How To: Tighten your lower abs with floor leg raises

Learn how to do floor leg raises. Presented by Real Jock Gay Fitness Health & Life.

Benefits
You don't see leg raises done as much as crunches at many gyms. Why? Because they're hard, that's why! The floor leg raise is one of the great abs exercises, isolating the lower abs in a slow torture fest that builds great abdominal strength.

Starting position
Lie back on the floor or on a floor mat with your legs extended straight up at a 90-degree angle to your upper body and your hands behind your head in standard crunch position, with your fingers just touching the sides of your head. Lift your shoulders off the floor and hold your upper body up by tightening your abdominal muscles and core.

Exercise
1. From the starting position, slowly lower your legs back down until they are almost touching the floor.
2. When your legs are almost touching the floor, reverse the motion and lift your legs back up to the starting position. Throughout the range of motion, focus on using your lower abdominal muscles to lift and lower your legs.