How to Do Static Leg Lifts

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1 Strengthening Your Hips

2 Stabilizing Your Pelvis

3 Toning Your Legs

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Co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Static exercises, including static leg lifts, can help build strength and stability without you ever moving a muscle. In fact, the whole point of static exercises is that you hold a specific position without moving your body. Static leg lifts are particularly beneficial for people who have had recent leg, knee, foot, or hip injuries, and may be prescribed as part of your physical therapy. You can do static leg lifts to stabilize your pelvis, strengthen your hips, and tone your legs.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Strengthening Your Hips

1. 1
   Start with the basic leg lift. When you raise your legs from the hips, you can strengthen your hips, which will result in increased mobility and less lower back pain. To perform the basic static leg lift, lie on your back on the floor.

   • You can place your hands under your buttocks or lower back to help support your pelvis. You also can do this exercise with your arms along your sides, palms on the floor.
   • Start with your legs flat out on the floor. As you exhale, lift your legs off the floor from the hips and bend your knees towards your chest. Keep your back straight and flat against the floor.
   • Hold the pose for at least ten seconds before lowering your legs. If you can, you can hold the position twenty or thirty seconds.
2. 2
   Try lying straight leg lifts. Straight leg lifts are a little more difficult than the basic leg lift with bent knees. This exercise will help you further strengthen your hips as well as the muscles in your thighs.

   • Do this exercise from the same position as you were in to perform the basic leg lift. However, instead of bending your knees, you will lift an extended leg up until your thighs are completely flexed. Your leg should be straight, but a slight bend in your knee is acceptable when you first begin. Keep your abs braced and your pelvis neutral throughout.
   • Make sure you are lifting from your hips, and try to go as far as you can without pain. Think of bringing your thighs to your chest rather than raising your foot straight up toward the ceiling.
   • Hold the pose for at least ten seconds. As you practice this exercise, you can extend the length of time that you hold it by ten seconds each time.
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3. 3
   Do extension lifts. Isometric hip extensions will help strengthen your hips as well as improving your balance. To do this exercise, you'll need a sturdy chair or table that you can hold onto for support.

   • Stand to the side of your chair or table, supporting yourself for balance with your nearest arm.
   • Slowly raise your leg forward. If it helps, you can imagine that you are closing a door with your foot. Hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds, then lower it to the floor in a slow and controlled movement. Repeat two or three times, then change legs.
   • As you lift your leg, make sure you're not leaning too much and keeping your torso as straight as possible.
4. 4
   Add resistance. Once you can hold the various leg lifts for one to two minutes without shaking or struggling, you might consider adding some weight to your leg or ankle to make the exercise more difficult.

   • When using cuff weights to increase resistance, start with half a pound of weight and gradually add weigh in one-pound increments.
   • You typically can find cuff weights with slots that allow you to add weight to the cuffs in small, half-pound increments.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Stabilizing Your Pelvis

1. 1
   Try leg lifts from the side plank position. Leg lifts from the lower side plank position help strengthen your core as well as your hips, and also will increase the mobility in your hips and relieve tightness.

   • Get into lower side plank position, resting on your elbow and forearm with your legs extended, ankles stacked. Make sure your elbow is directly under your shoulder.
   • Lift the top leg, being careful to keep your body in a straight line and not roll your hips forward or back with the movement. Hold this position for between ten and thirty seconds.
   • Once you've mastered leg lifts from the elbow side plank position, you can progress to leg lifts from raised side plank. This is a challenging exercise that also improves your balance and overall core stability.
2. 2
   Try clams. Clams will strengthen your hips, glutes, and thighs. This exercise is done lying on your side with your knees bent so that your ankles are aligned with your glutes.

