Vertical Leg Raise (on parallel bars)
The captain's chair leg raise is one of the best lower-ab exercises available, and removing the grip demand of hanging variations lets you focus entirely on your core.
Equipment
Bodyweight (parallel bars/captain's chair)
Difficulty
beginner
Sets & reps
3 sets · 10-15 reps
Muscles worked
Lower abs, Hip flexors
A challenging core exercise performed supported on parallel bars, raising the legs to train the lower abs without gripping a pull-up bar.
How to do it
- Support your body on parallel bars or a captain's chair station, forearms resting on the pads.
- Keep your back against the pad and legs extended straight down.
- Raise your legs up until they're roughly parallel to the floor or higher.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower back down under control.
- Avoid swinging your body to generate momentum.
Coaching tips
- Bend your knees slightly if straight-leg raises are too difficult at first.
- Focus on curling your pelvis, not just lifting your legs, for fuller lower-ab engagement.
- This variation removes the grip-strength demand of a hanging leg raise, letting you focus purely on the core.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the body instead of using controlled ab engagement.
- Only lifting the legs partway instead of a full range of motion.
Frequently asked questions
Captain's chair or hanging leg raise — which is better?
Both train the lower abs effectively. The captain's chair removes the grip-strength factor, making it a good option if forearm fatigue limits your hanging leg raises.
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