Legs · Bodyweight
Hanging Straight Leg Raise
How to do the hanging straight leg raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with arms extended and shoulders engaged. Keep your legs straight and locked, then raise them by flexing at the hips until they reach at least hip height. Lower under control without swinging.
- 1Lower abs and hip flexors driving your straight legs upward
- 2Shoulders packed down and active to keep you from swinging
- 3A controlled lift and an even slower descent
Common mistakes
- Swinging or using momentum to throw the legs up
- Letting your shoulders shrug or your grip loosen
- Arching your lower back or bending the knees to cheat
Muscles worked
The hanging straight leg raise mainly works the hip flexors and lower abs, with the upper abs, forearms, lats, obliques, and quads assisting.
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- LatsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the hanging straight leg raise for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hips & adductors exercises
- How to do the butterfly stretch
- How to do the external rotation
- How to do the cable hip adduction
- How to do the internal rotation
- How to do the cobra pose
- How to do the core scrunch
Last reviewed June 2026.