Leg Raises is the Worst Exercise for the Abs
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
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An analysis of the anatomy of the rectus abdominis, and its function, clearly shows that Leg Raises are not only NOT very productive for abdominal development, they actually interfere with optimal abdominal development.
Bruh every exercise I search is so called wrong or bad for you
Don't listen to people on the internet, it's just how they view it
This is true. You work out a good routine, then go on youtube - and everyone says its wrong lol.
"for abs"
@@magnus_ducatus9684 "for abs"
Even breathing is bad coz we decrease oxygen from environment so should we stop living 😂😂
‘‘Tis kind of plp sucks , I’ve doing leg raise and other abs exercises form past 2-3 months and results are good enough don’t listen to this stuff on internet 👌
Well I’ve been doing these for some time now
and I’m definitely going to have disagree with you. It’s proven to work for me and the ancients, including many people who have already done them and that is enough for me
The romans would know well.🥊🏋🏻♂️🤴🏼
@@ryanhagan4660it works but not optimally, leg raises work the abs as synergist muscles, it´s like say "il´ve doing bench press for my triceps, it works for me fora long time and for most of the people"
All Exercises have benefits some are better than others, for abs eventho you feel it and you think it's working don't credited it to the exercise, thank your genetics
Agreed 100%. When I do straight leg raises, I feel the lower abs or lower part of the body, whatever you call it. It’s one of my top 2 abs exercises.You can see a bunch of gym goers doing crunches with no abs who can’t raise their legs
Yeah I have had excellent results and most of the top coaches and calisthenics athletes out there highly reccomend them
I totally disagree, they work EXTREMELY well for me!
You're feeling your psoas just as much as your abs if not more.. it's a better hip flexion exercises than spinal flexion exercise.
You're most likely not doing this exclusively as your ab workout. It would be like if you did bicep curls and also calf raises. You could be convinced that the calf raises were responsibly for your growing biceps. Try cutting out the hanging leg raises and replace them with sets of the other stuff you're doing for abs. You'll notice better ab development if you stick with the new plan. On the flip side, try doing nothing but hanging leg raises for your abs for 4 or 5 months and see where you end up. People do these because they feel a stretch in their abs, and they might feel some soreness. Also because unlike something like crunches which really work the abs, people can do many more hanging leg raises, so they feel good about themselves. It's not dangerous to do hanging leg raises, so if people want to do them, they can. But it is a waste of time, when you could be doing something more effective. I know they are popular, but the science points in the opposite direction. It's like finding out the Earth is not flat at a time where most people might have thought it was. Seriously, run the experiments I mentioned.
@@Tripl3Cherri3s You are correct. This guy is totally lost.
What exactly are you disagreeing with? It works, but to such a minimal extent that you have to spend much more time to get the same results as someone who uses an ab crunch machine or someone who just lies down and does regular crunches or on a bosu ball.
Leg raises do not “interfere” with spine flexion. The reason you put your legs up is because it creates a torque that tilts your pelvis anteriorly which puts tension on the abdominal muscles.
Doesn't that causes the psoas to contract? And if the psoas contracts, doesn't that arch the spine?
So what's the BEST to do for the abs, I've been doing these for years so I don't want to hear the problem without a SOLUTION
the solution is at 8.09, abdominal crunches and seated pull
He gives the solution in a video that's less than ten minutes long
It's confusing though because now in 2020, leg raises and captains chair shows the most results.
So what do leg raises work? Which muscles?
RJ REX psoas muscles.
Meanwhile EMG data shows that Hanging Leg raises elict more rectus abdominal muscle activation than any other abdominal muscle excercises......when done correctly. You are supposed to be keeping you upper back straight and using your rectus abdominis to round your lower spine up which will in effect raise your legs. You should not be using your hip flexors to raise your legs as is described here. Doing the exercise correctly uses your legs as a counterweight and depending on how far you extend your legs outward gravity creates additional tension. For added resistance you can use a weight or ankle weights. One coaching cue that tells you you are doing the exercise correctly is if you can keep your spine as straight as possible and raising your butt upward rather than your legs. In fact this principle for hanging leg raises is easily replicated on floor and bench excercises as well. When lying you should be forcing your spine to the floor/bench and using the rectus abdominis to round your lower spine up towards the ceiling or your head. This will force your butt off the floor/bench while keeping your back flat. Of course lying leg raises are easier to do as you start out due to how gravity works, where the force of gravity only acts against your legs in the intial position and extends until your legs reach a 90 degree angle.
Second, abdominal exercises are to build up the muscle in the rectus abdominis so that they are more visible, not to loose fat in this specific area. In fact, if you want a 6 pack you don't particularly need to do abdominal exercises of any kind......you do however need to diet and do fat burning workouts until you have reduced the excess fat that is around your midsection until the muscles of the rectus abdominis is exposed. This by the way is the basic premise for all muscle gain and fat loss.......you build the muscle through resistance workouts and you diet and do fat burning workouts to reduce fat to expose the muscle. Its a synergistic approach that give muscle definition, not doing a particular workout routine and certainly not covered in a book.
