Bent-Knee Hip Raise
Trains the Abs.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms down.
- Bend your hips and knees to about a right angle so the shins are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Press your lower back into the floor and keep it there.
- Curl your hips off the floor toward your ribs, bringing the knees over your chest.
- Keep the knee angle fixed — the movement comes from the pelvis, not the legs.
- Lower under control until the hips just touch down, then go again.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the knees toward the chest without the hips leaving the floor. That is hip flexion with the abdominal wall holding still; the hips lifting is the repetition.
- Pushing down hard with the hands to launch the hips. The arms are there for balance; if they are pressing, they are lifting.
- Straightening the knees as you curl. The bent knee is what keeps the lever short enough for the range to be controllable; opening it turns this into a leg raise mid-set.
- Rushing the descent. The lowering half is where the abdominal wall resists the pelvis being pulled back down, and dropping it skips half the work.