The Captain’s chair leg and hip raise, or the knee raise is performed on a dip stand and it’s a great bodyweight exercise which targets the core (Abdominals) muscles. Now, you can find a captain’s chair or dip machine in nearly any gym so that should not be a problem concerning equipment.
But learning how to position yourself on the dip stand might be intimidating for some people trying the exercise for the first time, so we’ve provided an explanation and video instruction to make the process easier. If you want an effective exercise for building your core, a make sure to include the captain’s chair leg and hip raise.
In This Exercise
- Target Muscle Group: Rectus Abdominis
- Type: Strength
- Mechanics: Compound
- Equipment: Captain’s chair or dip stand
- Difficulty: Beginner
Exercise Instructions
- Position yourself on a captain’s chair (Dip stand) so your back is against the padding, and hold the handles while holding yourself up with your forearms. Let your legs hang down.
- Now, bend both knees slightly and slowly raise them as high as you can. Exhale during this portion of the exercise.
- Then, slowly lower your legs back down so they are hanging. Inhale during this portion of the exercise.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Variations & Tips
- You can keep your legs straight for a more advanced variation.
- Keep your upper arms tucked into your sides to protect your shoulder joints from injury,
- Make sure to keep your core tight during the exercise.
- Avoid swinging your legs up and down to keep tension on the abdominal muscles.
- The captain’s chair leg and hip raise are very effective for building core muscle and strength which is important for stabilization during weight training.
