Abs exercise
Knee Raise (Captain's Chair)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Abs, Hip flexors
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Knee Raise?
- Rest your forearms on the pads, grip the handles and press your back into the pad.
- Let your legs hang straight down with your shoulders pressed down.
- Breathe out and lift your knees towards your chest until your thighs pass level.
- Lower your legs slowly, taking about five seconds, until they hang straight again.
Cues
- Knees up, back stays on the pad.
- Shoulders down, away from your ears.
- Slow on the way down.
Common mistakes
- Swinging to get the knees up: start each rep from a still hang.
- Shrugging into the pads: press your shoulders down before you lift.
- Dropping the legs: count five seconds as you lower.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Bent-knee raise in a captain's chair, back against the pad, forearms on the arm pads. ACE names this the beginner start for hanging leg work; straight-leg and twisting raises are progressions and are not shown. Not advised for people with diagnosed lower-back pain (ACE).
Starting position
Standing on the chair's foot steps, then supported on the forearms: forearms flat on the arm pads, hands gripping the handles, elbows bent 90° directly under the shoulders. Shoulders pressed down away from the ears, back and pelvis against the back pad. Feet off the steps, legs hanging straight down and together, knees soft.
The movement
Draw the knees up towards the chest by bending at the hips and knees together, until the thighs pass horizontal; at the top let the pelvis curl slightly forward off the pad (a small tuck). Pause, then lower the legs slowly back to hanging. The upper back stays on the pad, the arms and shoulders stay fixed; the knees travel in an arc up and forward.
Breathing
Breathe out as the knees rise, in as they lower.
Tempo
1.5 s up, 0.5 s pause, 5 s down (7 s); ACE asks for about five seconds of lowering.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Bottom: hip flexion 0–10°, knee flexion about 10°.
- Elbows 90°, upper arms vertical, shoulders depressed throughout.
- No swing: feet come to rest under the hips at the bottom.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Knee Raise is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
