How To Do Leg Raise And Donkey Kick Workouts
Are you looking for exercises to work on your buttocks and abs? The leg raise and donkey kick are some of the best exercises one can do. Also, it helps that those two don’t require much equipment as the only thing you’ll need is a mattress. That being said, prepare yourself, warm up your muscles, and let’s get into it!
What is Leg Raise?
Leg raise is a perfect exercise to work on your lower abs which is very easy to do. Doing this workout will help you take care of your core and prevent lower back pain. The more you do it, the less pain you will feel.
One thing you will notice while doing this exercise is that you will feel a lot of pain in your lower abs if you are a beginner. The pain will be worse after a couple of days. However, it will get better and you’ll become more tolerant after the first week.
How To Do Leg Raise Exercise?
First, lay down on your mattress. Keep your arms next to your body while lying on your back. To initiate the exercise, start to raise both of your legs from the ground about 45 degrees. Keep it like that for as long as you can, then put your legs down. Repeat this five to ten times in a row to quickly see the result.
Another Way to Do Leg Raise
If you are at the gym, you can use a captain’s chair to do this exercise. This one is quite hard to do if you are a beginner since the intensity is quite high. It is recommended to do it when you are comfortable with the easier version above.
To perform this exercise on the captain’s chair, rest your forearms on the pads and grab them firmly. Lift your body using your arms. Next, start raising both of your legs up 90 degrees. Make sure that your legs are straight. Stay in this position as long as you can, then you can bring your legs down.
Alternative for Leg Raise on the Captain’s Chair
If the method above is too intense for you, we have an alternative way that will be a bit more enjoyable. The latter is very similar, but instead of lifting your legs, you just bend your knees. That means you bring your knees up to the same level as your hips. Then you bring your legs down.
Things to Keep in Mind While Doing a Leg Raise.
Firstly, make sure that your back is completely flat on the mattress. Please avoid arching your back in order to perform the required position. Furthermore, you can push your hands on the ground and while you are raising your legs, always keep them together. That is to say, they should always be nice and straight.
What is a Donkey Kick Exercise?
Donkey kick or reverse leg lift is the exercise that focuses on your buttocks which help you run, walk, or jump. Not only will you have a better shape, but it will also make your cardio feel much better. This can also replace the squat exercise. If you have been doing squats for a while and looking for something new to try, the donkey kick exercise should do the trick.
How To Do Donkey Kick?
There are two effective ways that you can do this. First, get down on your hands and knees. Your hands should be exactly under your shoulders. Your knees should be a little bit apart on the same line as your hips.
To initiate the exercise, start lifting one leg towards your back. While you are lifting, squeeze your buttocks muscles. During this position, your knees should be parallel to the ground. Then, slowly bring your leg down. It is recommended to do at least 3 sets of 10 reps on each side. You should see results on your buttocks within 15 to 20 days.
Another Way to Do Reverse Leg Lift
This method doesn’t require a mattress since you can do it while standing. To do so, you should hold on to something such as a wall or a bar. Then, you can lift one of your legs on your back. Squeeze your buttocks while doing this for the best results.
Things To Keep In Mind While Doing Donkey Kick.
One thing you should keep in mind is to not lift your leg higher than your hips and to not arch your back. In order to see if you are doing the exercise properly, you can do this in front of a mirror. Correct posture is extremely important when exercising.
These are two exercises that you can do to shape your abs and buttocks. The result will vary depending on how consistent you are as you need to commit yourself to the workout. Eating good food is also very important. If you are strict with yourself, you will definitely see results in a month or two.