What is a sensible starting dose for leg pull front?

Start with 2 sets of 5 lifts on each leg, holding the plank steady between reps rather than resetting each time. Before adding this to a routine, you should be able to hold a strict front plank for at least 30 seconds without the hips sagging, since that static hold is the foundation this move asks you to keep under a moving leg.

How do you make leg pull front easier or harder?

To make it easier, lift the leg only a few inches off the floor instead of to hip height, which keeps the plank shorter under load. To make it harder, hold each lift for a two-count at the top, or bring the hands slightly closer together and lift higher while keeping the hips perfectly square.

What is leg pull front good for, and when is it a poor choice?

It builds anti-extension core control under a moving load, tying together the front line of the body from shoulders to trunk in a way a static plank alone does not. It is a poor choice for anyone with wrist pain that a plank already aggravates, or shoulder instability, since the whole set is spent loading the shoulders and wrists while the legs move.

Advanced

Leg Pull Front

This is anti-extension core control under a moving load. In a rock-solid plank, lifting a leg tries to drop the opposite hip and sag the low back, so the rectus abdominis and obliques must brace hard while the shoulders and triceps hold the support. It ties the whole front line together and exposes any leak in trunk stability.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs, Shoulder
Type: Balance, Pilates, Strength
Browse by muscle: Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Set up in a front support with the hands under the shoulders and the body in one straight line from head to heels.
2
Brace the abdominals so the pelvis is level and the low back does not sag.
3
Inhale and lift one leg to hip height, keeping the hips square to the floor.
4
Exhale and lower the leg with control back to the start.
5
Keep the shoulders pressed away from the ears and the neck long throughout.
6
Alternate legs for the full set without letting the trunk shift.

Tips

Squeeze the standing-side glute and brace the belly before the leg leaves the floor.
Do not let the lifting hip hike or the opposite hip drop; keep the pelvis flat.
Press the floor away to keep the shoulder blades broad and stable.

Variations

Common mistakes

The head drops to look at the floor as the leg lifts, rounding the upper back and breaking the line from head to heels.
The lifting leg rotates outward at the hip instead of staying square to the floor, turning the raise into a slight opening of the hip instead of a straight lift.
By the last few reps of the set, the hips sink first and the low back follows, well before fatigue is supposed to show anywhere else.
Kicking the leg up quickly instead of matching it to the inhale turns a controlled brace-and-lift into a jerky test of momentum.
The hands turn outward under the load instead of pointing forward, rolling the wrists into a position that adds joint stress instead of support.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for leg pull front?: Start with 2 sets of 5 lifts on each leg, holding the plank steady between reps rather than resetting each time. Before adding this to a routine, you should be able to hold a strict front plank for at least 30 seconds without the hips sagging, since that static hold is the foundation this move asks you to keep under a moving leg.
How do you make leg pull front easier or harder?: To make it easier, lift the leg only a few inches off the floor instead of to hip height, which keeps the plank shorter under load. To make it harder, hold each lift for a two-count at the top, or bring the hands slightly closer together and lift higher while keeping the hips perfectly square.
What is leg pull front good for, and when is it a poor choice?: It builds anti-extension core control under a moving load, tying together the front line of the body from shoulders to trunk in a way a static plank alone does not. It is a poor choice for anyone with wrist pain that a plank already aggravates, or shoulder instability, since the whole set is spent loading the shoulders and wrists while the legs move.

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