Core · Bodyweight
Lying Bent Legs Raise
How to do the lying bent legs raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie flat on your back with your hands at your sides or under your hips and your knees bent. Raise your bent legs up by curling your hips and bringing your knees toward your chest, then lower under control until your feet hover just above the floor. Keep the movement driven by your lower abs.
- 1Feel your lower abs curl your hips and lift your knees
- 2Keep tension on the core as you lower the legs slowly
- 3Press your lower back gently into the floor
Common mistakes
- Don't swing your legs up with momentum
- Avoid arching your lower back off the floor as you lower
- Don't pull with your hip flexors only; drive from the abs
Muscles worked
The lying bent legs raise mainly works the lower abs, with the upper abs, hip flexors, and obliques assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
Kovo programs the lying bent legs 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 abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.