This is an
absolutely BRUTAL abdominal exercise even
though it looks like it should be easier.
I'll explain...
It's a hanging
leg raise exercise that allows NO release
in tension at the bottom of the movement.
It's a real eye-opener the first time try
it! The first time I did it, I thought it
was going to be easy and I could only do 2
reps (it was towards the end of an ab workout
and I was trying to find a way to extend the
set on hanging leg raises - I was in for a
shock!).
First off, you'll
need an incline bench. An adjustable one is
good but not totally necessary. This bench
is going to turn this exercise into what looks
like a Preacher Curl for your abs (remember
how those tend to throw tension on the lower
biceps? The same goes here for lower abs).
Second, you'll
need a chin-up bar, Smith machine bar or other
thing to grab onto that is about 7 feet off
the ground (the top cross-beam of a rack will
work just fine, too).
Set the incline
bench to about 50 to 60 degrees then place
it in front of the chin bar. The top end of
the bench should be close to right under the
chin bar but a little forward of it will be
best - when you learn the exercise, play with
the spot a bit to get the best feel. Your
upper body should be at an angle when you're
doing the exercise, not straight up and down.
Set a weight
plate on the seat of the bench. This will
keep the bench from moving when you're doing
the exercise.
So once you're
set up, straddle the bench like so (back towards
the chin bar):
Now set your
feet on the bench seat and place your lower
back on the very top end of the bench.
Reach up with
one arm and grab the chin bar, then reach
up with other hand and grab on.
Lift your feet
up off the bench. Your lower back should be
in contact with the bench here.
Now start performing
the leg raise. Your lower back stays braced
against the bench up until about the mid-way
point of the exercise.
Continue the
movement until you bring your legs up as high
as you can get them. As you pass the halfway
point, your lower back will roll over the
top edge of the bench. Your body will be using
THAT as the new pivot point of the exercise.
It's at THIS
point that the weight plate on the bench seat
is necessary. Without the plate, the other
end of the bench will start to lift off the
ground as you place more weight on the top
edge of the bench. The weight plate stops
that - I'm using a 45 lb plate.
Keep squeezing
HARD all the way to the top then lower down
slowly. When you come to the bottom, don't
let your hips unlock completely so that you're
lower body is straight - this is the KEY to
making this exercise work. Keep a small angle
there and stop the movement while maintaining
the tension in the lower abs.
Hold for a second,
THEN perform another rep. It's the angle of
your body in the exercise and the bench bracing
it (especially at the bottom) that make this
exercise BRUTAL on the abs.
Keep going for
as many as you can get and don't forget to
curse me when you're done...
