A hanging core movement that pulls the knees up toward the elbows, primarily stressing the abdominals and hip flexors.
How to do the Knees to Elbows#
- Hold a pull-up bar with hands about shoulder-width apart and hang with your arms straight; choose an overhand or underhand grip.
- Tighten your midsection and depress your shoulder blades to stabilize the upper body.
- Flex your hips and knees to lift both knees up toward your elbows until they meet or come close.
- Hold briefly at the top, then lower your legs back to the full hanging position with controlled motion.
- Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions while minimizing momentum.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Abs, Hip flexors
- Secondary: Obliques, Lats, Forearms, Upper back
Common mistakes#
- Kicking or swinging the hips to create momentum.
- Failing to control the descent and dropping quickly.
- Not engaging the shoulders, allowing them to shrug toward the ears.
- Stopping short of bringing the knees toward the elbows.
