Hanging Knee Raise

CoreBar

Hanging from a pull-up bar, the knees are raised toward the chest using controlled trunk and hip flexion, the entry-level movement in the hanging leg raise family.

Demo: General gymnastics demo

Sets

3

Reps

10-12

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Shoulder instability in a dead hang — use an active shoulder position or ab straps.

Setup

Hang from a pull-up bar with an active shoulder position (not fully dead-hanging and loose).

Execution

  1. 1Brace the core before initiating the raise
  2. 2Curl the pelvis under as the knees drive up toward the chest
  3. 3Avoid swinging — control the movement strictly with the abs
  4. 4Pause briefly at the top
  5. 5Lower the legs back down with control, resisting the swing

Key cues

  • Curl the pelvis, don't just lift the knees
  • No swinging — dead still except for the reps
  • Control the descent as much as the raise
  • Keep the shoulders active, not passively hanging

Common faults

  • Using momentum and swinging instead of controlled flexion
  • Only lifting the knees without curling the pelvis (hip flexor dominant, not ab dominant)
  • Losing grip and shoulder stability
  • Rushing the eccentric lowering

Tweaks

  • Use ab straps for a grip regression
  • Add a pause at the top for more time under tension
  • Progress to straight leg raises once mastered

Regressions

Reverse Crunch

Progressions

Hanging Straight Leg Raise

Muscles

Primary: Rectus Abdominis, Hip Flexors

Secondary: Grip/Forearms, Lats

Notes

FLEXION. Entry point of the hanging leg raise progression family.

Sources

Attribution: Classic calisthenics / gymnastics canon