How to Do Knee Ups and Strengthen Your Core

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You might think of knee-ups or knee raises as a leg exercise, but they’re also a great workout for your hips, abs, and core! Sitting or standing knee-ups are simple exercises that you can do at home without any special equipment. Just stand 2-3 feet away from a chair, rest your hand onto it for balance, and lift one knee until your thigh is level with the floor. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then repeat on the other side. For a more challenging exercise that will also work your upper body, try doing hanging knee-ups on a pull-up bar or gymnastics rings.

Best Way to Do a Standing Knee Lift

  1. Stand up straight with your knees hip-width apart, holding onto a chair for balance.
  2. Engage your core muscles, and lift one knee until your thigh is level with the floor.
  3. Hold your knee up for 1-2 seconds, then return to your starting position.
  4. Repeat this movement on the other side, performing 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps.

For popular FAQs on performing knee ups, jump to more common questions .

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Standing Knee Ups

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  1. Get into a comfortable standing position with your back straight and tall and your shoulders squared. Plant your feet so they’re slightly apart, and keep your knees lined up under your hips. [1]
    • If you have trouble balancing, you can do this exercise while standing next to a chair or counter and rest your hand on it for support.
  2. Gently tense the muscles in your abdomen, sides, and lower back. Engaging these muscles will help you build strength in your core. [2]
    • To find your core muscles, imagine creating a firm band or belt of muscle around your lower body. You can also try pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
    • This exercise also helps strengthen your hips.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Breathe in deeply, then breathe out as you slowly raise one of your knees. Lift your leg until the back of your thigh is parallel with the floor. [3]
    • Keep your back straight and tall as you lift your leg.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Pause for a second or 2 with your knee raised. Then, slowly and smoothly put your foot back on the floor while breathing out.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    After raising and lowering one knee, repeat the same process on the other side. Or, you can do several raises on one side, then switch to the other.
    • Do 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps, either alternating knees or doing one side and then the other as separate sets.
    • To make the exercise more challenging, you can try doing more reps or adding small weights to your ankles.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Hanging Knee Ups

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  1. Hanging knee ups are also known as hanging knee raises. Stand under a bar or a set of gymnastics rings with your back straight and tall. Reach straight up with your palms facing forwards and grab the bar or rings from behind. [4]
    • Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart.
    • In your starting position, your arms should be completely straight, and your feet should be slightly off the floor.
    • This exercise is similar to a vertical knee raise, or “Captain’s Chair.” To do a vertical knee raise, instead of reaching up to grab a bar, you’d start by resting your forearms on a pair of parallel bars, as if they were the armrests on a chair.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Brace your core and tighten your abs. Try to use those muscles to lift your legs. [5] Raise your knees up as far as you can, and try to touch your chest with the tops of your thighs. [6]
    • Keep your body as still as you can, and try to keep the motion of your legs slow and smooth. Don’t let your body swing from side to side or twist around.
    • If you have trouble lifting your legs high enough to touch your chest, aim to raise your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. [7]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Once you reach the top of the knee-up, slowly and carefully return to your starting position. Don’t let your legs suddenly drop, and try not to do any fast or jerky movements. [8]
    • Slow, controlled movements will make the exercise more effective.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    This is an exercise that takes a lot of strength, so don’t worry if you can’t do a ton of reps right away. 3 sets of 10 reps is a good general goal to aim for when you’re doing any strength-building exercise. [9] If you can’t manage that, start with a smaller number, like 2 sets of 5 reps.
    • This is a great exercise for your lower abs, but you’ll also build strength in your hips, arms, shoulders, and upper back. [10]
    • Increase your difficulty level by wearing a weighted workout belt during your knee-ups or pull-ups (a 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) belt is good for beginners).
    • Reader Poll: We asked 284 wikiHow readers and 51% of them agreed that the best exercise for building arm strength is weighted pull-ups . [Take Poll]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Sitting Knee Ups

