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However, theres certainly nothing wrong with an abs routine or adding core work to your strength program.
What should I do if I cant do leg raises?
Not all is lost.
For example, those who struggle withleg raisesmight findhanging leg raisesmight do the trick.
Other times, bending the knees and performing a tuck can help reduce pressure on the hips.
For some, replacing leg raises with different moves that hit the same muscle groups is more effective.
Enter, dragon flags.
Squeeze your legs tight together and keep your body arrow straight.
The further you lower your legs, the harder this becomes to hold.
Notice the difference between performing leg raises on the ground and from a dragon flag position.
Are leg raises necessary?
Essentially, you want to find a fix at the source, rather than substituting the issue away.
Try lying on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the mat.
Next, practice bracing your stomach as if someone is going to punch you, then release.
Now, repeat the leg raises while practicing the hip tuck and the brace.
Softly bend your knees to relieve some of the tension from the exercise.
Personally, I prefer the intensity of the dragon flag.
It recruits more muscle groups at once while testing your balance and stability, just like holding a plank.
Check out the video above to play around with your options.
There are several ways to perform dragon flags, moving or un-moving, as demonstrated in the video.
Remember, your core cant get stronger if the target muscles arent properly activated during the exercise.
