Core · Bodyweight
Overhead Leg Lift Tap
How to do the overhead leg lift tap, 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
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on your back with arms extended overhead on the floor. Lift one leg straight up and at the same time raise your arms to reach toward and tap your shin or toes, then lower both back down and repeat with the other leg. Keep the movement controlled and your core engaged throughout.
- 1Your abs crunching as the hand and leg meet
- 2A controlled lift and lower of the straight leg
- 3Your core driving the reach, not your momentum
Common mistakes
- Throwing your arms to fling yourself up
- Bending the lifting knee to make the tap easier
- Letting your lower back arch on the return
Muscles worked
The overhead leg lift tap mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs, hip flexors, obliques, quads, and hamstrings assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the overhead leg lift tap 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.