   • Lie on your side, bending your bottom arm at the elbow so you can rest your head in your palm. Bend the knee of your top leg 90 degrees, flexing your foot. Your bottom leg should be extended out, also with your foot flexed.
   • Raise your top leg up until you feel the muscles in your hips and thighs contracting. Hold for ten seconds, maintaining the 90-degree bend in your knee. Then lower until your leg is parallel to the floor. Make sure you aren't rolling your torso or hips back when you move your leg.
3. 3
   Do a bridge series. Bridges themselves are static exercises that will greatly assist in stabilizing your pelvis. You also can do double-leg bridges or single-leg bridges in a dynamic series as a strength-building exercise.

   • To do a double-leg bridge, lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent so that the soles of your feet are resting on the floor. Your arms should be by your sides, palms flat on the floor. On an exhale, engage your abs and lift your hips to create a bridge. Hold for a few breaths and then release.
   • A single-leg bridge uses the same movement as a double-leg bridge, except that you lift one leg straight towards the ceiling while the other remains flat on the floor. Make sure you do both sides.
   • Hold each bridge exercise for between ten and thirty seconds. Make sure to do it on each leg for single-leg exercises.
4. 4
   Add leg lifts to planks. The plank is a standard exercise for building core strength. If you combine leg lifts with planks, it will make the plank itself more challenging, but it also will help build strength in your hips and stabilize your pelvis.

   • When lifting your legs while doing planks, make sure that your hips are not turning with the movement and that your body weight isn't shifting.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Toning Your Legs

1. 1
   Try seated leg lifts. You may think seated leg lifts look pretty easy, but appearances can be deceiving. Even small movements will give you a serious workout.

   • Sit up straight with your legs extended in front of you. Make sure your back is neutral and your shoulders are rolled back, not crunched forward. You may want to place a rolled towel or blanket behind your lower back to help your posture.
   • Lift one leg up and out to the side in a slow, controlled movement. Hold the lift for ten seconds, then slowly return it to center and lower. Do the other leg to complete one rep. Your range of motion may be small at first, but you can build up gradually as your muscles get stronger.
2. 2
   Isolate the muscles in your legs. If you learn how to isolate each of the muscles in your legs and contract them without moving, you can do isometric contractions. These static exercises will help tone your muscles, giving you a tighter and more fit appearance.

   • If you've never done isometric contractions before, it may be easiest to start with large muscles such as quads or calves. You can work on contracting smaller muscles as you develop better body awareness.
3. 3
   Contract each individual muscle to maximum exertion. For isometric contractions to work, you need to be squeezing the muscle as tightly as you possibly can. With each repetition, try to squeeze the muscle a little more tightly.

   • Hold the contraction for five seconds. Breathe deeply as you do so. As you practice, work your way to contracting the muscles for 60 seconds at a time.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can I build my calves without equipment?

  

  Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
  Certified Personal Trainer

  Julian Arana is a Personal Trainer and the Founder of B-Fit Training Studios, a personal training and wellness set of studios based in Miami, Florida. Julian has over 12 years of personal training and coaching experience. He is a certified personal trainer (CPT) by the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF). He has a BS in Exercise Physiology from Florida International University and an MS in Exercise Physiology specializing in strength and conditioning from the University of Miami.

  

  Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT

  Certified Personal Trainer

  Expert Answer

  The best way to build your calves without equipment is to train them often and use a full range of motion to activate them properly. All you need is to stand on an edge, such as the edge of a step on a flight of stairs, and then lower and raise your heels to do calf raises. Train your calves at least three times per week and include single leg standing calf raises in your training.

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• Question

  How long does it takes to get thicker hips?

  

  Community Answer

  It depends on your body and how frequently you do the exercises, but you should see results in a month or two.

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• Question

  What foods can help with losing thigh fat?

  

  Community Answer

  Reduced fat foods help a lot. Also, high quality protein such as lean meats and nuts are great. Fruits and vegetables are always good choices as well.

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Tips

• You can do static leg lifts and other static exercises on their own, or incorporate them into an existing exercise routine by alternating them with other dynamic exercises.
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• Particularly if you're recovering from a recent injury, make sure you talk to your health care provider before you start any new exercise plan.
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