# Hanging Oblique Knee Raise

A hanging core exercise where you raise bent knees up and toward one side, then the other. Trains the obliques and abs through a twisting knee raise.

- Intermediate · Isolation
- Equipment: Pull-up bar
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/hanging-oblique-crunches/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/hanging-oblique-knee-raise/

## Muscles worked

- Obliques: 9/10
- Abs: 8/10

## How to do the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise

1. Grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart and hang, keeping legs straight.
2. Raise your bent knees up and toward one side.
3. Lower your legs slowly until you fully hang, feeling stillness again.
4. Alternate sides with each rep.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Grip a pull-up bar with hands about shoulder width apart and hang with legs straight.
2. Set your shoulders down, tighten your stomach, and stop any body swing before starting.
3. Bend your knees and keep them together as you raise them up and toward one side.
4. Turn your hips so your knees move toward the elbow on that side.
5. Raise your knees as high as you can control without swinging.
6. Lower your legs under control until you are back in a full hang and the body is still again.
7. Repeat toward the other side, alternating sides each rep.

## Common mistakes

- Swinging knees for momentum
- Kipping the legs upward
- Lifting knees straight up without rotating
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears
- Dropping into the next rep

## Form cues

- Start from full hang
- Pause out the swing
- Lift from the abs
- Keep knees together
- Alternate sides each rep

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (best fit): 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (best fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 2 s, pause 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Dumbbell Twisting Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-twisting-sit-up/), [Dumbbell Russian Twist](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-russian-twist/)
- **Cable machine**: [Cable Mid-to-Low Woodchop](https://seto.fit/exercises/cable-mid-to-low-woodchop/), [Cable Horizontal Woodchop](https://seto.fit/exercises/cable-horizontal-woodchop/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Resistance Band Bicycle Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-bicycle-crunch/)
- **Barbell**: [Landmine Russian Twist](https://seto.fit/exercises/landmine-russian-twist/), [Seated Barbell Twist](https://seto.fit/exercises/seated-barbell-twist/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Bent Knee Lying Twist](https://seto.fit/exercises/bent-knee-lying-twist/) — 10% of bodyweight
- Easier: [Alternating V-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/alternating-v-up/) — 35% of bodyweight
- **This exercise: Hanging Oblique Knee Raise — 60% of bodyweight**

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise work?

Primary: Obliques 9/10, Abs 8/10.

### When should I do the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 6 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise?

Dumbbells: Dumbbell Twisting Sit-Up, Dumbbell Russian Twist. Cable machine: Cable Mid-to-Low Woodchop, Cable Horizontal Woodchop. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Bicycle Crunch. Barbell: Landmine Russian Twist, Seated Barbell Twist.

### What is an easier version of the Hanging Oblique Knee Raise?

Alternating V-Up (35% of bodyweight), Bent Knee Lying Twist (10% of bodyweight).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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