How many reps of knees-to-elbows should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 strict reps, resting until the swing fully settles before the next set. If you cannot reach the elbows yet, do the same number of sets with a partial range and add depth before adding reps.

What can I do instead of a pull-up bar for knees-to-elbows?

A sturdy playground bar, a tree branch, or gymnastic rings hung from a rack all work the same way. Without anything to hang from, lying knee tucks or reverse crunches on the floor train a similar curl of the pelvis without the grip and shoulder demand.

What does knees-to-elbows train and when should you regress to a knee raise instead?

It builds a strong, full hip and spine flexion under load, useful as a stepping stone toward toes-to-bar for anyone training gymnastics-style core work. Regress to a plain hanging knee raise instead if you are swinging heavily or cannot control the descent here, since chasing the elbows before the basics are solid mostly trains momentum.

Intermediate

Knees-to-Elbows

Knees-to-elbows is a gymnastics-style hanging movement that asks for a deeper hip and spine flexion than a standard knee raise, since the knees must travel past ninety degrees to meet the elbows. Getting there recruits the lats to tip the torso and the full rectus abdominis to close the gap. It is a strong stepping stone toward toes-to-bar and full leg raises.

Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Spinal Flexion

How to do it

1
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
2
Engage the lats and brace the trunk so the body stops swinging.
3
Exhale and pull the knees up and back toward the elbows, curling the pelvis under.
4
Aim to lightly touch the knees to the elbows or forearms at the top.
5
Inhale and lower the legs under control back to a full hang.
6
Reset the hang before starting the next rep.

Tips

Actively pull down on the bar with the lats to rotate the torso toward the knees.
Curl the pelvis rather than only bending at the hips to reach full flexion.
If you cannot reach the elbows, work partial range and build the strength over time.

Variations

Common mistakes

The body swings forward and back to build momentum before each pull, turning a strict hanging exercise into a kip that momentum and the hip flexors finish instead of the abs.
The knees splay out to the sides on the way up instead of driving straight toward the elbows, which is an easier path but trains the hip flexors more than the intended ab flexion.
The grip and shoulders relax between reps instead of staying engaged, so every rep restarts from a dead hang with no tension already in the lats.
Dropping the legs fast on the way down turns half the exercise into a free fall, skipping the same slow control that made the pull up hard in the first place.

Frequently asked

How many reps of knees-to-elbows should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 strict reps, resting until the swing fully settles before the next set. If you cannot reach the elbows yet, do the same number of sets with a partial range and add depth before adding reps.
What can I do instead of a pull-up bar for knees-to-elbows?: A sturdy playground bar, a tree branch, or gymnastic rings hung from a rack all work the same way. Without anything to hang from, lying knee tucks or reverse crunches on the floor train a similar curl of the pelvis without the grip and shoulder demand.
What does knees-to-elbows train and when should you regress to a knee raise instead?: It builds a strong, full hip and spine flexion under load, useful as a stepping stone toward toes-to-bar for anyone training gymnastics-style core work. Regress to a plain hanging knee raise instead if you are swinging heavily or cannot control the descent here, since chasing the elbows before the basics are solid mostly trains momentum.

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