Modified Leg Raises
The modified leg raise bends the knees to shorten the lever, letting anyone train the raise pattern — pelvis anchored, lower back quiet — at a load their trunk can actually manage. It is where every leg-raise journey should begin, and where it should return whenever form frays. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 × 6 (3-second lowering) | 90 s |
| Muscle | 3–4 × 10–15 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 3 × 18–25 | 45–60 s |
Level — Beginner
Beginner — deliberately so; the knee angle is a dial you open as the brace strengthens.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Lie flat with knees bent around 90 degrees, hands beside the hips or under the tailbone.
- Press the lower back gently down and commit to keeping it there.
- Raise the bent legs until the knees stack over the hips.
- Lower the heels slowly toward the floor, stopping the instant back pressure fades.
- Tap the heels lightly — or hover — and lift again without slack.
Breathing: Exhale as the heels lower — the test moment — inhale on the lift.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
How to program modified leg raises
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength — beginner | 3 | 6 with 2 s lowering | 1-0-2-0 | 90 s | 6-7 |
| Strength — standard | 4 | 6 with 3 s lowering | 1-0-3-0 | 90 s | 7-8 |
| Strength — advanced | 4 | 6-8 with 4 s lowering, legs straighter | 1-1-4-0 | 90 s | 8 |
| Hypertrophy — beginner | 3 | 10-12 | 1-0-2-0 | 60-90 s | 7 |
| Hypertrophy — standard | 3-4 | 10-15 | 1-0-2-0 | 60-90 s | 7-8 |
| Hypertrophy — advanced | 4 | 15 with 1 s top pause, no floor touch | 1-1-2-0 | 60 s | 8-9 |
| Endurance — beginner | 3 | 14-18 | smooth continuous | 60 s | 6-7 |
| Endurance — standard | 3 | 18-25 | smooth continuous | 45-60 s | 7-8 |
| Endurance — advanced | 3 | 25, heels hover between reps | smooth continuous | 45 s | 8 |
| Beginner on-ramp — week 1-2 | 2 | 8 single-leg (other foot stays down) | slow, lower back pressed down | 90 s | 4-5 |
| Beginner on-ramp — week 3-4 | 2-3 | 8-10 both legs, deep knee bend | 2 s up, 2 s down | 60-90 s | 6 |
| Deload / technique | 2 | 8, exhale fully at the bottom of each rep | slow, pelvis silent | 60 s | 5 |
Common questions
Are bent-knee leg raises still worth doing?
Entirely — they train the identical skill as full raises, anchoring the pelvis against a lowering load, at a resistance the trunk can control. The muscle does not know the exercise's name, only the tension. A quality modified set beats a compromised straight-leg set every single time.
How do I progress from modified to straight-leg raises?
Open the knee angle gradually across weeks — 90 degrees, then 120, then nearly straight — keeping the back's floor contact as the pass-fail test at each stage. The alternate single-straight-leg raise makes a good intermediate stop. When nearly-straight is quiet and controlled, full raises are ready.
How often can I train these?
Two to four times weekly integrates well, since the loading is moderate and recovery is quick at this level. Pair them with an anti-extension drill like planks and something for the obliques, and the trunk gets a complete weekly picture rather than one repeated slice.
Related exercises
Harder: Leg Raises
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