Lying Knee Raise

A beginner-level bodyweight ab exercise where you lie supine and draw your knees toward your chest by contracting the lower abdominals, rolling the pelvis off the floor.

Instructions

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs extended and arms resting at your sides, palms facing down.
2. Bend your knees to about 90 degrees and lift your feet a few inches off the floor so your shins are roughly parallel to the ground. This is the starting position.
3. Exhale and contract your lower abdominals to draw your knees toward your chest, simultaneously rolling your hips and lower back off the floor.
4. Continue until your knees reach your chest and your hips are fully curled up, pausing briefly at the top of the movement.
5. Inhale and slowly reverse the motion, lowering your hips and extending your legs back to the starting position with control.
6. Avoid letting your feet touch the floor between reps to maintain continuous tension in the abs.
7. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Initiate the movement with your abs, not by swinging your legs — momentum reduces the stimulus on the lower abdominals.
• Keep the movement slow and controlled on the way down; the eccentric phase is just as important as the concentric.
• Press your lower back gently into the floor at the start of each rep to pre-activate the core before lifting.
• To make the exercise easier, allow your feet to rest on the floor between reps. To increase difficulty, keep your legs more extended throughout the movement.
• Avoid pulling yourself up with your hands or neck; your arms should remain relaxed on the floor.
• Breathe out as you lift your knees, breathe in as you lower them — never hold your breath.