Raising legs on the horizontal bar. What muscles work, benefit, harm, program, technique

Raising the legs is one of the most effective exercises for working out muscles in the abdomen... It is possible to achieve results due to the fact that the trunk is in an extended position on the horizontal bar, and the maximum load falls on the muscle mass in the peritoneal region, while the legs can be lowered.

There are several types of this exercise: lifting with straight legs, bent at the knee joints, with a twist or turn. By incorporating all the options into your workout, you can achieve results faster.

Essence and basic principles

Raising your legs on the horizontal bar is the perfect exercise for working your entire abs. It loads the lower part of the rectus muscle in the peritoneal region to the maximum. It is this part of the body, according to experts, that it is more difficult to work out, if in the upper part of the peritoneum the cubes are well drawn after a month of intensive training, then for the lower part it will take more time and more intensive training.

Raising the legs on the horizontal bar allows you to load, in addition to the rectus abdominis muscles, also external and internal oblique muscles.

If you raise your legs in the hanging and add to them twisting of the body to the sides, you can significantly increase the load on all muscle groups of the peritoneum and legs. Also, the arms, shoulders and back receive a statistical load. To perform the exercise correctly and in several approaches, you need to have a strong lower back. With weak hands, the grip is very weak, but in this case, you can use additional locking straps to secure the hands to the bar.

Why do we need

Exercise on the horizontal bar is recommended if you need to strengthen the spinal column and prevent the development of ailments affecting it.

Such workouts will help:

• significantly strengthen the muscle corset;
• improve posture;
• normalize blood flow in the vertebral region;
• remove the load from the discs between the vertebrae;
• remove pain syndrome in various parts of the spine;
• improve back flexibility;
• fix the correct location of the vertebrae.

Raising your legs or hanging on a horizontal bar helps to treat and prevent diseases of the spine. It is important to include it in training for people leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Contraindications and possible harm

Raising the legs on the horizontal bar is an effective exercise, but it should not be used in the training process for those who have had an injury of the shoulder joint, forearm, hand, pectoral muscles, or muscle mass of the shoulder.

Exercise of raising the legs is contraindicated with a pre-existing fracture of the fingers... It is believed that raising your legs using a bar will benefit your spine, but in some cases, exercise can be harmful.

Doctors do not advise him to use it for people with problems:

• in the cervical spine, for example, with osteochondrosis, there may be dizziness, tinnitus, and overall well-being worsen;
• the last stage of scoliosis, hanging on a horizontal bar can cause deformation of internal organs, which ultimately can provoke pinching of nerve endings;
• intervertebral hernia, with this diagnosis there is a possibility of displacement of the vertebrae and pinching of the cerebrospinal fluid canal.

Raising your legs on the horizontal bar should be stopped if there is pain in the lumbar spine.

Helpful hints

You can increase the effect of the exercise if you take into account several recommendations:

• in order to quickly pump up the press before the appearance of relief cubes, training should be carried out 2-3 times a week until a burning sensation in the muscles appears;
• to increase the load on the abdominal muscles, the legs should be kept bent at the knees;
• while raising the legs, the arms should not be bent and pulled up, they should be perfectly straight;
  
• experienced and fully trained athletes are recommended to additionally use lower limb weights (heavy shoes or special devices);
• you do not need to lower your legs to the end, they should stop at 20 degrees, only in this way the muscles will be tense throughout the entire complex;
• the chest should be constantly extended;
• if there is discomfort in the lumbar region, then the socks and knees need to be spread apart, while the heels should be pressed tightly to each other, such a performance will make you feel more comfortable;
• during lifting, the pelvis needs to be tucked a little, which ultimately will allow you to strain the abdominal muscles to the maximum;
• the smaller the angle between the body and the hips, the greater the load on the abdominal muscles;
• if the grip is weak, special hand straps can be used.

If you follow all the recommendations and strictly follow each exercise, following the instructions, then you can get a lot of benefits from such a workout.

Among the advantages of a trainer are:

• the entire mass of the press is ideally worked out, the emphasis is mainly on the lower part of the peritoneum;
• ideal lifting of the lower abdomen, it is possible to create a relief and aesthetic appearance in a couple of months;
• the muscles of the core are strengthened;
• prevention of the formation of hernias in the groin and navel area is carried out;
• the walls of the peritoneum are strengthened, due to which it is possible to ensure the correct position of the internal organs.

Also, chiropractors note that during this exercise, a certain "stretching" of the vertebrae occurs, due to which it is possible to relieve pain. The average decompression from being in a hanging state helps to relieve pain associated with the vertebrae.

Main complex

The main load when pulling up the legs on the horizontal bar falls on the rectus abdominis muscle. Unlike twists, the nerve endings that cause the muscle to contract act directly on the lower rectus muscle.

Other muscles also work during this exercise:

• tailor;
• ilio-lumbar;
• scallop.

