Hanging Knee Raises vs Hanging Leg Raises (Difference?)

Hanging Knee Raises and Hanging Leg Raises are two very similar core exercises done hanging from a bar. They sound similar and they also look quite similar, but there is a distinct difference between the two.

In short, Hanging Knee Raises allows the lifter to bend the legs while Leg Raises keep the legs straight. Bending the knees makes the movement easier making Hanging Knee Raises a good place to start when first starting to do hanging ab exercises.

Keep reading for more info on how to do both exercises correctly, what their benefits are, and a more detailed explanation of why bending the knees makes Hanging Knee Raises easier to do.

Hanging Knee Raises

Equipment Needed

• Pull-Up Bar – Ideally a stand-alone pull-up bar or one connected to a squat rack although any sturdy object you can hang from will technically work.

Muscles Worked

• Abdominal Core Muscles (Rectus Femoris, Obliques Externus Abdominus)
• Quadriceps, Rectus Femoris
• Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL)
• Secondarily: Back, Biceps and Forearms

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Find yourself a pull-up bar and grip the bar with an overhand grip
• Engage your lats so your body doesn’t go limp once you begin to hang
• Now hang from the bar and drive your knees up to hip height (or slightly above hip height)
• Finally, actively lower your legs back to the starting position – don’t allow the legs to just swing down
• Repeat for the designated number of reps

Coaching Points

The biggest issue that most of my athletes run into when doing Hanging Knee Raises is how to keep from swinging.

To keep from swinging, you have to actively lower your legs back down. If you ‘let your legs go’ and just allow gravity to take over you’ll completely lose control of the movement. Timing and rhythm are both important for Knee Raises and you can’t achieve either if you’re not in control of your legs throughout the movement.

Hanging Knee Raise Benefits

The most obvious benefit of Hanging Knee Raises is that they are a great core exercise. Specifically, they target the lower abs (and hip flexors). The majority of core exercises – situps, crunches, etc – involve flexing the shoulders toward the core. Far fewer involve driving the legs toward the core and Hanging Knee Raises are a great example of one of those movements.

The benefits of Hanging Knee Raises extend beyond just the abs though. They are a great way to sneak grip training into your routine. A set of 15 to 20 Knee Raises will take most lifters 20 to 30 seconds. 3 sets can account for about 90 seconds of Bar Hang time.

And don’t forget about the back and shoulders as well. Having to stabilize the position of the upper body can be a workout in itself.

Hopefully, you can see now why Hanging Knee Raises can be such a powerful addition to your strength training routine. You really do get a whole lot of ‘bang for your buck’ with them.

Hanging Straight Leg Raises

Equipment Needed

• Pull-Up Bar – Ideally a stand-alone pull-up bar or one connected to a squat rack although any sturdy object you can hang from will technically work.

Muscles Worked

• Abdominal Core Muscles (Rectus Femoris, Obliques Externus Abdominus)
• Quadriceps, Rectus Femoris
• Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL)
• Back and Forearms

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Find yourself a pull-up bar and grip the bar with an overhand grip.
• Engage your lats so your body doesn’t go limp once you begin to hang.
• Now hang from the bar and keeping your legs straight, drive them up to hip height (or slightly above hip height).
• Finally, actively lower your legs back to the starting position – don’t allow the legs to just swing down.
• Repeat until all reps are completed.

Coaching Points

The biggest issue that most of my athletes run into when doing Hanging Straight Leg Raises (or any hanging ab exercise for that matter) is how to keep from swinging out of control.

To keep from swinging, you have to actively lower your legs back down. If you ‘let your legs go’ and allow gravity to take over you’ll completely lose control of the movement. Timing and rhythm are also both important for Leg Raises and you can’t achieve either if you’re not in control of your legs throughout the movement.

Hanging Straight Leg Raise Benefits

The benefits of Hanging Straight Leg Raises are pretty much identical to Hanging Knee Raises.

They also target the lower abs (and hip flexors). And, like Hanging Knee Raises, the benefits of Hanging Straight Leg Raises extend beyond just the abs.

They are a great way to sneak grip training into your routine. A set of 15 to 20 Knee Raises will take most lifters 20 to 30 seconds. 3 sets can account for about 90 seconds of Bar Hang time. And don’t forget about the back and shoulders as well. Having to stabilize the position of the upper body can be a workout in itself.

Hanging Knee Raises vs Leg Raises: Which is Better?

Now, let’s take a side-by-side look at both core exercises and discuss if one is better than the other for some common lifting goals.

Better For Developing Core Strength: Hanging Leg Raises

This is pretty simple. Hanging Leg Raises requires more core strength to execute and therefore will develop more core strength.

The reason Leg Raises are more difficult is that you’re taking mass, in this instance your legs, further away from your midline. The further from your midline you go, the more difficult resistance becomes. It’s the same reason Front Raises are much more difficult than Upright Rows.

Better For Beginners: Hanging Knee Raises

We just discussed how and why Hanging Leg Raises are more difficult than Knee Raises. For this same reason, I believe that Knee Raises are a better movement for beginners to start with.

Most beginners will probably still find Hanging Knee Raises very challenging, especially if they’ve only been doing Crunches or similar basic core movements. Once a beginner has conquered Hanging Knee Raises then I would definitely suggest progressing on and giving Leg Raises a try.

Don’t feel like you’re ready for either of these hanging core exercises? Here are 8 alternatives for Hanging Knee Raises that progress from easiest to the most advanced.

More Links and Info

Check out how Hanging Knee Raises compares against some other popular ab exercises:

Hanging Knee Raises vs Crunches

Hanging Leg Raises vs Toe to Bars

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