Smart Workout Diary

Hanging Knee Raise

The hanging knee raise is a bodyweight abdominal exercise performed while hanging from a pull-up bar and drawing the knees toward the torso. It primarily trains the abdominals, especially the lower abdominal region, while the grip and shoulders support the hanging position. It can help develop core strength, trunk control, and hanging stability.

Demonstration

Hanging Knee Raise — demonstration 1
Hanging Knee Raise — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set up: Stand beneath a secure pull-up bar, reach up, and take an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
  2. Hang tall: Lift your feet clear of the floor, keep your arms straight, and create a stable hang with your shoulders gently active rather than shrugged up.
  3. Brace: Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your ribs controlled as you minimize swinging.
  4. Raise: Exhale and draw both knees upward toward your chest by curling your pelvis slightly under; keep the movement controlled.
  5. Lower: Inhale as you slowly return your legs to the starting hang without kicking or arching excessively, then repeat.
Muscle Group
Lower Abs
Type
Calisthenics
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Pullup Bar
Difficulty
Intermediate

Technique tips

  1. Control the swing: Begin each repetition from a quiet hang; swinging shifts work away from the abdominals and makes the movement harder to control.
  2. Use pelvic motion: Think about curling the pelvis toward your ribs rather than only lifting your thighs with the hip flexors.
  3. Choose your range: Raise only as high as you can without losing control of the shoulders or swinging; build range gradually.
  4. Protect your grip: End the set before your grip fails, and use a secure bar with sufficient clearance beneath your feet.
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