# Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/10689/assisted-lying-leg-raise-with-lateral-throw-down/ - Media ID: 10689 - Primary muscle: Obliques - Body part: Core - Equipment: Partner Assistance - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/10689/assisted-lying-leg-raise-with-lateral-throw-down.mp4 ## Description The Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down is a partner-based core exercise that combines a straight-leg raise with a resisted side-to-side lowering of the legs. You lie flat on your back with your head toward your partner and grip their ankles for stability. After raising your legs to vertical, your partner pushes your legs down and out to one side, and your job is to resist that push, control the descent, and pull the legs back to the top before the next rep goes to the opposite side. Because the legs travel sideways rather than straight down toward your head, the obliques on the side being lowered take on heavy work. The lower abs and hip flexors drive the leg raise to the top position, while the glutes and stabilizers keep your pelvis from twisting as your legs sweep away from midline. This rotational component is what separates it from a standard lying leg raise or a front leg throw down, making it a good choice for athletes in twisting sports like martial arts, tennis, soccer, and baseball. The setup matters more than people expect. Your grip on your partner's ankles is your only anchor, so it needs to be secure enough to stop your shoulders and upper back from sliding across the floor as your legs get pushed off to the side. Keep your lower back pressed toward the floor as long as you can during each descent, because the moment your lumbar spine arches and the pelvis tips, the stress shifts away from the abs and into the lower back. Execution should feel like a fight you lose slowly. When your partner pushes, apply opposing tension rather than letting the legs drop, and stop the descent at the floor or just above it with control. Return the legs to vertical by pulling with the obliques and lower abs, not by jerking with momentum from the trunk. Exhale on the lowering phase, breathe on the way back up, and reset your brace before the next rep. This drill works well as a finisher at the end of a core session, since it needs no equipment and fatigues the obliques quickly. It also pairs nicely with a front version of the throw down in the same session so the rectus abdominis and obliques get balanced work. Choose a partner who pushes with a firm but predictable force; the exercise is only as controlled as the assistance allows, and an overly aggressive push turns a core builder into a lower-back strain risk. ## Instructions 1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs straight and together, positioned so your head sits just in front of your partner's feet. 2. Reach overhead and grip your partner's ankles firmly, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders pulled slightly down away from your ears. 3. Brace your core and press your lower back toward the floor before your legs move. 4. Raise your straight legs together to a vertical position directly over your hips, keeping the knees locked or nearly locked. 5. Have your partner push your legs firmly down and out to one side toward the floor. 6. Resist the push by actively tensing the obliques on the opposite side, controlling the descent instead of letting the legs drop. 7. Pause briefly at or just above the floor, then pull your legs back to the vertical start position using your core, not momentum. 8. Repeat the throw down to the opposite side and continue alternating sides for the desired number of reps. 9. Exhale as your legs lower and inhale as you return them to the top, keeping your head relaxed on the floor throughout. 10. Lower your legs back to the floor only when the set is finished, then release your grip and stand up slowly to avoid dizziness. ## Tips & Tricks - If your upper body slides sideways on each throw, your grip or body position is too loose. Move slightly closer to your partner and squeeze their ankles harder so your arms act as anchors. - Watch for the pelvis rolling toward the side being pushed. If it rolls early, you lose the oblique tension, so cue yourself to keep both hips heavy and facing up as long as possible. - A common mistake is letting the partner do all the work by staying passive. Without active resistance, the descent is uncontrolled and your core gets almost no loading, so always push back against the hands. - Keep the knees straight during both the raise and the throw down. Bent knees shorten the lever, which makes the movement easier but shifts work away from the lower abs and obliques. - If your lower back arches off the floor before your legs reach the ground, you have gone too low. Stop the descent higher and shrink the range until you can keep the lumbar spine in contact. - Tell your partner to keep the force consistent rep to rep. Jerky or randomly hard pushes are the main reason people strain their back on this drill. - Start with a short range and only a small lateral angle if you are new to the movement; the leverage on the spine is much higher with straight legs than with bent knees. - Avoid gripping a partner's shins or knees instead of the ankles, as the longer contact point makes it harder to stabilize your shoulders and can pull you out of position. - Slow the return phase down rather than the descent. Most people swing the legs back to vertical with momentum, which robs the obliques of the concentric portion of the rep. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which muscles does the Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down work? The obliques are the main movers because they control and resist the sideways lowering of the legs. The lower abs and hip flexors handle the leg raise to vertical, with the glutes and deep core stabilizing the pelvis. ### Why do I grip my partner's ankles instead of lying flat? Gripping the ankles anchors your upper body so your shoulders do not slide across the floor as your legs get pushed to the side. It also gives your arms a fixed point to pull against during the return to vertical. ### Is this exercise safe for the lower back? It is safe when your partner pushes with controlled force and you keep your lower back from arching during the descent. Straight legs create a long lever on the lumbar spine, so reduce the range of motion or bend the knees slightly if you feel any strain. ### Can beginners do the Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down? Yes, but beginners should use a gentle push, a smaller lateral angle, and slightly bent knees to shorten the lever. Once the pelvis stays stable and the back stays flat, they can progress to straight legs and a fuller range. ### How is the lateral throw down different from a regular front leg throw down? In the lateral version, the legs are pushed down and out to the sides, which loads the obliques and challenges rotational control of the pelvis. The front version targets the rectus abdominis more directly because the legs travel straight down over your head. ### What should my partner do to make the exercise effective? The partner should push firmly and consistently toward the floor at a moderate speed, giving you time to resist and control the descent. Pushes that are too fast or too hard turn the drill into an uncontrolled drop rather than a resisted movement. ### What can I use if I do not have a training partner? You can simulate the movement with a lying side-to-side leg lower or a controlled straight-leg oblique lower on the floor. A cable or resistance band attached to your ankles can also provide sideways resistance while you lie on your back. ### How many reps and sets should I do? Two to three sets of 8 to 12 throws per side works well as a core finisher. Since the partner's push sets the load, adjust the number of reps based on how quickly your resistance and control break down. ### Why does my upper body slide during the throw down? Your grip is probably too loose or you are positioned too far from your partner, so there is nothing anchoring the shoulders. Grip the ankles firmly, keep the arms straight, and if sliding continues, reduce the force of the pushes. ### Should my knees stay straight the whole time? Straight knees are the standard execution because they maximize the leverage on the core, but slightly bent knees are a smart modification if you are still building strength. Keep the bend consistent throughout the set rather than letting the knees drift.