The oblique is almost not involved if you perform the exercise without taking your legs to the sides.

Raising the legs "corner"

This exercise is so called because of the position of the body at the peak point.

It works like this:

• firmly grab the horizontal bar with your hands, your gaze is directed straight in front of you, the body is vertical to the ground, legs together;
• slowly raise your legs up so that they reach the level of parallel with the floor, only the hip joint should move;
• exhaling to linger at the peak point for a couple of seconds, and then slowly lower your legs to the starting point.

The width of the arms is set so that you can hang as long as possible. Typically, this exercise uses a straight grip with the palms facing forward and placing your hands on a bar shoulder-width apart.

Raising the knees

This version of the exercise on the horizontal bar is the most common. Its simple execution allows it to be used in training for beginners and experienced athletes.

Technically, it works like this:

• grab the crossbar with your hands, the body should be even, the legs are brought together;
• slowly bend your knees, lifting them up until the thighs are parallel to the floor, and the lower leg is perpendicular;
• at the highest point will stop for 1-2 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

At the peak point, exhale to free the air from the lungs and tighten the abdominal muscles as much as possible.

Raising limbs directly to the bar

This exercise is popular in CrossFit. Its advantage is that the abdominal muscles contract to the maximum.

Technically, it works like this:

• grab hold of the crossbar firmly, arms shoulder-width apart, back perfectly straight, legs together;
• slowly raise your legs to the bar and at the same time tuck the pelvis inward;
• bring your legs to the crossbar, touching it with your toes;
• return to starting point.

A pause at the top point is not done, but all because of the strongest straining at the peak point. The exercise is performed as slowly as possible, without jerking.

Tuck-in lifting

During this exercise, the main load falls on the lateral, internal and external oblique muscle.

Technically, it works like this:

• grab hold of the horizontal bar with your hands, hands not wider than shoulders, palms facing forward;
• slowly raise your knees up, lifting your hips up to one side;
• take the starting position;
• raise the knees again, lifting the hips, on the other side of the body;
  
• return to the starting point again.

Raising legs on a horizontal bar with a ball between the legs

This option is suitable for experienced athletes who want to diversify their training process.

Technically, the exercise is performed like this:

• grab the bar of the simulator firmly with your hands, while between the legs, below the knees, you need to hold the weighted ball, you can use a dumbbell as a weighting agent;
• exhaling, you need to slowly raise your legs, slightly bending them at the knees, to the maximum permissible height;
• fix the body at the highest point for 2-3 seconds;
• lower your legs slowly, aligning the body.

By holding the ball between your legs, you can get additional load. If you correctly develop a training program, then you can not only build muscle mass and make the cubes on the stomach more pronounced.

Alternate leg raises

This option is suitable for those who want to diversify the training process. It differs from the classic lifting in that it manages to combine dynamic and statistical loads. Raising one leg to the height of a right angle, part of the press performs dynamic work, and the second part - statistical, responsible for keeping the body in a stable position. While doing this exercise, you need to monitor the position of the lower back.

Do not push the sacrum area forward too much, as the spine will twist.

Flip Rise

Technically, this option is performed like this:

• hang with a straight grip, hands are slightly wider than shoulders;
• slowly raise straight legs and pull up;
• then sharply raise your legs up, throwing them onto the crossbar;
• traction occurs towards the center of the torso;
• the overturn occurs at the moment when the mass of the legs is outweighed and they begin to go down, pulling the body up;
• when rotating, the crossbar is at the level of the belt;
• when the legs are down, the athlete returns to the starting position - hanging on the horizontal bar.

Week schedule

You need to start training with a minimum load, perform as many repetitions as you can, until you feel fatigue in the lower abdomen. You should not immediately "rush into battle", it is better to slowly increase the number of approaches. After a couple of weeks of regular workouts, and there should be at least 3 of them per week, you can perform 15 lifts in 3-4 sets.

The break between sets is no more than 2 minutes. If the athlete was able to complete 5 or more pull-ups, then you can start a more intense workout. At least 3 lessons should take place per week, each for 1 hour.

A rough workout should consist of the following program:

This is a rough workout plan for 1 hour. You can periodically change exercises, but you do not need to weaken the load, on the contrary, you should increase it each time. Approaches can be added.

When to expect an effect

The first results can be seen on the abdominal muscles after a month of regular training. It is important to train regularly, at least 3 times a week. The loads need only be increased, not weakened, the muscles must gradually get used to the loads. After 3 months of regular training, cubes can be seen on the stomach, the relief of the body will change greatly.

Raising your legs using a horizontal bar is a simple and most effective exercise for working out the press... Within a couple of months after the start of intensive training, male and female figures will be able to acquire the desired shape and relief.

Video on the correct technique for lifting legs on the horizontal bar

How to properly raise your legs on the horizontal bar: