10 Best Leg Pull-in Alternatives for Home and Rehab Workouts

The Leg Pull-in is done hanging. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Knee/hip Raise On Parallel Bars, the Assisted Hanging Knee Raise and the Gorilla Chin/crunch. Six harder versions, among them the Hanging Leg Raise and the Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Leg Pull-in

Leg Pull-in
Primary muscle
Abs
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
How to perform Leg Pull-in
  1. Lie on an exercise mat with your legs extended and your hands either palms facing down next to you or under your glutes. Tip: My preference is with the hands next to me. This will be your starting position.
  2. Bend your knees and pull your upper thighs into your midsection as you breathe out. Continue the motion until your knees are around chest level. Contract your abs as you execute this movement and hold for a second at the top. Tip: As you perform the motion, the lower legs (calves) should always remain parallel to the floor.
  3. Return to the starting position as you inhale.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
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Ranked Leg Pull-in Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Leg Pull-in on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Best match
    Knee/hip Raise On Parallel Bars

    1. Knee/hip Raise On Parallel Bars

    95% match
    • Abs
    • Other
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A straight swap when you want to keep working the abs.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Position your body on the vertical leg raise bench so that your forearms are resting on the pads next to the torso and holding on to the handles. Your arms will be bent at a 90 degree angle.
    2. The torso should be straight with the lower back pressed against the pad of the machine and the legs extended pointing towards the floor. This will be your starting position.
    3. Now as you breathe out, lift your legs up as you keep them extended. Continue this movement until your legs are roughly parallel to the floor and then hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Do not use any momentum or swinging as you perform this exercise.
    4. Slowly go back to the starting position as you breathe in.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  2. Hanging Leg RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    2. Hanging Leg Raise

    90% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the abs.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
    3. Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  3. Hanging Straight Leg Hip RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    3. Hanging Straight Leg Hip Raise

    90% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you until they are parallel to the ground.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  4. Hanging Straight Leg RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    4. Hanging Straight Leg Raise

    90% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
    3. Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  5. Hanging Leg Hip RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    5. Hanging Leg Hip Raise

    90% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up by flexing your hips and knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  6. Vertical Leg Raise (On Parallel Bars)Play demonstration

    Progression

    6. Vertical Leg Raise (On Parallel Bars)

    90% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from the parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
    3. Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or slightly higher.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Leg Pull-in
  7. Hanging PikePlay demonstration

    Progression

    7. Hanging Pike

    89% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up towards the bar, keeping them straight.
    3. Continue lifting until your body forms a 'V' shape, with your legs parallel to the ground.
    4. Hold the position for a moment, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  8. Assisted Hanging Knee RaisePlay demonstration

    8. Assisted Hanging Knee Raise

    89% match
    • Abs
    • Machine
    • Beginner
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core muscles and lift your knees towards your chest, bending at the hips and knees.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your abs.
    4. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: a machine, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  9. Gorilla Chin/crunch

    9. Gorilla Chin/crunch

    86% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a chin-up bar using an underhand grip (palms facing you) that is slightly wider than shoulder width.
    2. Now bend your knees at a 90 degree angle so that the calves are parallel to the floor while the thighs remain perpendicular to it. This will be your starting position.
    3. As you exhale, pull yourself up while crunching your knees up at the same time until your knees are at chest level. You will stop going up as soon as your nose is at the same level as the bar. Tip: When you get to this point you should also be finishing the crunch at the same time.
    4. Slowly start to inhale as you return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
  10. Weighted Hanging Leg-hip RaisePlay demonstration

    10. Weighted Hanging Leg-hip Raise

    84% match
    • Abs
    • Weighted
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
    3. Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or slightly higher.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Equipment: free weights, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Leg Pull-in
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Leg Pull-in

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology