Also known as: knee raises, hanging knee tucks, bar knee tucks, knee tucks
What is Hanging Knee Raise?
The Hanging Knee Raise is a medium-difficulty hanging core exercise that lifts the knees toward the chest to target the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors. Performed from a pull-up bar in a hollow position, it builds core strength, stability, and hip flexion control for calisthenics progressions.
How to Do Hanging Knee Raise
- Grip and hang: Stand under a pull-up bar, use a supinated shoulder-width grip, hang actively with shoulders depressed and core braced in a hollow position.
- Initiate knee lift: Exhale and engage your abs, lift knees up toward parallel while keeping arms straight and lats engaged to minimize upper-body swing.
- Squeeze at top: Hold the top briefly, contract the lower abs and hip flexors, avoid using momentum or excessive swinging to maintain strict movement.
- Slow descent: Lower your legs slowly with control, inhaling as you return to the dead hang; resist dropping to protect the spine and shoulders.
- Progress and rest: Start with sets of controlled reps, rest 60-90 seconds, progress to leg raises or add load only after mastering strict form and full range.
Muscle Groups
Core
Description
With hands about shoulder width apart, take a supinated grip and hang actively from the bar in a hollow position. (Shoulders depressed, Core and Lats engaged)Raise your knees to parallel by exhaling, and bracing your core.
Keep your arms straight and engage your lats to restrict upper body movement.
Squeeze at the top and slowly control back down.
Repeat for repetitions.
Keep the arms straight, limit movement from your upper body.
Progressions and Regressions
- Knee Raises On Dip Bar
- Leg Raises On Dip Bar
- Hanging Knee Raise (current)
- Hanging Leg Raise
- Toes to Bar
- Inverted Romanian Deadlift
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of hanging knee raises?
Hanging knee raises strengthen the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors, improve core stability and spinal posture, and train anti-swing shoulder control. They transfer to better pull-up and leg-raise performance and help develop foundational core control for advanced moves.
What common mistakes should I avoid when doing hanging knee raises?
Common mistakes include swinging the body, bending the arms, using momentum, and arching the lower back. Avoid these by keeping shoulders depressed, engaging lats, maintaining a hollow torso, and moving slowly with control to protect the spine and shoulders.
How can I progress or modify hanging knee raises?
To progress, increase reps, perform straight-leg raises, add ankle weight, or switch to hanging leg raises. Modify by bending knees more, using knee tucks on dip bars, or performing lying knee raises if a bar grip or shoulder mobility is limited.