subject: Do Hanging Knee Raises for Hard, Muscular Abs [print this page] Hard, muscular abdominal muscles are only obtained by doing exercises that work the abdominal muscle fibers intensely. The Hanging Leg Raise exercise is ranked one of the best for stimulating abdominal muscle fibers. Discover how to perform this exercise properly to get the best results.
There are three versions of Hanging Knee Raise exercise. One version is to use a chinning bar that has elbow straps attached. Support your upper torso by placing the elbow straps under your upper arms with your upper arms held horizontal while your hands grip the upper portion of the strap. In this position, your upper torso and your legs should be hanging vertically. Once supported by the elbow straps, slowly lift your knees up and toward your chest. Return them slowly to the starting position to complete one repetition.
If elbow straps are not available or convenient for you, then another version of the Hanging Knee Raise exercise can be performed by hanging from the chinning bar by taking a shoulder width grip. From the hanging position, perform this version in the same manner as described in the first version.
If you don't like the first two versions of the Hanging Knee Raises, then you can perform a version commonly referred to as the "Captain's Chair Knee Raises". Most gyms have a "Captain's Chair". It has a vertical padded back support and horizontal padded arms to support your forearms. Position your upper body so that your upper arms are at your side with forearms extending horizontally and resting upon the padded arms. Your upper torso should be vertical with your back touching the padded back support. With your legs hanging vertically, begin the exercise in the same manner as described in the other two versions.
No matter which version you use, be sure that you raise and lower with a slow tempo. Furthermore, if you're hanging from the bar, then avoid the tendency to swing your upper torso. Let your abs do the lifting, not your momentum.
As you become stronger, you can hold a small dumbbell between your feet for additional resistance. Be careful to maintain strict form and not compromise your technique just to add more weight.
The Hanging Knee Raise trains the Rectus Abdominis and External Obliques and is an excellent exercise to develop your abdominal muscularity. While there are other abdominal exercises, the Hanging Knee Raise should be used in the majority of your ab training sessions. Perform this exercise by doing 2-4 sets using 8-20 repetitions with 30-60 seconds rest between sets.
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