experience funnily enough.
Why did you not do a single leg raise with straight legs and jumped to weights?
Why didn't you watch the video?
@@AlexLeonidas Just saw the negatives with the straight legs, thanks for the response ill go over it again to see if i missed it :)
But what about grip strength is gives out so fast
That shouldn't be an issue unless grip is a serious weak link
The best Leg Raise Hack is to do dem "Slow" and with Isometric Work at the Top. ^^
Leg raises are just for exercising your hip flexors and having a nice swing aren't they?
hehe, I do straight leg 5lbs so far for 30 strict reps. I can finally say I gained nothing from one of your videos. Most guys always excuse core work cuz "I gEt aB wOrK fRoM mUh CoUmPoUnDs, bRuh."
Hi ALEX, is 3 sets of 20 reps with 15kg on neck curls considered good neck strength?
Yes man thats good definitely enough to grow your neck. Keep going and don't think about the weight on neck work
You can take it up to 40kg for 100. Don't think you're at the top. Keep grinding!
Its all about a stable scapular depression and controlling the movement. Quality over quantity here is key I believe
Better than blaha
Where can I get that multi grip pull up bar?
Came with my power rack but I'm sure you can buy something similar from many fitness companies.
@@AlexLeonidas what kind of power rack is that? I might just get one, since I don’t have one at all yet
Contrary to popular belief, front lever doesn't require much core strength, it is mostly lats. Being able to do an L sit for some time would be enough for core as related to the front lever.
I agree that it requires a ton of lats (way more than most realize), but definitely smashes the core very hard as well. I'd say you'd need a bit more than l-sit strength to get some solid time in.
@@AlexLeonidas Thanks for the reply. I mainly got this idea from frinkmovement, I guess I have a good core.
I can’t believe someone disliked this video🤦🏽♂️
Yeeeeaaahhhhh