One of the advantages when you do leg lifts exercises is that you don’t need any particular equipment. If you choose the reverse leg lift you will work out all 3 gluteal muscles as well as the lower back, core, the legs and even the arms as they come in support of the body. If you go for the leg raise as you lie down on your back, you will then target your lower abs and hip muscles.

For better results, you can change every day from reverse leg lifts to the leg raise exercise. It is really important to make sure that you are able to touch upon as many muscles as possible during your weekly exercising routine so that all your body can remain in great shape but mostly balanced.

The Reverse Leg Lift

The reverse leg lift is a good way to replace the classic squats which are often easier to do at the gym with weights. It will also increase your balance, and you should see a difference in your posture once you have been practicing this exercise for a while.

This exercise will strengthen your buttocks. The muscles which are found in that location of the body are the ones that enable us to walk, run and jump. The better shape they are in, the more your cardio session will feel easier and provide you with more results. The simple act of reverse leg lift will burn calories but it’s probably in the additional strength you’ve gained that you’ll be able to burn more since you’ll be able to run and walk for longer periods of time and with more ease thanks to the muscles you will have developed. It will also shape your legs beautifully and help them grow stronger, which will also participate in your capacity to augment your endurance level in all the cardio portion of your training.

Reverse Leg Lifts Instructions

First, position your mat on the floor to protect your hands and knees. Then, get down on all fours and position your hands precisely under your shoulders. Your knees should be on a straight line with your hips.

To get into action, raise your left leg by bringing it towards the back of your body. While you do that, you should also squeeze the muscles inside your buttocks for a more effective workout of the muscles. Finally, bring it back down slowly. Repeat as many times as you want or can before changing leg. In general, a minimum of eight times is necessary to see results. You should complete the process by exercising each leg four times. In the end, your complete workout will come to a minimum of 32 reverse leg lifts per leg. Within 14 to 21 days you should feel and see the difference on your body. When you feel ultra-comfortable doing the movement and it comes with ease, add some resistance with a band to raise the difficulty level.

Important Points to Keep in Mind

Exercising always comes with the potential of hurting yourself if you do not practise the exercise the right way. Regarding the reverse leg lift, you need to make sure you do not lift the leg higher than the hip. Be in touch with your body and find a way to keep your back straight at all time. If it is difficult for you to tell, exercise in front of a mirror. Whatever you do, do not arch your back. All exercises should always be performed slowly. Otherwise, the rapid movement could hurt your muscles, and it won’t bring you the results you are looking for either.

The Leg Raise

This is one of the best exercises to strengthen your abs while also taking care of your core muscles in general, which in turn is the best way to prevent back lower back pain. The more you will exercise end render that part of your body string, the less pain you should be feeling. At the opposite of the reverse leg lift which is a rather easy exercise (at least to start), the leg raise can be very difficult and painful, especially for those with under-developed abs. For starters, you will feel your abs as if they were burning while doing the exercise and they may continue to do so after the first few times.

Leg Raise Instructions

If you are at the gym and have access to a chin-up bar or a raised curve bar, you can use both to practice this exercise. However, at the beginning, it is suggested to start while lying down. The difficulty is already high enough without adding the weight of your body. The first movement should be the most simple: While lying on your back, hands flat on the mattress, raise both your legs straight at a distance of about 20cm. Keep them like this for as long as you can. Do not worry if you cannot last long. As we said before, this is not easy but with time you will see amazing results on all of your core muscles.