Description
An assisted hanging knee raise is a core exercise where the person raises their knees towards their chest while hanging from a bar.
How to Do Assisted Hanging Knee Raise
- 1Setup
Adjust the assisted machine's platform height to comfortably reach the handles and select an appropriate counterweight to provide the desired level of assistance.
- 2Setup
Stand on the platform, grasp the handles with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, and let your body hang freely with arms extended and feet off the platform.
- 3
Engage your core, exhaling as you slowly raise your knees towards your chest, focusing on hip flexion and a slight posterior pelvic tilt to initiate spinal flexion.
- 4
Continue raising your knees until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor or slightly higher, feeling a strong contraction in your rectus abdominis.
- 5
Inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position with control, extending your hips fully without swinging or losing core tension.
Tips
- Focus on slow, controlled movements throughout the entire range of motion to maximize muscle engagement and prevent momentum from taking over the exercise.
- Keep your shoulder blades slightly retracted and depressed to maintain shoulder stability and prevent shrugging during the hang, protecting your neck.
- If you find it difficult to fully raise your knees, concentrate on initiating the movement by tilting your pelvis posteriorly (pelvic tilt) to better engage the lower abdominals.
- Exhale forcefully as you raise your knees to help deepen the abdominal contraction and stabilize your spine, improving core activation.
Common Mistakes
- ×Swinging your legs to generate momentum instead of using your core muscles reduces the exercise's effectiveness; instead, use a lighter assistance weight and focus on strict, controlled movement.
- ×Failing to fully extend your hips at the bottom limits the range of motion and core stretch; ensure your legs hang straight down before starting the next repetition.
- ×Shrugging your shoulders and tensing your neck can lead to discomfort and reduce core focus; actively depress your shoulder blades and relax your neck throughout the exercise.
Variations
Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down
Strengthen your rectus abdominis with Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down. Resist a partner's downward leg force to build powerful abdominal control
Assisted Hanging Knee Raise With Throw Down
Strengthen your core and hip flexors with the Assisted Hanging Knee Raise with Throw Down. This exercise builds abdominal strength and control.
Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise
Hanging from a bar, lift your straight legs to engage your rectus abdominis and hip flexors. Build a strong, defined core with this challenging exercise.
Hanging Oblique Knee Raise
Sculpt your obliques and strengthen your core with the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise.
Related Exercises
Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down
Strengthen your obliques and rectus abdominis with the Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down. This core exercise builds strength and stability.
Bottoms Up
Strengthen your rectus abdominis with the Bottoms Up exercise. This bodyweight core movement builds abdominal strength and control.
Lying Leg Cross
Lie on your back and cross one leg over the other, gently pulling it towards your chest to stretch and strengthen the inner thighs, hips, and obliques.
Hip Raise (bent knee)
The bent-knee hip raise is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the iliopsoas and rectus abdominis.
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