Pendulum Arms Side Leg Raise

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms hanging naturally at your sides.
2. Engage your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees to create a stable base.
3. Fix your gaze on a point straight ahead to help maintain balance throughout the movement.

How to do it

1. Simultaneously lift your right leg straight out to the side while swinging both arms across your body to the left.
2. Exhale as you reach the peak of the leg raise, ensuring your torso remains upright and does not tilt.
3. Inhale as you lower the leg and swing the arms back through the center in a fluid, pendulum-like motion.
4. Immediately repeat the movement on the opposite side, lifting the left leg while swinging arms to the right.

Form checklist

• Keep your toes pointed forward on the lifting leg to maximize glute engagement.
• Maintain a tall spine and avoid leaning your torso away from the lifting leg.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and down, away from your ears, during the arm swing.
• Ensure the standing leg remains stable with a 'soft' knee—do not lock it out.

Pro tips

• Focus on the mind-muscle connection in your obliques; they should act as the 'brakes' that control the momentum of your swinging arms.
• Pause for a split second at the top of the leg raise to challenge your balance and peak muscle contraction.

Make it harder

• Hold light dumbbells or wear wrist weights to increase the resistance on the deltoids and core.
• Slow down the tempo significantly to remove momentum, forcing the muscles to work harder through the entire range of motion.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the pendulum arms side leg raise work?

The pendulum arms side leg raise primarily targets the deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the pendulum arms side leg raise?

The pendulum arms side leg raise requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the pendulum arms side leg raise good for beginners?

The pendulum arms side leg raise is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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