# Alternate Leg Raise With Head Up (Version 2) - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/7450/alternate-leg-raise-with-head-up-version-2/ - Media ID: 7450 - Primary muscle: Abs - Body part: Core - Equipment: Body Weight - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/7450/alternate-leg-raise-with-head-up-version-2.mp4 ## Description The Alternate Leg Raise With Head Up is a floor-based core exercise where you lie on your back, lift your head and shoulders off the ground with your hands cradling your head, and raise and lower each leg in turn while keeping both feet off the floor for the entire set. Unlike the flat-back version, holding the head up keeps your trunk slightly flexed the whole time, which forces the abdominal wall to stay under continuous tension rather than getting a rest at the bottom of each rep. This movement hits the lower portion of the rectus abdominis hardest, since lowering one leg while the other stays elevated challenges your ability to keep the pelvis from tilting forward. The hip flexors — particularly the iliopsoas and rectus femoris — drive the actual leg lifting, while the deep core stabilizers work isometrically to hold your spine still against the changing load. If you feel your lower back peeling off the floor during the set, that is a sign the abs are losing the battle to the hip flexors, and it is the main thing to watch for. Because no equipment is needed beyond a mat or a patch of carpet, this is one of the most practical core exercises for home training, warm-ups, and travel workouts. It suits people who find lying leg raises with both legs too difficult, since lifting one leg at a time roughly halves the leverage load while still demanding continuous brace work. It is also a useful progression tool: as you get stronger, you simply lower the working leg closer to the floor to increase the challenge. Setup matters more than speed here. Lying flat with your lower back pressed gently toward the floor, hands lightly supporting (not pulling) the back of your head, gives you a stable base from which the legs can move. If your head and shoulders drop between reps, the abs disengage and the hip flexors start yanking on your lumbar spine, which is where most of the discomfort people report with leg raises actually comes from. Execution should look like a slow, controlled scissor-free pattern: one knee stays extended and lifts to roughly vertical while the other lowers toward the floor, then the two trade positions without both feet ever touching down. Keep the working knee as straight as your hamstrings allow — a slight bend is fine, but the straighter the leg, the longer the lever and the greater the abdominal demand. Exhale as each leg rises, and avoid snapping into the next rep. A reasonable starting dose is 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 alternations per leg, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. If your neck fatigues before your abs, that usually means you are pulling on your head or over-craning to look at your feet — reposition your gaze toward your knees and let the abs, not the arms, hold the torso up. ## Instructions 1. Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat with both legs extended and together on the floor. 2. Place your fingertips lightly behind your ears or at the back of your head and lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the floor, keeping your gaze toward your knees. 3. Press your lower back gently down into the mat and brace your abs as if bracing for a light punch to the stomach. 4. Keeping one leg on the floor, raise the other leg with the knee as straight as comfortable until it points roughly toward the ceiling. 5. Begin lowering the first leg toward the floor while simultaneously raising the opposite leg, so the two legs trade positions smoothly. 6. Stop the descending leg a few inches above the mat — or lower only as far as you can keep your lower back flat — then switch again. 7. Keep both feet off the floor for the entire set; do not let the resting leg touch down or rest between alternations. 8. Exhale as each leg lifts and inhale as it lowers, keeping your breathing steady rather than holding your breath. 9. Keep your elbows wide and avoid pulling on your head; the torso position should stay fixed throughout the set. 10. After your final rep, lower both legs together to the floor, then release your head and shoulders down to rest before the next set. ## Tips & Tricks - If your lower back arches as a leg descends, do not lower as far — stop higher up until your abs are strong enough to control a longer lever. - Check that your hands are supporting your head, not pulling it forward; pulling the head is the most common cause of neck strain in this exercise. - The straighter your legs, the harder the movement — bend the knees slightly if your hamstrings or hips cannot manage fully extended legs. - Do not let your head and shoulders sink between reps; once the torso drops, the abs unload and the exercise loses most of its point. - Slow the switching phase down. Most people rush the trade between legs, which turns the set into momentum-driven swings instead of controlled raises. - Your lower back should stay in contact with the mat at all times. If it lifts, that is your cue to reduce range, not to push through. - Pointing your toes lightly can help keep the legs long and tidy, but avoid clenched toes or rigid ankles that create tension elsewhere. - If you feel the work mostly in the front of your thighs rather than your stomach, slow down and re-brace — your hip flexors are compensating for a passive core. - Place a folded towel under the tailbone if the bony contact with the floor is uncomfortable during the set. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which muscles does the Alternate Leg Raise With Head Up work? The primary target is the lower portion of the rectus abdominis, supported by the deep core stabilizers that hold the pelvis still. The hip flexors, especially the iliopsoas and rectus femoris, perform the actual leg lifting. ### Why does this version keep the head up instead of resting it on the floor? Holding the head and shoulders off the floor keeps the abdominals under constant tension and prevents them from resting between reps. It makes the exercise considerably harder than the flat version at the same range. ### Is the Alternate Leg Raise With Head Up suitable for beginners? Yes, with modifications. Beginners can keep the head down, raise the leg with a bent knee, or limit how far the other leg lowers until the lower back can stay flat throughout. ### Why does my lower back hurt when my leg gets close to the floor? As the leg lowers, the leverage on the pelvis increases, and if the abs cannot hold the pelvis still, the lumbar spine arches. Stop the descent higher up and only progress toward the floor as your control improves. ### Should both legs stay straight during the exercise? Straight legs make the lever longer and the exercise harder, but a small knee bend is perfectly acceptable. Prioritize a flat lower back and smooth switching over fully locked-out knees. ### Can my feet touch the floor between reps? No — the whole point of the continuous alternating pattern is that the resting leg stays elevated, so the core never gets a break. If you need a rest, end the set and start fresh after a pause. ### What can I substitute if the Alternate Leg Raise With Head Up is too difficult? Try the same alternating pattern with the head resting on the mat, or perform single-leg raises with the non-working foot planted on the floor. Both reduce the leverage load while keeping the movement pattern. ### How do I stop my neck from tiring before my abs? Keep your gaze toward your knees rather than your feet or the ceiling, support the head with your fingertips instead of interlaced fingers, and do not pull the elbows forward. If the neck still fatigues first, build up with the head-down version. ### How many reps and sets should I do? Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 controlled alternations per leg, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Once you can complete all sets with a flat lower back and no rushed reps, lower the descending leg closer to the mat. ### Is it a problem that I feel this more in my hip flexors than my abs? Some hip flexor involvement is unavoidable because they lift the leg, but excessive dominance usually means the core is passive. Re-brace before each rep, slow the tempo down, and reduce the range until the abdominal work is noticeable again.