Didn’t ask
EMGs measure brain. not intramuscular force
Second, abdominal exercises are to build up the muscle in the rectus abdominis so that they are more visible, not to loose fat in this specific area. - that is exactly what he said
@@katerinarouskova8232
Having watched this video again since my original post was well over a year ago, at no point ever in this video does he even come close to mentioning that diet and nutrition is the chief driver for visible 6 pack abs. In fact, his video is largely an infomercial for his book, in which I assume he intends to convey some other bits of misinformation. At any rate, the majority of this video he spends incorrectly describing how leg raises don't target the lower abs, or should I say, he describes how doing leg raises incorrectly does not fully target the lower portion of the rectus abdominis which is accurate to a point. Any excercise when done incorrectly will be ineffective and/or lead to risk of injury, you don't need a book to understand that much. But what drove me to comment is the misinformation that leg raises done properly are a function of the hip flexors which they are not. As described in my original post, leg raises, in fact all abdominal exercises for that matter, should result in some form of spinal flexion or a rounding of the spine to drive contraction of the rectus abdominis. About the only thing he gets right in this video is that the rectus abdominis is a sheet of muscles with rows defined by genetics, everything else, from the description of the exercise to how it is or should be performed is incorrect. If you are doing lying leg raises and your butt remains on the floor then you are doing the exercise wrong, if you are doing hanging leg raises and you are only bringing your legs to your hip area, you are doing it wrong. If you are using your hip flexors for either variation of the leg raise you are doing it wrong.
I think I would have been okay with the video had he decribed the mechanics of how to properly perform the exercise, but at no point does he even begin to accurately convey how a proper leg raise should be performed. The basic premise of this video starts from a place of misinformation and concludes with an ad for a book. That is what drove me to comment, so that some day in the future if by some means someone stumbles across this video as I did originally, they might actually find some actual science based information, or at the very least, get a proper description of how to perform a basic leg raise.
@@corey_massey Citation"they wanna spot reduce fat, they may not use that terminology they may say they wanna tone that lower abs. You can not tone fat, fat goes on or of the budy in genetically determined order and which exercise you decide to do has nothing to do with witch places the fat goes off first or last."
forced to disagree. not to mention a misleading title in that your argument is essentially that there are better ways to work the abs, and leg raises aren't as effective. that doesn't make them the 'worst' - I mean I can list a bunch of exercises that are even worse. an interesting point you mention- your comparison of doing bicep curls with somebody blocking/resisting. perhaps you were a bit unclear, but wouldn't that suggest additional resistance. and if able to overcome that additional resistance then youd actaully build the muscle better.
the one thing i agree with you on- is that there is no such thing as working the lower abs over the upper abs. you either work your abs or you don't. however, with that said, some exercises are more effective at working the overall ab muscle, which in turn helps to tone the lower ab. you however have an incorrect understanding of the involvement of the hip flexors. As yes, hip flexors are activated during a leg raise- this would suggest that people with weak hip flexors would struggle to do leg raises, which doesn't work the abs well (your example of the tug of war might visually illustrate this. weak hip flexors translate to your body not being able to maintain flexion and thus is thrown out of alignment) but those with strong hip flexors are able to maintain correct body alignment and create flexion to the ab region that creates far more tension that just a basic crunch. theres a reason youll constantly see gymnasts or calisthenic athletes with well toned abs, doing this leg raises. leg raises are only a bad exercise if other muscles (like hipflexors) are not properly developed, but if they are then theyre without question one of the best ab exercises
Can you work your bicep dynamically without moving your arm?
I have a question, are the leg raises bad for scoliosis?
@@senbon751 since it's the wrong resistance curve you should avoid it, it's not going to fix it
@@ancientconnection well i got one more question cause i am searching on the net and i cant find, for example if the curve is to the left,should i bend to the left side or to the right
@@senbon751 I suggest you visit a good chiropractor so he can check it closely and see what going on, my recommendation won't be accurate this way...
Why does what he’s say make sense but doesn’t actually, I’m not a scientist or an anatomy “scribe” but I got jacked as fuck doing leg raise , my middle to lower back made a visible arch (not because of bad posture) my core become stronger and still grows from strength to strength, as long as you’re lifting your ass high enough that it’s in line with your head you’re GOLDEN, all the posh semantics for nothing, respectfully
It would have been desirable and enduring for all of us if you instead talked about which exercises are good.
8:05
Wasnt making any sense until the end when he said its all in his book
Bodybuilders have been doing these for years---proof is in the results
The problem is they are hard to do so many folks just dont do em or are incapable of doing them
True
Wrong, bodybiulder do 5 different exercises and think every exercise was necessary, including the leg raise. Cant believe 29 idiots gave you thumbs up.
@@Golden2Talon but your talking about different things
@@aguythatlikesrice8075 No I am not?
@@Golden2Talon Are you even in shape?
I was born 37yrs ago, medium built and living those years without any visible ab/s like other. Not until i tried some ab exercise w/out equipment, leg raises included. Man in just 36 days of workout those six pack started to show up.
Did that regimen include diet modification?
Watching this while doing leg raises
This goes against what Paul Wade says in his convict conditioning book, where leg raises are the ultimate abs workout. Crunches actually do harm your spine and fuck up your posture with time. Leg raises is a compound exercises where you train both your abs and the muscles of the legs. For what I know, the main most functional purpose of the abs is make the spine and core stable through isometric force.
But according to his book, he agrees that the notion of training rather the lower or upper abs doesn't make sense and is a pure myth. Both crunches, sit ups and leg raises will work the entire abs.
Also, leg raises is the most functional exercise cause it can help you in real life situations like kicking, running, sprinting and etc.
For people with spinal problems in lower back crunches are actually way more doable and safer then any leg raises.
@@katerinarouskova8232 Posterior tilt. Your lower back before doing it and place your hands under the Gluteus to take the stress of your lower back. I do it all the time and it works
I have an anterior Pelvic Tilt BTW
@@katerinarouskova8232 I think the issue with the lower back is probbably due to bad form.
