This is the Overhead Dumbbell Leg Raise. Holding the dumbbell overhead increases core demand by engaging the lats and anterior core while the legs move, making it an excellent exercise for golfers who need trunk stability and efficient force transfer.

Power in the golf swing comes from transferring force efficiently from the ground, through the core, and into the club. This exercise teaches your trunk to remain stable while your legs move independently—an essential quality for maintaining posture and sequencing during the swing.

The overhead dumbbell also activates the latissimus dorsi, which connects to the core through the thoracolumbar fascia. Training this connection can improve the body's ability to generate and transfer rotational power while maintaining spinal stability.

• Lie flat on your back with your legs straight.
• Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms overhead.

1. Press the dumbbell slightly toward the floor behind you while keeping your ribs pulled down.
2. Brace your core by tightening your abdominal muscles.
3. Keeping both legs straight, slowly raise them until they reach about a 45–90° angle (or as high as your mobility allows).
4. Then continue to lift your butt off the ground, pushing your legs up as high as you can.
5. Pause briefly at the top without losing core tension.
6. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position under control.
7. Keep your lower back gently pressed toward the floor throughout the entire movement.
8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

• Your lower and upper abdominals working together.
• Your deep core muscles stabilizing your spine.
• Your lats helping create tension through your upper body.
• Mild effort in your hip flexors, but not them doing all the work.

• Press your lower back gently into the floor. If your back arches, decrease your range of motion.
• Keep your ribs down. Avoid letting your chest flare upward as your legs move.
• Reach long with the dumbbell. Think about extending through your shoulders without shrugging.
• Move slowly. Control the lowering phase instead of letting gravity do the work.
• Keep your legs as straight as your flexibility allows. A slight bend is acceptable if needed.
• Brace before every repetition. Tighten your core before lifting your legs.
• Keep your neck relaxed. Avoid pressing your head forcefully into the floor.
• Exhale as you raise your legs and inhale as you lower them.

• Allowing the lower back to arch off the floor.
• Using momentum to swing the legs.
• Lowering the legs too far and losing core control.
• Letting the ribs flare upward.
• Bending the knees excessively.
• Holding the breath throughout the exercise.
• Using a dumbbell that is too heavy, causing the shoulders to compensate.
• Rushing the lowering phase.