10 Best Bent-knee Hip Raise Alternatives for Home Workouts
If you can’t do the Bent-knee Hip Raise, use movements that emphasize posterior pelvic tilt and lower-rectus abdominis contraction. Good substitutes include reverse crunches, dead bugs, hollow-body holds, lying leg raises, and plank knee-tucks. Cue each rep: brace your core, tilt the pelvis posteriorly, and avoid hip-flexor-driven momentum.
Original Exercise: Bent-knee Hip Raise
How to Perform Bent-knee Hip Raise
- Lay flat on the floor with your arms next to your sides.
- Now bend your knees at around a 75 degree angle and lift your feet off the floor by around 2 inches.
- Using your lower abs, bring your knees in towards you as you maintain the 75 degree angle bend in your legs. Continue this movement until you raise your hips off of the floor by rolling your pelvis backward. Breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: At the end of the movement your knees will be over your chest.
- Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement for a second and then return to the starting position slowly as you breathe in. Tip: Maintain a controlled motion at all times.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Pull
- Movement type: Compound
Best Bent-knee Hip Raise Alternatives
1. Decline Reverse Crunch
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on your back on a decline bench and hold on to the top of the bench with both hands. Don't let your body slip down from this position.
- Hold your legs parallel to the floor using your abs to hold them there while keeping your knees and feet together. Tip: Your legs should be fully extended with a slight bend on the knee. This will be your starting position.
- While exhaling, move your legs towards the torso as you roll your pelvis backwards and you raise your hips off the bench. At the end of this movement your knees will be touching your chest.
- Hold the contraction for a second and move your legs back to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
2. Butt-ups
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands by your sides, palms facing down.
- Engaging your abs, lift your legs off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- At the top of the movement, squeeze your abs and pause for a moment.
- Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
3. Arms Overhead Full Sit-up (male)
91% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your arms overhead, keeping them straight.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is upright.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Exercise Ball Crunch
90.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on an exercise ball with your lower back curvature pressed against the spherical surface of the ball. Your feet should be bent at the knee and pressed firmly against the floor. The upper torso should be hanging off the top of the ball. The arms should either be kept alongside the body or crossed on top of your chest as these positions avoid neck strains (as opposed to the hands behind the back of the head position).
- Lower your torso into a stretch position keeping the neck stationary at all times. This will be your starting position.
- With the hips stationary, flex the waist by contracting the abdominals and curl the shoulders and trunk upward until you feel a nice contraction on your abdominals. The arms should simply slide up the side of your legs if you have them at the side or just stay on top of your chest if you have them crossed. The lower back should always stay in contact with the ball. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second.
- As you inhale, go back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
5. Crunch (hands Overhead)
89.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your arms straight above your head.
- Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward towards your knees.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Crunch Floor
89.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engage your abs and lift your shoulders off the ground, curling forward towards your knees.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Decline Crunch
89.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
- Engage your abs and lift your upper body towards your knees, curling your torso.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Cocoons
88.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Crunch (on Stability Ball)
87.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Lie back on the ball until your lower back is supported and your upper body is parallel to the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
- Engage your abs and lift your upper body towards your knees, curling your torso forward.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
10. Crunch (on Stability Ball, Arms Straight)
86.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Lie back on the ball until your lower back is supported and your upper body is parallel to the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
- Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ball, curling your shoulders towards your hips.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a Bent-knee Hip Raise Alternative
You may substitute the Bent-knee Hip Raise because of lower-back pain, tight hip flexors, limited floor space, or a need to progress/regress difficulty. Some lifters overuse hip flexors and stress the lumbar spine; alternatives that emphasize pelvic tilt and isolated rectus abdominis contraction reduce that load. For rehabilitation choose controlled dead bugs or hollow holds; for strength choose weighted leg raises or slow reverse crunches. Always cue a posterior pelvic tilt, draw your navel to your spine, and limit hip extension to preserve lumbar neutrality while training.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on lumbar tolerance, core-versus-hip-flexor emphasis, and progression potential. If your spine is sensitive, choose an anti-extension drill like the dead bug and cue ‘ribs down’ and a slow three-second eccentric. If you need more overload, progress to straight-leg raises or weighted reverse crunches while maintaining posterior pelvic tilt. Consider range of motion, tempo, and cueing (draw navel to spine, exhale on the concentric) to ensure you activate lower rectus abdominis rather than the iliopsoas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Bent-knee Hip Raise work?
The Bent-knee Hip Raise primarily targets the rectus abdominis, with emphasis on the lower fibers that posteriorly tilt the pelvis. The movement also involves the transverse abdominis for stabilization and minimal hip-flexor contribution when you cue a controlled pelvic tuck.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Bent-knee Hip Raise?
The reverse crunch is the best direct bodyweight substitute: lie supine with knees bent, curl the pelvis upward by contracting lower abs, and stop when your lower back lifts off the floor. Cue a deliberate posterior pelvic tilt and avoid swinging your legs to keep the rectus abdominis working.
Can I build muscle without doing Bent-knee Hip Raise?
Yes. You can hypertrophy the abs with progressive overload and high-quality reps using alternatives like weighted leg raises, slow-tempo reverse crunches, and longer time-under-tension hollow holds. Focus on increasing load, reps, or tempo while maintaining pelvic control and strict technique.
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