Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise

In SetGrip: Hanging Leg Raise (Twisting Hip Lift)

Secondary muscles
Obliques, Hip Flexors
Body part
Core
Position
Hanging
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Adding a twist at the top of a straight-leg hanging raise sends the legs toward one side of the bar, dragging the obliques into a movement that is otherwise all rectus and hip flexors. Alternate sides and count pairs; the moment the twist starts coming from shoulder swing rather than the hips, the set is over.

How to do the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your legs straight.
  2. Engage your core and lift your legs up towards your chest, keeping them straight.
  3. Once your legs are parallel to the ground, twist your hips to one side, bringing your legs towards that side.
  4. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement, but this time twist your hips to the opposite side.
  6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Breathe out as you crunch and let the last bit of air leave the lungs at the top of each rep.

Muscles worked

Primary

Abs · Core

The rectus abdominis shortens to bend the spine forward, and each rep should end with the upper abs fully contracted and the ribs pulled down.

Secondary

  • Obliques — Twisting or side crunch variations bring the obliques in, and you should feel them along the side of the waist on the working side.
  • Hip Flexors — The hip flexors take over if your feet are anchored and you come up too high; keep the range short to leave them out.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling on the neck — hands behind the head should support, not yank; keep the elbows wide and the chin about a fist away from the chest.
  • Sitting all the way up — a crunch is a curl of the ribs toward the pelvis, not a sit-up; the lower back should stay on the floor the whole time.
  • Cranking out fast reps — momentum does the work if you bounce; lift to a squeeze, hold for a count and lower slowly.
  • Never adding load — once bodyweight reps get easy, hold a plate on the chest or use a cable rather than doing sets of 50.

Sets, reps and where it fits

GoalSets × repsRest
Strength3 × 8–1260 s
Endurance2–3 × 15–2545 s

Crunches close out a session after the heavy work, or they can fill the rest periods between sets of a lift that does not need much bracing. Pair a cable crunch with a cable side bend on the same stack.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without bodyweight

Easier and harder

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise work?

The Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise primarily works the abs. It also involves the obliques and hip flexors, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.

Is the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise good for beginners?

Not as a starting point. The Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise is rated advanced because it demands strength, mobility or coordination that takes time to build. Beginners should work up to it through the easier variations listed on this page.

What can I do instead of the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise?

If you cannot do the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise, try the Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise, the Incline Bench Leg Hip Raise or the Weighted Hanging Leg Hip Raise. Each of them trains the abs through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.

How many sets and reps should I do?

It depends on your goal. For the Twisting Hip Lift Hanging Leg Raise, a sensible starting point is strength: 3 × 8–12 with 60 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 15–25 with 45 s rest. Train it at the end of a session or pair it with a lower-body lift as active rest.

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