30 Days of Hanging Knee Raises: The Perfect Ab Workout

Looking to get in shape? Try 30 Days of Hanging Knee Raises! This abs workout targets the whole body and is sure to leave you feeling challenged.

The hanging knee raise is a lower ab workout that isolates the ab muscles and aids in the development of a strong core. They can also provide a grip and forearm workout, as the exercise requires a solid hold and sturdy forearms.

benefits of Hanging Knee Raises?

The knee raise exercise develops your grip while also benefiting your abdominal muscles. The hanging leg lift, also known as the hanging knee raise, works the complete upper-body musculature, increasing overall strength and definition. (1, 2)

• The hanging knee raise has five key advantages that make it an important workout.
• Improves your abdominal area
• Provides midline stability
• Enhances your gymnastic performance
• Using Capabilities

Toes to Bar, L-Sits, and other exercises. (3, 4)

As a full-body abdominal workout, the hanging knee raise engages the entire core region. A powerful and stable core is essential for doing other workouts successfully.

Muscles Do Hanging Knee Raises Work?

Rectus Abdominis

These are most popularly known as the abs. They connect the ribs to the pelvis and allow for twisting and flexion. (5)

Bottom-up movement, Hanging Knee Raises target the abs. This gives a fresh trigger for ab hypertrophy. Consider the activity to be training the body in the opposite way of a regular sit.

External and Internal Obliques

These muscles aid in stabilizing the hips and spine, as well as support overall body mobility.

Grip and Forearms

During each set, You must keep your control Power and your hand on the bar. This will help to build and increase grip strength. (6)

Hip Flexors

When performing the exercise, the athlete should contract the abs to pull the legs and knees upwards. However, due to the movement itself, the hip flexors will also play a role

How to Do Hanging Knee Raise

Use the following instructions to optimize your technique.

• Hands should be shoulder-width apart when gripping the bar. Make use of a pronated grip.
• Hold your legs completely extended beneath your body.
• Pause for a few seconds to reduce any wobble or momentum.
• Back and down the shoulder blades. Connect the legs.
• Inhale and tighten your core, grip, and glutes.
• Tense the abs to form a hollow.
• Bend the knees and raise the legs above 90 degrees of flexion.
• Pause and squeeze your abs as hard as you can.
• Lower the legs slowly back to the starting position.
• Exhale
• Rep until you’ve completed the required number of reps.

30-day workout plan for hanging knee raises

• Day 1: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
• Day 2: Rest
• Day 3: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: 3 sets of 15-18 repetitions
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Active recovery (such as yoga or walking)

After the first seven days, you can gradually increase the amount of sets and repetitions. Wearing a weighted vest or placing a dumbbell between your feet can also help you start adding weight to your body.

Before beginning this or any other workout program, see your doctor if you are new to exercising or have any health concerns.

Hanging knee raises are an excellent exercise for developing a strong core and a six-pack. You’ll notice results in no time if you stick to this 30-day fitness schedule!

Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors to get the most from this exercise and prevent strain or injury.

Swinging

Don’t swing in an attempt to use momentum to raise your legs. Instead, use your abs and hip flexors to help regulate the movement and stimulate your core.

Shoulders Hunched

Keep your shoulders down to help protect them during this exercise. To get them in the right position, while hanging, move your shoulders as far away from your ears as you can. (7)

Lowering Legs Too Fast

During the lowering part of this exercise, your core muscles work hard. If you rush through this phase and try to lower them too quickly, you will miss out on this benefit. Maintain a gradual and controlled descent of your legs, avoiding any wobbling or swinging while maintaining proper form. (8)

Safety and Precautions

Check that the bar or hanging apparatus is solid and well-maintained so that you can hang safely from it. If you have any medical concerns, or injuries, or are recuperating from surgery, see your doctor before beginning an exercise plan or adding something new to your workout.

You may need to avoid hanging leg lifts if you:

• Are you expecting or recuperating from childbirth?
• Have recti diastasis?
• You recently had abdominal surgery.
• Are you healing from an injury or surgery to your back, neck, arms, or legs?

In such instances, consult a personal trainer or a physical therapist for advice on which exercises might be better substitutes. If you experience any discomfort, discontinue this workout.

Aim to perform 10 repetitions in a set—or as many as you can manage. As you gain strength, try to work your way up to 30 repetitions in total.

Variations

Hanging obliques knee raise: By elevating your knees to the sides instead of straight up, you may shift the emphasis of the exercise to the obliques. The obliques, which run down the sides of the central abs, serve an important role in twisting your body and helping to stabilize your spine. Alter the side you bring your knees up towards for this exercise.

Hanging knee twist: Another hanging knee raise version emphasizes the obliques rather than the central core muscles. This time, keep your knees lifted and slowly rotate from one side to the other.

Roman Chair Knee Raise: For a student who is unable to complete a hanging knee raise, the Roman chair knee raise gives back and arm support. The backrest eliminates excessive body wobble and loss of optimal alignment, while the armrests eliminate the need for grip strength, allowing the entire focus on abdominal contractions.

Hanging Knee Raise Alternatives

Lying Knee Raise

Both lying and hanging knee raises train the same core muscles, although the latter also works the forearms.

Lye on a mat with your hands beside your upper body, legs extended, and back straight to perform a lying knee raise. Pull your knees in towards you with your abdominal muscles until your thighs and upper torso form a straight angle and your calves are parallel to the floor.

Bench Jackknife

You can do jack knives on the floor as well. This exercise allows you to engage the core muscles more.

Sit on the bench to perform bench jack knives. then spread your legs wide. Hold the two edges of the bench with your palms, keeping your upper body slightly elevated.

As your knees go inwards, your upper body should move towards them, making a continuous motion. During this exercise, it is critical to keep the hips steady and to engage the core muscles to draw the muscle groups together.

Bicycle Kick

Alternative exercises for hanging knee raises typically require both legs to move at the same time. Bicycle kicks, on the other hand, allow you to perform the same motion with one leg at a time.

You must assume the same position as while lying knee lift and gently raise your upper body. Then, in a bicycle motion, draw in one leg at a time. You must keep it moving at all times. As the right knee bends, the left leg stretches, and vice versa. The strain on the core muscles is maintained through constant movement.

Oblique Crunch

Obliques are worked on with hanging knee lifts. However, because alternatives are typically available on the ground, you may need to incorporate oblique crunches into your workout regimen to guarantee that the obliques are worked on.

To perform oblique crunches, lie on the mat with your legs folded at the knees and your feet firmly planted on the ground. Maintain your right hand beside you and your left hand behind your back. Pull yourself to the right with your obliques, being careful not to thrust your head forward. This exercise requires you to engage your core muscles and maintain a muscle-mind connection.

Hanging Knee Raise Sets & Reps

The ideal sets, reps, and programming for hanging knee raises will vary depending on your fitness level and goals. However, here is a general guideline:

• Beginners: Start with 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. As you get stronger, you can increase the number of sets and repetitions.
• Intermediate: Do 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
• Advanced: Do 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

You may also make the workout more difficult by adding weight to your body or performing hanging knee raises until you can no longer complete any more repetitions with proper form.

FAQs

References

1. Back, A. Y. L. The right way to Do the Reverse Crunch for Sturdy, Properly-Developed AbsAurelien ZachwalinskiBreaking Muscle.

2. Stephenson, J., & Swank, A. M. (2004). Core training: designing a program for anyone. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 26(6), 34-37.

3. Fortier, L. M., Rockov, Z. A., Chen, A. F., & Rajaee, S. S. (2021). Activity recommendations after total hip and total knee arthroplasty. JBJS, 103(5), 446-455.

4. Forward, S. T. F. How to Do the Toes-to-Bar for Core Strength and Power–Breaking Muscle.

5. Norris, C. M. (1993). Abdominal muscle training in sport. British journal of sports medicine, 27(1), 19-27.

6. Ylinen, J. J., Kautiainen, H. J., & Häkkinen, A. H. (2010). Comparison of active, manual, and instrumental straight leg raise in measuring hamstring extensibility. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(4), 972-977.

7. McGill, S. M. (1998). Low back exercises: evidence for improving exercise regimens. Physical therapy, 78(7), 754-765.

8. Grood, E. S., Suntay, W. J., Noyes, F. R., & Butler, D. L. (1984). Biomechanics of the knee-extension exercise. Effect of cutting the anterior cruciate ligament. JBJS, 66(5), 725-734.

9. Vidić, V., Ilić, V., Toskić, L., Janković, N., & Ugarković, D. (2021). Effects of calorie-restricted low carbohydrate high fat ketogenic vs. non-ketogenic diet on strength, body composition, hormonal and lipid profile in trained middle-aged men. Clinical Nutrition, 40(4), 1495-1502.