leg raises on floor

Matthew Baniewicz · Post by **Matthew Baniewicz** » Mar 01, 2006 21:52

leg raises on the floor

Matthew Baniewicz · Post by **Matthew Baniewicz** » Mar 02, 2006 00:06

I noticed that in the Secrets of Stretching DVD the model lifts his back off of the floor and brings his knees all the way towards his chest while doing lying leg raises. It looks like a leg raise followed by a reverse crunch.

In Thomas Kurz's column he states:

Lying leg raise. Lie on your back with legs straight. Inhale and then press the small of your back to the floor. Exhale as you raise your legs until they point straight up and then lower them while still exhaling. In lying leg raises you must keep your lower back pressed to the floor throughout the movement.

This caused some confusion.

Also, the model on the DVD lifted his back off of the floor while doing crunches.

mat · Post by **mat** » Mar 02, 2006 05:15

What you must do is keep your lower back on the floor while your legs come down. What you don't want to do is arch your back - ie. supporting your weight on your bum & shoulders while holding your legs up. This puts dangerous pressure on the lower back.

However if you can raise your legs right up, and then raise them even further bringing your bum and then your lower back of the floor, then that is fine. You need quite a lot of ab strength to do this though.

Finding it hard to explain - hope this makes sense.

Cheers,
Mat

dragon · Post by **dragon** » Mar 02, 2006 08:03

I think Mr.Kurz is describing the safest way to start this type of training.
If you watch further on you will see hanging leg raises were the legs are raised all the way untilthe feet touch(or nearly) the bar.

This would be the same ROM you're refering to.

Dragon.