Just don't crunches like an idiot and keep your spine straight.
if someone does leg raises, they have to do with a good technique which includes, "posterior pelvic tilt" which eliminates hip flexors. You never mentioned about posterior pelvic tilt. The title seems a click bait and best and misleading content at worst. Also, you said, people do leg raises to add additional pack which is untrue.
Hi very good explanation... but I read the midsection work best in conjunction so he points to hanging leg raises to be the best exercise for the midsection (rectus abdominus, hip flexors, tansverse abdominus, obliques, serratus and intercostals) you just have to be aware and strong enough to keep your pelvis posterior tilted... what do you think?
I have his book, I've read it several times, I like it. It has sent me off in the right direction... figuratively and literally.
RIP brother
There's always a smart guy trying to contradict what everybody else is doing. As for me you have to try what better suits for you, period.
Only if you do them wrong is there a danger, similarly with crunches, bicycles et al. I could not disagree with you more on your surmisation of the value of leg raises.
The leg raises are primarily for the core. Your ignoring the relationship of the hip, abdominal, quad muscles transverses and the associated ligaments.
Also diet can affect the day on your body there are millions of examples of people affecting these changes, the most obvious being from Bruce Lee up to Christian Bale and Chris Pratt, the later two who showed extreme change of lower belly fat via their roles in the movies The Machinist and Guardians of the Galaxy respectively.
Lastly Leg Raises vs. Crunches do exactly the same stretch and compression of the abdominals. The leg raises are just intensified by Gravity. Those video reads more like your selling your book and not and health advice.
Doug's point is that any form of leg raise is not an effective abdominal exercise. Your attempts to educate failed. You could have commented about working your eyelids and it would have been just as valuable.
He's talking about "targeted" weight loss. Any program you go on will burn fat, but genetics determine which areas will be most visibly reduced.
Also, to your last point.. leg raises are done with a straight back. Bending will recruit back muscles. Furthermore, crunches utilise psoas less. None of which are "bad" in of themselves, I guess.. just not optimal if you intend to have sets focused on ab development without compensation.
@@timmiet47321 you're wrong. People feel their abs with leg raises because they're working hard! They're very effective, especially the hanging kind, when done right (slow, controlled and without leaning back).
@@gracefool The point was NOT that leg raises can't be felt or engage the abdominals. Moving the body causes one to use the abs. The point is that the leg raise is not effective as an ab exercise. Surely you understand the difference between feeling and being effective.
“Its safe to assume people are doing this to work the lower abs”
-Do you even calisthenics bro?
He's talking about muscle loading and Biomechanics what is needed for muscle building. Calisthenics, yoga, CrossFit is a different subject he's not talking about that. He didn't invent this, this is Biomechanics the load each muscle is getting is measurable
He’s assuming people only do HHLs for muscle building and he’s wrong.
Nathan Hill you are correct, leg raises are important for strength, but generally, most people do them thinking they will get lower abs or something like this, which is wrong.
I respectfully disagree far as what i feel .SUPER BURN in my lower abs when i point my toes out (laying on my back) and do leg raises vs crunches. Especially when i point my toes..BUT if you dont do it right..it WILL hurt your lower back eventually. I think the crunch may be safer
I grew up seeing Brignole in magazines. Glad to see him looking and doing great.
been heavy lifting for 3 years, but still couldn't do straight leg raises in any way. Did 5 months of yoga classes at the same gym. Gave leg raises a shot. Easy peasy.
I work my abs every week by going to the buffet
😭😭😭😭😭😭
Great clip and great channel. I did leg raises for years and when I thought there were too easy I wound up doing slow straight legged hanging leg raises bringing my feet above my head and back down again. Got very good results after years of training abs - more than I expected. I also completely ruined my back doing them. Wish I'd had this clip as a reference back then before I started.
In 'leg raises' the hip has to move closer to the insertion point at the ribs, what the legs do is irrelevant, except that to move the hip you automatically move your legs. This is why your bum should come off the floor at the peak of the contraction, otherwise you are just working your hip flexors.
Not sure I agree that the hip flexors and abdominals do opposite things. Never heard of the psoas functioning to arch the back, the erector spinae would do that.
Yay! It’s about time you had a channel! Great info! Can’t wait for more!
You can find more videos here:
ruclips.net/channel/UCh_8DNqrT_rJ2NbNHUNrTxA
Or here
online.smarttraining365.com/the-brignole-method-free-extract1
Leg raises are forcing the abs to contract regardless. It may not be the most efficient means of targetting the muscle, but it forces it to work nonetheless. Same with deadlifts. You get a good ab contraction as you are forced to stabilize your core in a heavy deadlift.
The key is to do leg raises correctly and then they do indeed work the abs.Jeff Cavaliere explained it perfectly in one of his Athlean X videos:
" Show your ass".In other words, when you do leg raises , don't lift your legs only until they are parallel to the floor, keep lifting them as far as you can ( without swinging ) , sort of curling yourself back.
So how come your abs hurt when doing Hanging Leg raises...??
He explained it towards the end.. the reduced range of motion fatigues the muscles.
you are isometrically contracting your abs but it is not an efficient way to train them
@@jamesjacob9632 what is?
And yet my abs get sore when I do leg raises
I was going to comment this 😂
7:20
This is crap. I get hella sore from leg raises.
Shit argument
It's about which exercise is the most optimal for the abs
It makes sense if you buy his book (to him).
You can focus on abs decreasing range of motion, you dont go all the way down with legs, keeping elastic motion on your abs.
Leg raises still works abs but it messes up with the lower back along with it. Crunches work abs but they won't mess up the lower back.
I think people suggest it because it can loosen up the spine and prevent tight muscles pulling on your frame and causing misalignment.
This is good biomechanical advice!!! However, I was thinking while I was talking with someone and I thought what about those bicycle racing people? Aren't they bringing their knees upward while their abs are contracting downward???
This explains why my back has been hurting like ish since I started doing them slot more
Man your ebook needs to come out in a published book form asap! So knowledgeable thank you
I can only speak in my personal opinion. Geoff Cavalire with AthleanX.com says that at the side of the leg we always concentrate on bringing the pelvis closer to the chest, that is, not to think at all about raising our legs. The legs are hooked up to the pelvis, and they will then move along with the pelvis, but this does not mean that our focus should be on our feet. With straightened legs, it is only difficult for the pelvis to reach the chest and make it easier with the knee tucks. That's the only difference. And my opinion is that it is the only right thing.
nenad lazarevic The rectus abdominis, like any other muscle, does not “know” which end of the muscle is moving toward which end. It simply contracts (shortens), thereby bringing one end toward the other. And, just like a rope during a “tug-of-war”, the tension along the length of the muscle fiber is the same regardless of which end is moving. So, there is no advantage, nor “different” benefit, from bringing the pelvis upward, toward the rib cage. It’s simply harder to do, and more difficult to dial in the exact level of resistance that is appropriate.
"All the abs do is spinal flexion" is incorrect. The MAIN function of the abs, and entire core is STABILIZATION of the spine. The abs contract isometrically to prevent the rest of the body moving while the legs move. If you bend the knees, the load is reduced due to leverage. Extend the knees and the force on the abs increases. I built my abs through a variety of bodyweight exercises that put isometric loads on the abs. My abs are working on almost every exercise I do. Currently, I only do two specific ab exercises. Hanging leg raises(straight leg) and rollouts with the ab wheel. Leg raises work the hip flexors dynamically, and rollouts work the lats dynamically, but they both work the abs isometrically.
You do understand that it it is not a contradiction. Any muscle can be a "stabilizer" The rectus abdominis can stabilize the spine ONLY through spinal flexion. They can only pull the ribcage towards the pelvis.
all muscles stabilize..... all the time.......
Just thinking that if you lie on your back with your shoulders tied to the ground and you use your abs what will happen?
A: Nothin
B: Leg´s raise?
That's why leg raises need to be done with a lombar spine lordosis, leg raises made in that matter is a great exercise to correct a posterior pelvic tilt
Excellent…thanks Doug
Leg raises gave me an inguinal hernia. The gut burst through the white fascia. Had surgery but caused other complications. Now I only do static contractions.
I think it was a twisting movement possibly not a straight leg raises. Use to think mine got a spasm but now I'm pretty sure it was a hernia. Only leg raises and static zercher holds seemed alright to me.
Anyways I don't think with a hernia you can manage both working out at gym and also ab training. Just to much for them mine seem fine during this quarentine.
sound needs improving
Why would I want to do an exercise that is more difficult and less benefit to the abs than is less difficult and more benefit to the abs.
Well, you need to excercise hip muscles too, you know, they might not be visible but they are same ad important for general health as all other muscles since they make your body compact in one place.
Does anyone know how I could strengthen my hip flexers without doing leg raises ?
I like that you spoke to that it’s not the most optimal movement. Fantastic explanation and description that lead to the sale of the book. You did it in a classy way that made me wanna purchase it. Great job good sir!
Instead of "visible development", what is the best way to encourage "functional development"?
Man wtf, first im told squats are bad for your leg joints, pushups damage your elbows or shoulders, sit ups strain your spine and now leg raises are bad. What excercise should i even do ?????
Pushup and situps CAN damage ellbows/spine, but they dont for the most part
Thought provoking video as a I've done leg raises for a long time without questioning the movement. I think it's to re-evaluate some other movements too. 👍
Confusing😵
Should I trust this channel and leave my fav excercise.
Or probably I will wait for your suggestion guys.
Il suffit de se renseigner c’est un grand spécialiste comme il y’en a peu
I’m sorry my man but I completely disagree. The hanging leg raise specifically is literally the ultimate #1 “abs” exercise there is.
Is that for the rectus abdominis only? How about the transverse because only crunches actually work?
Leg raises gave me an inquinal hernia. Gut popped through lower part of abdomen. Surgery, complications from surgery, 40 years of numbness in right part of lower abs.
He is right! I injured a muscle tissue under my breast bone doing leg raises. I don’t recommend
First time on this channel. Love it! Might buy that book one day soon.
My friend I am 1.58 into your video. You are wrong with this. A few points, the naming convention (origin / insertion) has no bearing on how the body works. Secondly there lower abs are functionally different to other areas of the abdominal wall. The external obliques and the rectus abdominis can tilt the pelvis posteriorly by 10 degrees. This muscle action occurs independently of the rest of the abdominal wall. This is possibly due to innervation and muscle partitioning. It is the reason why your example of two people pulling the ends of a rope is incorrect. It is also the reason why leg lifting exercises are effective.
The leg raises I do only involve a movement of a couple inches which is caused by the abs abs don't move the legs but they can rotate the hip, keeping your legs straight causes them to raise adding weight to your exercise and increasing the effectiveness of your ab exercise...
The weight of the legs and (and dumb bell I put between my knees), (legs must be weighted), is lifted by the lower abs, not the soas... How is that not working the abs..?
Because the abs are not attached to the legs, can you work your biceps dynamically without curling your arms?
@@ancientconnection are you stupid
Hey guys I need some advice: every time I do flat leg raises my spine pops big time down near my pelvis. Is this harmful for my spine?
Ur formation must be off before u start leg raises mak sure ur pelvic is tilted , your back should be flat to ground no hands under . Either when you leg raie focus on ur abdominal the core and when u inhale do alittle but keep that core clentch dont whn exheal mak sure ur bell button bein pulld in to spine . To avoid buldging abdomen and back pain . I have lower back issus and as beginner i anker my arms did this and i have no back pain iam not on a cain . Iam walking 4 mils a day at my work . I do 2 session 10 rep . Only goas far as your body can listin to it slow an steady wins the race its not about ego its about your body and you bein one . Iam doing this and iam seein results and i havent had a issues in my back . . Make sure u do reserch on the formation how properly perfome this . Iv learned it has everything do ur formation ur focus and your breathing as exsising . I di my reasech and for that i got results for better out come with out further injurin my lb 3 or 4 or spinal cord bein piched .
Why is the music volume 10 times louder than your voice?
Thank you for the clarification, I no longer waste my time on exercising 🙏💪💗
Abs bend your spine forward. Leg raises apply pressure on your spine to arch backwards. If you ever did a leg raise, you will know the feeling of your lower back coming of the ground.
If your abs are strong enough, they can counter this pressure. A full range of motion leg raise however, really isn't a beginner excersise. If you absolutely want to do leg raises, start with your legs straight up and lower them to the point just before your lower back starts arching and hold it there for 10 seconds.
Doug's book is the best money I've ever spent. Genius.
Yes. Well worth it.
I learned more in the 2 days reading it than I did cumulatively in the years beforehand
steve sabol Yeah, I wish it was available years ago. Would have saved me from years of tendonitis !
Doug I'm on waiting list for your book I don't want the download PDF format. When do you think they'll be ready to ship
fourftr It should be available by September.
Doug Brignole can’t wait judging by your videos it will be worth every penny
I would never do crunches and sit ups, they are one of the most dangerous exercises for your spine. Personally, I only do dip bar hanging leg raises, and I got amazing results from it, without being forced to twist my spine a thousand time a day with crunches to get abs ...
So your saying crunches are dangerous for the spine as if that muscle is not meant to bend the spine, so then let's say biceps curls are bad for the Biceps, and leg extension is bad for the Quads and so on, when you said that I thought you are going to suggest the "better" ab movement then you said hanging leg raises. If you have great results it is not from leg raises your the type of person who might have great genetics and low body fat, so when you perform leg raises and look in the mirror you see them Poppin you think it's the exercise that is causing that. The abs muscle are not attached to the legs. It's like trying to work your biceps dynamically without curling
@@ancientconnection I didn't say that the abs are not meant to bend the spine, it's one of their functions, but not the most important, especially not bendind it a thousand time a day with crunches, the cartilage between your disks are not made to resist that amount of work. The primarily purpose of the abs is to keep the spine from bending too much when your lift something or when you rotate your torso, it's more of a isometric tension, and when it comes to leg raises, many studies have concluded that the tension on the abs when doing this exercise is immense. Believe what you want, but many physiotherapists have warned people about the danger of crunches. Just do your research. Have a great day.
@@fathiselmi1315 after reading this comment I need a therapist! Especially when you said the primary purpose of the abs is to keep the spine from bending too much. So let's get rid off the Erector spinae then. You clearly didn't watch the video, because he never said you should do thousands of crunches everyday, this is an example of people commenting without understanding, and for those who will be reading the comments this will be completely missleading.
@@ancientconnection crunches are indeed bad for your spine, sit ups hold a risk, but its didfrent from person to person. The best exercises for your abs are IMO hanging leg raises
I do leg raises to strengthen my ability to do leg raises
SyM That’s a good reason. Also, there are benefits to having strong hip flexors. My suggestion is not to avoid working the hip flexors. I’m just saying that Leg Raises are not a good way to work the abs. Hip flexors should be worked separately, with an arched spine, and alternating (left / right).
What about weighted ab rollouts?
My abs are sore for about 3 days after doing them, I never get that kind of top to bottom soreness in my abs from doing weighted incline crunches...
It’s crazy all I wanted to know is which is the best ab exercise and now I’m here depressed lol
This is so silly. Abs don't create the movement of dragon flags either but it's an intense ab exercise. The abs work isometricly, while the movement changes the force required. Same thing with leg raises. The abs are *resisting* movement, which is the best way to train them since that's almost always how they function.
What's wrong with involving antagonist muscles? There's no problem. The hip flexors are making it harder for the abs, but they're not fighting, they're working together to get the job done in the only way possible! And it has nothing to do with range of motion (biceps example).
Leg raises are an excellent exercise that's very demanding on the abs when done right (slow, controlled and no leaning back).
@Iron Vegan You missed my point: the primary function of the abs in most of life and athletics is stability, resisting movement, *not* spinal flexion.
The problem isn't hip flexor exercises per se, it's bad posture from over-tight hip flexors. Yes hip flexor exercises can make this worse when done wrongly (with anterior pelvic tilt), but it's the tilt that's the problem, it's not a problem in itself to have strong hip flexors. The problem is lack of hip extension. Many of us are in this situation from too much sitting, the solution is to sit less, to stretch the hip flexors, possibly improve glute and/or ab strength, and to improve your posture.
Yes we can't spot reduce fat. However, if we rely on our core muscles to do the lifting of our legs, it surely and evidently acts as a strength exercise for the rectus abdominis and our internal and external obliques, as we keep our core stable throughout the exercise/reps. But everything you're saying is true, except for the video title.
They work in a way that your core must stay tight during exercise and abs work overtime to keep it tight.
Good information for me. I thought doing leg raises would help with pulling my legs more and ab strength. If I work on my hip flexor which is super weak and that should help with my issue!
Its not. This guy is fluff for making money.
This doesn't mean one should remove this exercise from their routine. Hip flexors are an incredibly important muscle to train. The hips are the biggest, strongest joint in the body. The fold your upper body into your lower body. You need to be training your biggest strongest lever to get the best results.
You should train the abs and hip flexors separately to target each one efficiently.
I have great results from leg raises but you have to do a ab crush at the very top of the movement. The knees should almost touch the chest.
even if it doesnt move it flexes to syport and stabilise your legs
Everyone saying that this guy is wrong are wrong themselves i have been doing weighted lying leg rases and i feel more in my hip flexor and my lower back then my abs however what he said about full range of motion is wrong isometrics does wonders from strength and hypertrophy perspective
had inguinal hernia surgery last October and have been working on getting back in the gym. Any pointers for guys who had a hernia repair (I had the Shouldice mesh free version btw)
@Abdullah Habib that is not what the surgeon told me
Is it possible this leg raise contributes to hip bursitis? I have scoliosis and I'm fused to L4, however recently I've been experiencing a horrible hip bursitis and cant figure out what's causing it.
Charmaine Griffith It’s unlikely Leg Raises would cause hip bursitis. But, having scoliosis would make Leg Raises even more uncomfortable, due to the two conflicting “pulls” on your spine, which occur (one muscle trying to arch your spine, and another one trying to flex your spine). Also, because of your fusion, you’ll naturally be limited in how completely you’ll be able to contract your abs. This is like you trying to work your biceps, but something is preventing you from fully bending your elbow.
@@dpbrig1 thank you so much I truly appreciate the feedback!
Body is a synergetic system.We all know about agonist and antagonist muscles.
All of the core muscles should be exercised to have a strong balanced midsection.
Just over working and shortening the rectus abdominis could lead to back problems i would think.
Pretty abs should be a by product not the goal.
lying leg raises and alternating ones with feet hanging down over bench is the best ab exercise. yet more excuses for deleting the difficult but great more full range movements.
Guess the abs are working more isometrically and the real benefit here is for the hip flexors?
Doug, I remember you talking with Ric about leg raises and why they can cause lower back pain but I couldn't remember which muscles the abs were working against in that motion. Found this newer video and showed this to my wife who is looking for some good ab exercises. Thanks!
You're supposed to tilt your pelvis up to your chest to do leg raises correctly.
Thanks for the great information.
So was that booster that you took
So what do you suggest tho? All this talk with only 1 suggestion
So whats the best one then?
Crunches
@@mr.worldfree3333 NOPE
Leg raises or sit ups, whichever you prefer
Im talking about hanging leg raises btw
Ur a real mentor......best in the business
I'm going to also disagree with this phenomenal science just slightly. Every fitness professional knows the basics and where muscles attach and the primary and secondary roles of muscles, so we know what role legs have in leg raises. As we ceirtainly know the role of abs. We DO KNOW there are no LOWER ABS, but our clients are not scientists so they hear, read and/or see a lot of information about exercising so in order to get closer to their "fitness lang" we use urban phrases like this. "Low abs", " middle back" etc. But, one of the main functions of the abdominal muscle is to provide STABILIZATION of the entire body, one, by holding the torso and pelvis, two, to support other muscles in chain as well as provide antagonist support to the muscles against it. That's why when moving legs up and down (with pelvis movement as well) maximases the abs effort. Don't worry, other muscle groups that are working at the opposite side will only get stronger due to providing more force for countercontracting and isocontracting. If they are weaker and can't handle the leg raises, well than you would (as with everything else) approach fixing them with corrective workout regimen (and more functional fitness) to aquire that perfect muscle balance and than back to the proper leg raise form.
Thank you for reading.
Yes the abs are one muscle..yes when you contract your abs , all the ab muscle contracts but because of 3 different nerve regions, one which is in the lower half, you can certainly 100 percent emphasise the lowest end. Its based on the angle that you use...look up bret conteras study on it...brad schoenfeld also says you can.. these are studies done in 2020 bit studies that are 17 years old like dougs example...news flash doug. Things have moved on in 17 years..cited studies that old is pointless. The legs act as a longer moment arm for emphasising the lower end. Get into posterior pelvic tilt, push ur belly button towards ur spine and get ur hips up off the flour, bench of whatever...you don't have to put up with inferior abs lower down...yes its one muscle but have different nerve innervation in 3 different areas.. look at the studies
90% of youtube says crunches are useless.I am so confused, I did crunches my whole life than I switched to leg raises for a few years. Now I think about combining or switching between those two, because after a while my body gets used to either of them (if I only do one), so maybe I will switch between crunches one week and leg raises the other week
Nah if you want A crunch variation use the ab wheel it’s way better than a lying crunch but functions Similarly
Thumbs down for you not knowing the fact that the abs' role in leg raising is not the leg raise itself but stabilizing the body while the movement is being performed. Leg raises put a tremendous amount of pressure on the core, which is why you will definitely feel pain in the abs after the workout.
Saying that leg raises is not effective for ab development because of the rationale that you presented in the video (and in your book, which I am not going to buy, by the way) is like saying that planks are not effective too.
You should really brush up on your Kinesiology bro.
