The Leg Tuck: What Is It, Correct Form and Benefits

The leg tuck has gained popularity across the Army over the last several years. The move was an indication of how much they’ve been working on developing a thorough, functional test.

As a full-body exercise that targets your grip, core, biceps, upper back, and hip flexor strength and endurance, you have lots of muscle groups involved when doing the Leg Tuck.

It’s a challenging event which many Soldiers are struggling to pass. But with proper training for each muscle group, you can become stronger and perform more repetitions than ever before.

Regardless of your age, body size and fitness level, there are several three reasons why you should include the Leg Tuck in your workout routine.

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What is Leg Tuck?

The leg tuck, or LTK, is a tough exercise that works your grip, chest, arms, abs, shoulders, and your front leg muscles. The movement is like a shrimp: you'll hang from a pull-up bar with an alternating grip (one hand supinated and one pronated), curl your body so that your knees or thighs touch your elbows, then return under control to the straight-arm hang.

This exercise may seem intimidating at first, but don't let its reputation scare you off! These tips will help you set yourself up for success.

How to Do the Leg Tuck: Correct Form and Technique

• Raise your feet off the ground until your hips and knees are at a 90-degree angle.

• Contract the abdominals while keeping the head two or three inches off the ground and focusing on the amount of pressure the abdominals produce on the fingers.

• While progressively straightening the legs, maintain the same level of pressure.

• Hold.

It’s one of the most challenging exercises, but once you learn how to transition properly, you should slowly be able to become more comfortable with the movement and eventually improve your endurance.

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Before you begin, remember proper form:

The LTK is a classic exercise that works your whole body. But it's especially effective for strengthening your core, upper body, and lats. Leg tucks can be intimidating, but here are some tips to help you tackle them successfully:

1. Get into a hanging position with your hands on the bar. Hang with straight arms, legs extended, and feet together.

2. Pull yourself up at an angle by looking up at the bar or even above your head and leaning back slightly. The closer you are to perpendicular to the floor, the harder it will be.

3. To engage your hips in this movement, tuck them in and curl your body up as you bend your arms and pull yourself towards the bar as tightly as you can.

4. Once you’ve pulled yourself all the way up, pause for a second or two and then lower yourself back down to a full extension of your arms and legs until you hang with straight arms again. Repeat for multiple reps.

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Benefits of Leg Tuck:

• This exercise is a compound exercise, meaning it targets several muscle groups simultaneously. The primary muscles worked during the LTK are the latissimus dorsi (lats) and the core muscles, especially the rectus abdominis.

• The lats are responsible for pulling your upper arm down towards your hip and rotating your arm inwards towards your body. They’re also what give you that wide back look that’s popular in bodybuilding today.

• The core muscles consist of all the muscles in your midsection that help keep your torso upright and stable, including your abdominal muscles and lower back.

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Other Ways to Make Your Leg Tuck Training Easy:

Aside from all of those training methods, there is one more aspect of the leg tuck that has to be explored. It's all about your body weight and composition.

Unlike deadlifts, where having a larger body can help, with the LTK, every "additional" pound on your body must be pulled off the ground. And, as much as you may not want to hear it, the best method to enhance leg tuck performance for many people is to decrease weight.

Your relative strength, or how strong you are in comparison to your body weight, determines your LTK performance. It's obvious that the more body weight you have, the less work you'll be able to get done.

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Takeaway

Once you're able to nail down the correct form and get your number of repetitions, you'll be ready to incorporate this exercise into your routine and train it regularly.

Just make sure to rest as much as necessary when you need to.

But in the end, a strong core will have you doing all of your events with confidence, knowing that you’ve got yourself through the challenge with a strong finish.

Whether you’re preparing to enter military service, or trying to get in shape for something else, getting a better score on this exercise will help you accomplish your goals and strengthen your body at the same time.