Lying Leg Raises

This ab exercise is used extensively in the military and focuses on the lower abdominal muscles and hits the hip flexors. Start out laying flat on your back with your legs straight out in front of you. Begin the exercise by raising your legs straight up in the air in a controlled manner. Now its up to you how high you want to raise them, but it should be somewhere between 45 and 70 degrees from the ground. One thing you want to avoid is swinging your legs up and letting gravity or the elasticity of your body determine how high to raise them. Instead you should set a height in your mind and bring your legs up to the height and stop them there in a controlled motion. Arm placement affects how challenging this workout is. For instance if you place your hands underneath your glutes the exercise becomes a lot easier (good for beginners). The further you move your arms from your legs the harder the workout becomes. Advanced users should place their hands behind their head, but without putting pressure on the back of the head when raising your legs. Adding a bend to your knees makes the exercise easier. Conversely, you can make the exercise harder by pointing your toes (or by wearing heavy shoes). Be sure to breath out as you raise your legs and breath in as you lower your legs.