Reginald Uy 😆 To say that you are mistaken, on many levels, would be dramatically understating it. My book is endorsed by 12 PhDs in exercise science, physics, neurobiology, biomedical engineering, orthopedics and paleontology. You would be wise to be less sure of your perspective, and more open to the possibility that there is more for you to learn.
@@dpbrig1 Appreciate your reply mate. Could not care less about the credentials and the amount of backing that your book has at this point, because of the way i disagree with the main point of your video.
Still I would appreciate if you can explain why I am wrong on so many levels in my comment, instead of posting the credentials of your book. Try me, I am a DPT. ;)
I'm also open to be proven wrong on my first comment btw.
@@reginalduy3678 The idea of performing Leg Raises, for the “primary purpose” of causing the Abs to stabilize the body, is like doing Barbell Curls for the primary purpose of causing the Erector spinae to stabilize the torso.
There is no doubt that the “lower back” (Erector spinae) holds the torso upright, while we do Barbell Curls, but we don’t call that a “lower back exercise”. 90% of the anatomical movement involved in doing Leg Raises, involves dynamic muscle contraction of a muscle that is NOT the Abs. Therefore, it is not sensible to call it an “ab exercise”. Obviously, the hip flexors (mainly the Psoas) is working “harder” (more productively / dynamically) than are the abs.
Secondly, you are only slightly correct in saying that Leg Raises “work the core”. The “core” is comprised of 6 muscle groups - 1) the rectus abdominis, 2) the erector spinae, 3) the obliques (internal and external), 4) the quadratus lumborum (“QL”), 5) the Psoas and 6) the transverse abdominis. Leg Raises only work one of those six core muscles.
The other five core muscles have anatomical functions that are distinctly different than hip flexion. They are: 1) spinal flexion, 2) spinal extension, 3) lateral and rotational torso movement.
The transverse abdominis is considered a core muscle, but it does not produce any skeletal movement at all, because it does not connect to any bones. It connects from fascia to fascia. It acts proprioceptively (in essence, “communicating” with the central nervous system, as to the position of the torso), and assists in breathing (i.e., it interacts with the diaphragm, and also creates the “vacuum” - pulling the abdomen inwards, toward the spine). In other words, all the other core muscles - other than the Psoas - are better worked with exercises that are not related to hip flexion. So, to say the Leg Raises work the core is really a stretch.
Still, it’s good to exercise the Psoas - even if not for the sake of the Abs. However, as I mention in the video, the Psoas and the Abs produce distinctly opposite spinal positions. The Psoas arches (“extends”) the spine, as it pulls the humerus upward. The Abs (Rectus abdominis) flexes the spine. Therefore, each of the two muscle groups are best worked separately, so they can each perform their function optimally - without interference.
Also, the hip flexors should be worked with knees bent (rather than with knees straight), so as to prevent “passive insufficiency” - a neurological conflict that occurs when the central nervous system senses excessive stretching by the muscles that are antagonist to the hip flexors (or whichever muscle is working as the agonist). You’ll notice that your rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata start cramping, as you attempt to raise your legs with straight knees. This is the body’s effort to protect the hamstrings from over-stretching, while the hip flexors are contracting.
In terms of your comment related to Leg Raises producing the same benefit (to the Abs) as do Planks, you are correct. That benefit, however, is very compromised, in both cases. This is due to the contraction being isometric.
Numerous studies have conclusively demonstrated that dynamic muscle contraction is more productive than isometric muscle contraction. Whereas dynamic muscle contraction stimulates strength increase through a muscle’s entire range of motion, isometric muscle contraction increases strength primarily in the position at which the joint (articulation) is held static. This is only logical. Why would a muscle increase its strength through its entire range of motion, when contraction only occurs without full range of motion? Why would you assume that a muscle benefits as much, or more, when worked isometrically, than it would when that muscle is challenged through its entire range of motion?
Even partial range of motion has been proven to be less productive than full range of motion. One study, using Squats, showed more muscle development in the group using less weight, but more range of motion, than was experienced by the group using more weight, and less range of motion. Naturally, isometric contraction would be even more compromised than partial-range-of- motion contraction.
If Planks were optimal for training the Rectus abdominis - better than Ab crunches or other dynamic muscle contraction exercise - it would mean that isometrics is better for all the other skeletal muscles as well. If that were the case, we would not be counting reps on Barbell Curls, or Supine Dumbbell Press, or Leg Extensions, etc. We would simply be holding muscle tension, static, without joint movement and without eccentric / concentric muscle activity. Needless to say, this ignores the fact that muscles grow, and increase their strength, as a direct result of their actin filaments sliding together (concentric), and then apart (eccentric).
Certainly, over-flexing and over-extending the spine is not good for the intervertebral discs. However, every joint has its mobility limits, and every joint can be moved safely while still keeping within the limits of that joint's range of motion.
Some people believe, mistakenly, that the “primary function" of the abs is to stabilize the spine. This belief is based on the fact that we use our Abs most often in that manner, in daily life. However, that would not constitute the “optimal” way to challenge the Abs - nor any other muscle. A muscle that has been challenged through dynamic, full range of motion exercise, will absolutely also be able to stabilize its joint (spine). It would be foolish to believe that only isometric muscle contraction allows the Abs to stabilize the spine, while dynamic exercise does not. If you hold a heavy box with your arms bent, elbows held at 90 degrees, biceps contracted isometrically, would you be unable to do that because you only performed dynamic exercise (i.e., full range of motion repetitions) for your biceps?
You say that you could “care less about the credentials” of those who are backing my book, but that comment suggests that you are either dishonest or stupid. For starters, you don’t hesitate to declare your own credential (DPT). You wouldn’t do that, if it meant nothing to you.
