Legs · Bodyweight
Chop Knee Raise
How to do the chop knee raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall, then drive one knee up while you chop both arms down toward it in a quick, coordinated motion. Lower and switch sides, keeping a steady rhythm to fire the core and hip flexors. Stay balanced on the standing leg through each rep.
- 1Feel your lower abs and hip flexor lift the knee
- 2Crunch your torso slightly toward the rising knee
- 3Stay tall and balanced on the standing leg
Common mistakes
- Avoid swinging the leg up with momentum alone
- Don't round or collapse your upper back on the chop
- Avoid losing balance by rushing the switch
Muscles worked
The chop knee raise mainly works the hip flexors and lower abs, with the upper abs, obliques, quads, and glutes assisting.
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- LatsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the chop knee raise for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hips & adductors exercises
- How to do the butterfly stretch
- How to do the external rotation
- How to do the cable hip adduction
- How to do the internal rotation
- How to do the cobra pose
- How to do the core scrunch
Last reviewed June 2026.