Core · Bodyweight
Hanging Knees to Elbows
How to do the hanging knees to elbows, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, arms straight and core engaged. Curl your pelvis up and drive your knees toward your elbows, rounding your lower back at the top, then lower your legs under control without swinging. Repeat for reps.
- 1Feel your lower abs crunch as you bring your knees up to your elbows
- 2Feel your grip and lats holding you steady on the bar
- 3Curl your pelvis at the top rather than just lifting with the hip flexors
Common mistakes
- Don't swing or use momentum to kip your knees up
- Avoid only raising your knees with the hips; round up to engage the abs
- Don't drop your legs fast; lower them with control
Muscles worked
The hanging knees to elbows mainly works the lower abs, with the forearms, upper abs, hip flexors, lats, and obliques assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- LatsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- BicepsMinor
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the hanging knees to elbows 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 abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.