Criss Cross Leg Raises

Perform criss cross leg raises to strengthen your core and hip flexors.

  1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides.
  2. Lift your legs off the ground, crossing them at the ankles.
  3. Raise your legs towards the ceiling, engaging your core.
  4. Lower your legs back down while maintaining the cross, without touching the floor.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Criss Cross Leg Raises

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Criss Cross Leg Raises using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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