Further, having three orthopedic surgeons, a paleontologist (trained in the evolution of the human musculoskeletal system, why it has evolved the way it has, and what it has evolved to do), a neurobiologist (who understands “reciprocal innervation”, “bilateral deficit”, “active” and “passive insufficiency”, and the way these affect muscle contraction), a bio-medical engineer (who understands human movement to an extraordinary degree), and other top experts in the field of human biomechanics, agree with my perspective, should matter to you. If it doesn’t, it means that you believe you know better than they know - which is highly unlikely. I don’t believe you are that ignorant and arrogant, although you do seem to have an unrealistic perspective of your understanding of biomechanics.
I’m not sure you’re aware, but those photos in the beginning of my video are of me - winning state, national and international bodybuilding competition, starting at the age of 16, up until the age of 54. My knowledge is not simply academic. I’ve demonstrated that these methods work, first hand. I’ve also studied biomechanics for the past 30 years, including having done cadaver dissection. I think it’s probably safe to assume that you have not studied biomechanics to this degree, nor have you achieved this level of physique development success.
Lastly, you say that you are not going to buy my book, “by the way”. Obviously, I don’t care if you buy my book or not. However, it is worth noting that this represents your general attitude of not wanting information that conflicts with your current beliefs, even though your beliefs are not well informed. In your field, you probably know this as “cognitive bias”. You seem to be happier criticizing someone who has insights into this field beyond which you can fathom, than you are eager to learn something new from him.
I have recently been invited to co-author a university textbook on the subject of biomechanics, by a PhD professor of exercise science, because he was impressed with the book I’ve just completed (“The Physics of Fitness”). My publisher - who has published over 100 fitness books - said my book is “game changer”. The person who wrote the foreword to my book - himself a PhD professor of exercise science, and the author of 22 fitness books - said it is the best book he’s ever read on the subject, and it has caused him to change the way he does his own training now. Yet you believe I need to brush up on my Kinesiology, bro. Very amusing.
@@dpbrig1 Ok look, the answer is really simple and the fact that it took you 18 paragraphs and shoving the amount of backing that your video or book has to my face just to explain this speaks volumes about your level of knowledge in the topic.
I also want to point how you said I was wrong on so many levels in my first response. In your second reply, I am now partially correct. Talk about a change of heart.
The answer is really simple, and here's how I know you don't know what you were talking about in the video.
ANSWER: It does not matter what part of the muscle you are moving (origin or insertion part), or which part of it is fixed, so long as it gets activated.
Seriously, search the term "Closed Kinematic Chain" and "Open Kinematic Chain".
If it's the origin part that is moving, there's nothing abnormal about that. It's simply called a Closed Kinematic Chain.
Another example of a motion where it's the origin part that's essentially moving is a pushp.
When you are doing a pushup, the "insertion" part of the pectorals is not really the one that is creating the motion, but the origin part of the muscle. That's called a Closed Kinematic Chain, and there is nothing wrong or abnormal about that. It's still effective. Maybe you can try to apply the same principle in analyzing the "kinesiology" behind the leg raises.
Again, the bottom line is that It does not matter what part of the muscle you are moving (origin or insertion part), or which part of it is fixed, so long as it gets activated.
Also, I could tell you the same thing about "cognitive bias". It works both ways. Maybe the one who's not open to ideas is you and not me? Think about it.
About the expert backing thing, I could also pay a bunch of people with PHDs in many fields (including astrophysics maybe) to support my answer. But of course, I'm not willing to go that far.
Have a good one
@@reginalduy3678 You are hopeless. Saying that you are "partially right" is not a change of heart. It simply means that you are right that planks and leg raises have equal benefit"...which is to say that neither is very good. You are repeating dogma. I understand that what you are saying is the "conventional wisdom", and what I'm saying is that the conventional wisdom is in question, and that belief is also endorsed by other experts in the field. You can choose to continue believing the dogma, because you refuse to think outside the box, or you can choose to consider the possibility that past beliefs may not be as correct as has been believed. Either way, there is no denying that I have been very successful developing my abs without leg raises, and that numerous other scholars also believe as I believe. Given the various options we have for working our abs, crunches (spinal flexion) alone -- without doing leg raises -- gets the job done just fine. Again, you demonstrate that would rather not hear opposing arguments to your beliefs. You would rather not consider other possibilities, even when they are endorsed by scholars with many years of experience, which is the very definition of dogmatic belief.
So myotatic crunches are the best?
You can find more videos here:
ruclips.net/channel/UCh_8DNqrT_rJ2NbNHUNrTxA
Or here
online.smarttraining365.com/the-brignole-method-free-extract1
You can find more videos here:
ruclips.net/channel/UCh_8DNqrT_rJ2NbNHUNrTxA
Or here
online.smarttraining365.com/the-brignole-method-free-extract1
Awesome as always Doug! Thank you. Buy the book!
Ive been waiting on the print version, I have the electronic one... but call me old fashioned I love REAL books for quick reference
Same
Good informative video!
How can I get abs with my spine fused? I have scoliosis.
Leg raises 😆
Seriously though, any isometric exercise where you are resisting flexion of your spine.
Probably best you see an exercise physiologist though as they will take into acount your medical history.
Don’t eat crap.
So, I came here because alot of trainers use leg raises with their clients who have reported lower back issues or pain in the past. I don't see why take the risk to add leg raises to a routine that is risky when there are other safer and more effe tive exercises out there.
What about the obliques?
I was thinking hitting 2 birds with one stone, if i can do both chin ups and leg raises for max benefits why not 😢