Tuck Plow Raise
The tuck plow raise is a lying leg raise in which you bring bent knees up and over your body until your thighs press against your chest and your hips lift off the floor. It works the abs and hip flexors through a long range, and it leads on to the straight-leg plow raise.
Also called: Tuck Plow Raises, Tucked Plow Raise · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: isolation
Step by step
- Lie flat on your back with your arms by your sides.
- Bend your knees and bring your legs up smoothly until your thighs press firmly against your chest; your low back lifts slightly off the floor.
- Pause for 2–3 seconds, pressing your thighs towards your chest as a strength stretch.
- Descend slowly, gradually straightening your legs as they come down.
- Hold your heels about an inch above the floor for one second.
- Repeat, keeping the heels off the floor between reps.
- Thighs to your chest
- Hips lift off the floor
- Pause and press at the top
- Slow on the way 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 |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Rocking into the top
Fix: Bring the legs up smoothly and pause at the top for 2–3 seconds.
Heels resting on the floor
Fix: Hold your heels about an inch above the floor before the next rep.
Dropping the legs
Fix: Straighten your legs slowly as they come down, taking two to three seconds.
Cramping at the top
Fix: Pause, relax and stretch for a moment, then continue.
What the research says
General fitnessEndurance
- Muscles worked — EMG research finds leg-raise patterns 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.
Log the tuck 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.