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  1. Find a chair or workout bench and sit tall, with your back straight. Put your feet flat on the floor in front of you.
    • If you’re sitting on a chair with a back, sit far enough forward so that you can tilt your body back in the chair.
  2. Slowly tilt back on your buttocks until your body is leaning at a 45° angle. Hold onto the sides of the chair to keep you from falling backwards.
    • If you’re on a bench, you can also stabilize yourself by reaching back and resting your hands on the bench behind you.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Brace your abdominal muscles and slowly pull your knees up toward your chest. Keep your back straight and only move your lower body (legs and hips).
    • Keep your core engaged as you raise your legs. Don’t allow your upper body to rock back as your legs come up.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Once you’ve pulled your legs up as far as they can comfortably go, lower them back toward the floor in a slow, controlled motion. Ideally, they shouldn’t quite touch the ground before you start lifting them back up again.
    • Your abs will get a better workout if you don’t let your feet touch the floor between lifts. However, it’s okay to touch the floor if you find it too difficult to keep your feet up.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Do Knee Ups
    Keep raising and lowering your knees several more times—aim for about 10-15. If you like, you can rest for a few minutes, then do another set. With practice, you will eventually be able to complete more repetitions.
    • This exercise is great for toning your abs, especially if you keep them engaged and tight throughout the whole workout. It will also help strengthen your lower back, hips, and glutes.
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How Do You Strengthen Your Core Muscles?


Common Questions: Performing Knee Lifts to Build Core Strength

What are the benefits of standing knee lifts?

Doing standing knee lifts increases your heart rate, burns calories, and activates your core and leg muscles. This can improve your balance and agility, preparing you for more challenging exercises. [13]

Do knee lifts help you lose thigh or belly fat?

Unfortunately, you can’t target fat in a specific area of your body. However, performing knee lifts (and other exercises) can help you reduce your overall body fat and preserve muscle mass. [14]

How many hanging knee lifts should I do?

If you’re a beginner, perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps, 3 times a week. Intermediate athletes can perform 4 sets of 9-19 reps, 3 times a week. Advanced athletes can perform 4 sets of 20 or more reps, 3 times a week. [15]

Tips

  • Exercises that involve raising your knees while supporting yourself with your upper body, such as hanging knee-ups or the similar “Captain’s Chair” maneuver, are great for building the rectus abdominis, or 6-pack muscles. They’re also good for working your hip flexors. [11]
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  • Knee ups help strengthen the muscles in your core that control spinal flexion, or the movements of your torso that help you do basic things like sitting up from a lying position or bending over to pick something up. Strengthening these muscles can help stabilize your spine and reduce lower back pain. [12]
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Warnings

  • If you have any injuries to your knees or back, talk to your doctor before trying these exercises. It’s a good idea to get medical advice before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have any serious health concerns.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/knee-raises/ss-BBtOf0P
  2. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/knee-raises/ss-BBtOf0P
  3. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/knee-raises/ss-BBtOf0P
  4. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/hanging-knee-raise/ss-BBtOfg5
  5. ↑ Alphonso White. Certified Personal Trainer, CompleteBody NYC. Expert Interview. 24 February 2021.
  6. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/hanging-knee-raise/ss-BBtOfg5
  7. ↑ https://www.coachmag.co.uk/abs-exercises/6696/how-to-do-a-hanging-knee-raise
  8. ↑ https://www.coachmag.co.uk/abs-exercises/6696/how-to-do-a-hanging-knee-raise
  9. ↑ https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/the-correct-number-of-reps-per-set-in-the-gym/
  1. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/exercise/strength/hanging-knee-raise/ss-BBtOfg5
  2. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/bestworstabexercises.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.spine-health.com/glossary/flexion
  4. ↑ http://move.bangor.ac.uk/home-exercise/lower-body/knee-raises.php.en
  5. ↑ https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/11/07/spot-reduction--why-targeting-weight-loss-to-a-specific-area-is-.html
  6. ↑ https://gymless.org/knee-raises/

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