Hip Raise (bent knee)
The bent-knee hip raise is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the iliopsoas and rectus abdominis.
Description
A Hip Raise (bent knee) is a lower body exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings, and core. The exercise involves lying flat on the ground, bending your knees, and raising your hips off the ground.
How to Do Hip Raise (bent knee)
- 1Setup
Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor, and hip-width apart.
- 2Setup
Place your arms straight alongside your body, palms down, to provide stability.
- 3
Exhale and engage your lower abdominals to slowly lift your hips off the floor, drawing your bent knees towards your chest.
- 4
Continue raising your hips until your lower back is slightly rounded and your knees are close to your chest, feeling a strong contraction in your core.
- 5
Inhale and slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position with control, articulating your spine back to the mat segment by segment.
Tips
- Focus on initiating the movement by tilting your pelvis and contracting your lower abdominals, rather than pushing off with your feet or using leg momentum.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase, resisting gravity to slowly return your hips to the mat, which maximizes muscle engagement.
- Keep your lower back pressed into the floor as you begin the lift, only allowing it to round slightly at the top as your hips fully elevate.
Common Mistakes
- ×Swinging your legs up instead of a controlled abdominal contraction reduces effectiveness; focus on a slow, deliberate lift driven by your core.
- ×Arching your lower back excessively can strain your spine; keep your core engaged and only raise hips as far as comfortable without pain.
- ×Failing to fully lower your hips back to the mat reduces range of motion; ensure your lower back touches the mat before initiating the next repetition.
Variations
Lying Knee Raise
Target your lower abs and hip flexors with the lying knee raise. This effective bodyweight exercise builds core strength and improves stability.
Resistance Band Lying Bent Knee Raise
Strengthen your core and hip flexors with the Resistance Band Lying Bent Knee Raise. Learn how to perform this effective exercise safely and correctly.
Lever Lying Leg Raise Bent Knee
Perform the bent-knee lever lying leg raise to effectively target your iliopsoas and rectus abdominis. Strengthen your core and hip flexors.
Related Exercises
Assisted Hanging Knee Raise
Strengthen your core with the Assisted Hanging Knee Raise. This exercise targets your rectus abdominis, helping you build a strong and stable midsection.
Bottoms Up
Strengthen your rectus abdominis with the Bottoms Up exercise. This bodyweight core movement builds abdominal strength and control.
Incline Leg Hip Raise (leg straight)
A core strengthening exercise that targets the lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors by raising straight legs on an incline bench.
Hanging Oblique Knee Raise
Sculpt your obliques and strengthen your core with the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
Build total-body strength with this demanding complex combining renegade rows and explosive squats.
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