Targeting the Abs in Ab exercises

Hello, I’m currently doing decline situps with a dumbell and hanging leg raises for abs. I’ve heard that if you’re not rounding and flexing your spine while doing these exercises it will primarily be a hip flexor exercise. Is this true? For the leg raises is that why the feet must be raised very high in the air? It seems hard to focus on rounding my spine in the decline situps but I do make sure to go all the way down and come all the way up.

If you’re flexing your hips against load, you’re training the hip flexors sure. That said, a bit more or less spinal flexion doesn’t make or break the use of trunk muscles during these exercises.

I wouldn’t worry about it and don’t forget the isometric stuff!

1 Like