Core · On the floor

Pike compressions

On the floor, legs straight in front of you, back straight, hands by your knees. You lift one heel off the floor and hold it up, then the other, then both. The whole time, your chest moves toward your thighs through the strength of your abs.

It's the same position as single & double leg raises, but held instead of repeated: your legs stay up, and the time is what makes the drill. This active compression, the kind that folds your body without pulling with your arms, is the one you'll need to press up into a handstand, the press.

Family

Core

Equipment

None

Type

Hold

Train this exercise in the app

How to do it

1. Sit in a pike, legs straight in front of you, back straight, hands by your knees.
2. Lift one heel off the floor and hold it as high as you can for the set time.
3. Switch to the other heel, then both together.
4. Pull your chest toward your thighs the whole time.
5. When it gets easy, place your hands further toward your feet: the farther your hands, the harder it gets.

Two mistakes to avoid

Leaning back. To get your legs up, your torso moves back and your back rounds. Your legs lift, but by tipping back, with no compression. Keep your back straight and your chest toward your thighs, even if your heels only rise a centimeter.

Bending your knees. A bent leg is lighter, and it lifts off much more easily. It also takes away all the work. Keep your legs straight, and lengthen your body as you lift them high.

Related exercises

Single & double leg raisesSitting with your legs straight, you lift them off the floor: compression, the thing that prepares the press.CoreRepsHollow body holdThe handstand shape, practiced lying on your back with the lower back pressed down.CoreHoldPike holdHands and feet on the floor, hips high: the simplest version of that right angle, the one that teaches your shoulders to carry.ShouldersHold

All exercises: the catalog