Hanging Knee Raise
Another classic bodyweight strength exercise for the abdominal muscles. Hanging Knee Raises trains the abdominal muscles to brace the core and stabilize the spine while lifting the legs. This is a very functional ability as it is useful in everything from rock climbing, jumping a fence, stepping over a high object, jumping up onto or over something...the list could go on forever. The simple fact is that having the abdominal strength necessary to effectively lift the legs is a very useful bodyweight strength skill that is well worth developing.
Aside from the functional usefulness of the exercise, Hanging Knee Raises are also excellent at developing and defining the lower abdominals especially. This makes them a crucial exercise for anyone wanting to lean up their midsection and get maximum definition in the abs and obliques as well. Regular crunches can create excellent muscle tone in the upper abs but unless knee raising movements are integrated into your workout program, you will probably have a very difficult time creating definition and leanness in the lower abdominal area. (Granted, eating to lose fat is absolutely crucial in order to cut fat from your midsection, but if you are eating properly and still not training your lower abs with leg raising bodyweight exercises then the chances of you getting highly defined lower abs is pretty slim).
However, Hanging Knee Raises are not a beginner abdominal exercise. Because of the fact that the hip flexors are actually the prime mover for lifting the legs to perform the exercise, it is critical that the abdominal muscles have sufficient strength to truly effectively stabilize the core in order to keep the spine stable throughout the entire exercise.
For this reason, it is important to master Crunches, Plank, and Sit-ups (with no foothold) before attempting Hanging Knee Raises.
To perform the exercise you may either:
Once you are hanging, smoothly bring your knees up as high as you possible can by contracting your abs tightly and breathing out as you lift the legs. Try to breathe all of your air out as you lift the legs...this will help intensify the abdominal, oblique, and transverse abdominis contraction (ie will help you build tighter, more defined abs). Most people are completely unaware of the massive effect of the breathing aspect of this exercise. Utilize it and benefit from it.
As you lift your legs, make sure that you do not swing, jerk, or utilize momentum in any way. Make sure that the abdominal muscles are in control throughout the entire exercise. Once you have lifted the legs as far as you possibly can with your abs still in control (without momentum), squeeze your abs as tightly as you can as though you are trying to move them just one centimeter higher. Whether they actually move higher or not is unimportant. What is important is that you:
Over time, as you abs get stronger you will find that your body will respond positively and you will actually be able to lift your legs higher and higher while still maintaining total control with your abdominal muscles.
Once you reach the top of the movement, lower your legs back down and breathe back in again. As you lower your legs, make sure that you do it smoothly, slowly, and under the tight control of your abs. Once you reach the bottom, smoothly begin the next rep (and again make sure that there is no swinging or momentum involved at all).
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.bodyweight-strength.com
Aside from the functional usefulness of the exercise, Hanging Knee Raises are also excellent at developing and defining the lower abdominals especially. This makes them a crucial exercise for anyone wanting to lean up their midsection and get maximum definition in the abs and obliques as well. Regular crunches can create excellent muscle tone in the upper abs but unless knee raising movements are integrated into your workout program, you will probably have a very difficult time creating definition and leanness in the lower abdominal area. (Granted, eating to lose fat is absolutely crucial in order to cut fat from your midsection, but if you are eating properly and still not training your lower abs with leg raising bodyweight exercises then the chances of you getting highly defined lower abs is pretty slim).
However, Hanging Knee Raises are not a beginner abdominal exercise. Because of the fact that the hip flexors are actually the prime mover for lifting the legs to perform the exercise, it is critical that the abdominal muscles have sufficient strength to truly effectively stabilize the core in order to keep the spine stable throughout the entire exercise.
For this reason, it is important to master Crunches, Plank, and Sit-ups (with no foothold) before attempting Hanging Knee Raises.
To perform the exercise you may either:
- Hang from a bar with your hands
- Hang from hanging straps with you upper arms hanging through the slots (as in the video and pics here)
- Hang from a knee raise pad (typically this will be on a chin-up/dip tower
Once you are hanging, smoothly bring your knees up as high as you possible can by contracting your abs tightly and breathing out as you lift the legs. Try to breathe all of your air out as you lift the legs...this will help intensify the abdominal, oblique, and transverse abdominis contraction (ie will help you build tighter, more defined abs). Most people are completely unaware of the massive effect of the breathing aspect of this exercise. Utilize it and benefit from it.
As you lift your legs, make sure that you do not swing, jerk, or utilize momentum in any way. Make sure that the abdominal muscles are in control throughout the entire exercise. Once you have lifted the legs as far as you possibly can with your abs still in control (without momentum), squeeze your abs as tightly as you can as though you are trying to move them just one centimeter higher. Whether they actually move higher or not is unimportant. What is important is that you:
- Intensify the abdominal contraction as tightly as possible with this last squeeze
- Are giving your body a clear signal that you want to develop more range of motion on the exercise (you want your abs to be able to take your legs higher).
Over time, as you abs get stronger you will find that your body will respond positively and you will actually be able to lift your legs higher and higher while still maintaining total control with your abdominal muscles.
Once you reach the top of the movement, lower your legs back down and breathe back in again. As you lower your legs, make sure that you do it smoothly, slowly, and under the tight control of your abs. Once you reach the bottom, smoothly begin the next rep (and again make sure that there is no swinging or momentum involved at all).
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.bodyweight-strength.com