How To Do Double Leg Drop

By: Chris Freytag, CPT


Chris Freytag demonstrates Double Leg Drops

A double leg drop is a core exercise that strengthens your lower abs and helps train your core stability to strengthen and protect your low back. Double leg drops teach the body to stay stable while the weight of your legs challenges your core strength by lowering slowly to the floor. If you learn how to do double leg drop, you will feel your abs grow stronger and pulled in tighter.

A double leg drop is an amazing move for flattening your belly because it trains the transverse abdominals which wrap around your mid-section like a belt in front of your hip bones and around the small of your back. Think of these muscles like your own internal corset that holds in your internal organs and helps you sit, stand and walk every day. Also, think of these muscles as your natural belly flatteners. This move is difficult for beginners. If you have trouble keeping your low back on the floor as your legs lower down, try lowering one leg at a time at first. Once you build up strength, then switch to the double leg drop.

Keep in mind that getting flat abs isn’t just about abdominal strengthening. You need to eat healthy and get your cardio exercise in addition to great core moves like the double leg drop. Check our this workout: The Ultimate Hiit Workout To Blast Belly Fat.

Try double leg dropa a few times a week and you will notice your results quickly. Another great workout to try any time and anywhere is our routine: The Flat Belly Lunch You Can Do On Your Lunch Break.

Use the links below to quickly navigate this guide:

WANT TO SAVE THIS ARTICLE?

Enter your email & get this article sent to your inbox.

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.


    How To Do Double Leg Drops

    Here are the steps to performing the Double Leg Drop:

    1) Start lying on back with legs straight up above hips and arms along side body.

    2) Tighten your abdominals and press low back into mat as you slowly lower your legs as far as you can without letting your back lift.  Slowly lift legs back to start position and repeat.

    What Muscles Do Double Leg Drops Work?

    A double leg drop is an awesome core strength move that works your low abs – your rectus abdominus – as well as your lower back muscles and stabilizers. It is a great move for strengthening your entire core!

    Benefits of Double Leg Drops

    There are many reasons you should incorporate double leg drops into your workouts. Here are just a few:

    Stronger Core

    A double leg drop is a unique and challenging way to strengthen your core. The core is made of many muscles, but the most powerful of them all is the transverse abdominus. This muscles, located in the lower abs, is the one you pull in to keep your low back protected and to stabilize you as you move.

    Stronger Low Back

    Low back pain affects upwards of 80% of the U.S Population. Strengthening your core with moves like the double leg drop strengthens your lower back and the muscle surrounding your spine.

    How Many Calories Does Double Leg Drop Burn?

    People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most exercises will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working at high intensity. A double leg drop is a core body move that does not focus as much on heart rate or calorie burn. However, included as part of an overall workout program you will burn calories and get results!

    Other Exercises Similar to Double Leg Drops

    If you like double leg drops and the results you get from them, here are a few more exercises you might want to try.

    1. How To Do Crossbody Planks
    2. How To Do Swimming
    3. How To Do Criss Cross

    Incorporating Double Leg Drop Into Your Workouts

    Double leg drops are an amazing exercise all on their own! However, you could also incorporate double leg drops into other workouts to mix them up. Here are some ideas to get you started.

    Use Double Leg Drops in a Core Strength Workout

    It only takes 4 or 5 good moves to get a complete core workout and cover virtually every muscle group in your mid-section. Double Leg Drop is incorporated into this next workout that will do just exactly that!

    Sculpted Core in 6 Simple Moves Workout: Here’s a short, sweet and effective workout for your core that uses double leg dropa as an anchor! For the following workout, perform the exercise as instructed. If you still feel great at the end, try going through each move one more time!

    Oblique Crunch – 15 Reps per side

    Plank Jacks – 15 Reps

    Sprinter Sit-Ups – 15 Reps Right leg, 15 Reps Left leg

    Hip Dips – 16 Total Reps

    Double Leg Drops – 6-8 Reps

    Straight Leg Toe Touch – 15 Reps

    (repeat)

    Use Double Leg Drops in a Pilates Workout

    Pilates is a method of exercise that focuses on core strength, elongating your muscles, and balance. It is a tried and true form of exercise that started as strength training for ballet dancers and has long been mixed into workouts of all kinds for all people! If you have never tried Pilates, it is definitely time! Double leg drops use a pilates principle called “imprint.” That means you pull your lower abs in enough to press your low back into the floor and keep it there as you move. It works!

    At Home Power Pilates Workout: No equipment needed. Just get a mat and get ready to work hard.

    Full Body Roll-Ups – 6 reps

    Pilates 100

    Bird Dog Crunch – 10 reps per side

    Swimming – use swimming counting like Pilates 100 and go to 100

    Double Leg Drops – 6 reps down and up

    Use Double Leg Drop in a Full Body Strength Challenge

    A double leg drop is a great core body challenge to incorporate into a full body strength workout. Core work can be part of every workout and can be done every day! Check out our simple, effective at home strength workout that includes Double Leg Drop.

    Full Body Strength At Home Challenge: This workout uses double leg drops for the core move and covers every muscle and more! Grab a medium pair of dumbbells and go from one move directly to the next. Make sure you repeat 2 times!

    Push-Ups – 12 reps

    Bicep Curl Lunge – 12 Reps

    Tricep Overhead Extensions – 12 Reps

    Squat Thruster – 12 Reps

    Shoulder Front Raise – 12 Reps

    Cross Behind Lunge Lateral Raise – 12 Reps

    Straight Arm Press Back – 12 Reps

    Reverse Grip Double Arm Row – 12 Reps

    Double Leg Drop – 6 reps (down to diagonal and up is one)

    Repeat once more through

    Here are 3 more workouts that give you benefits similar to Double Leg Drop that you might want to try:

    Beginners Guide to Pilates

    15-Minute Workout To Get Rid of Lower Belly Pooch

    How To Get Rid of A Muffin Top

    Targets: core, back

    (This will help us personalize your experience so that you can get the best advice possible from us!)
    Skip to content