How to do the Hip Raise (Bent Knee)
CoreAbsBodyweightIntermediate
The bent-knee hip raise strips away momentum and forces your lower abs to do real work, building the deep core control that transfers to every athletic and aesthetic goal you have. Master this movement and you build a foundation that makes harder progressions feel effortless.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
AbdominalsObliques
Secondary
Hip flexorsLower back
Step-by-step
- Lie flat on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees, feet off the floor and shins parallel to the ground.
- Brace your core and press your lower back firmly into the floor before you move.
- Drive your knees toward your chest by curling your pelvis upward, lifting your hips two to three inches off the ground.
- Lower your hips with control, stopping just before your lower back loses contact with the floor, then repeat.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs to generate momentum instead of using the abs — slow the movement down and pause for one second at the top to confirm muscular control.
- Letting the lower back arch off the floor at the bottom, which shifts stress off the abs and onto the spine — reset your back contact before every rep.
- Pulling the knees too close to the chest and turning the move into a crunch — the power comes from the pelvic tilt, not from folding at the hip flexors.
Pro tip — Exhale forcefully as you curl the pelvis up and hold that exhale at the top — this maximally activates the transverse abdominis and locks in spinal stability, making every rep significantly harder and more productive.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps
Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.
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