Bottoms Up

Also called bottoms up abs, leg raise hip lift and candlestick lift.

Works

Abs

Equipment

Bodyweight

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Begin by lying on your back on the ground. Your legs should be straight and your arms at your side. This will be your starting position.

1. To perform the movement, tuck the knees toward your chest by flexing the hips and knees. Following this, extend your legs directly above you so that they are perpendicular to the ground. Rotate and elevate your pelvis to raise your glutes from the floor.
2. After a brief pause, return to the starting position.

Cues

• Tuck the knees to the chest.
• Extend the legs straight up.
• Lift the hips off the floor.
• Lower slow, no swing.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the legs.
• Pushing hard with the hands.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a cranky lower back. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Harder

Easier

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