Exercise:

Leg Raises

Target Muscle:

Lower Abs

Secondary Muscle:

Upper Abs, Obliques, Hip Flexors

Equipment Needed:

Flat Bench

Proper Execution:

Lie on a flat bench and place your hands underneath your butt. Keep your lower back rounded and flat against the bench and raise your shoulders up slightly. With a slight bend in your knees, raise your legs up about 12-16 inches. Pause briefly at the top and then lower your legs back to the starting position. Continue until you reach muscular failure.

Tips:

It is important that you aim to keep the tension on your abs throughout the entire exercise. You can accomplish this by making sure not to raise your legs too high and also by not resting your abs at any point throughout the movement. Make sure to keep your lower back rounded rather than arched. You can hold a dumbbell in between your ankles to add more resistance if necessary.