Plow Raise
The plow raise is a lying straight-leg raise in which the legs travel all the way over until your toes touch the floor behind your head. It works the abs and hip flexors through a very long range while stretching the hamstrings and low back, and it is the last floor step before hanging leg raises.
Also called: Plow Raises, Straight Leg Plow Raise, Plough Raise · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: isolation
Step by step
- Lie flat on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down.
- Keeping your legs straight, raise them smoothly up and over until your toes touch the floor behind you; your low back lifts off the floor.
- Keep your weight on your shoulders and upper back rather than your neck.
- Pause for 2–3 seconds, pressing your thighs towards your chest.
- Return slowly with straight legs until your heels are about an inch above the floor.
- Hold there for one second, then begin the next rep.
- Legs straight all the way
- Toes to the floor behind you
- Weight on your upper back, not your neck
- Pause and press at the top
- Slow down, heels an inch off the floor
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Rectus abdominis: lower | Prime mover | C |
| Hip flexors: iliopsoas | Prime mover | B |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Secondary | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Bending the knees to reach the floor
Fix: Keep your legs straight and reach only as far as your flexibility allows.
Rolling onto the neck
Fix: Keep your weight on your shoulders and upper back at the top.
Swinging up
Fix: Raise the legs smoothly and pause at the top for 2–3 seconds.
Dropping the legs
Fix: Bring the legs down slowly and hold the heels an inch above the floor.
What the research says
Endurance
- Muscles worked — EMG research finds straight-leg raises work the hip flexors heavily alongside the abs, and movements that curl the pelvis towards the chest bias the abs below the navel. EMG measures activity, not growth.
- Load — Research finds lighter loads favour muscular endurance, which is what bodyweight leg raises mainly train, and growth depends on sets finishing close to failure.
- Sets and reps — Hampton's Hybrid Calisthenics standards run from 2 sets of 10 to 2 sets of 20. There is no research on plow-raise programming.
- Flexibility — Hampton pairs this rung with hamstring stretching and Jefferson curls. There is no research on this pairing.
Log the plow raise in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.