As much as kipping, rhythm, and tension matter for having a good kipping toes to bar, there’s one key thing you need for them to work: core strength.
This means building strong abs in a deep compressive crunch, strong hip flexors at their end range, and the ability to leverage those muscles in a hang with and without momentum.
These exercises each train one or more of these components, and are excellent all-rounders for building core strength for toes to bar.
Hanging Knee to Chest
Technique
From a dead hang, pull your knees toward your chest. Keep pulling until you feel your spine round and your pelvis roll under you like you’re tucking your tail. Control the descent back to a dead hang.
Don’t stop the rep early – if you stay in a dead hang and your pelvis is spilled forward, you won’t get the gains from this movement that you want!
Hanging Leg Raise
Technique
From a dead hang, pull your toes up with straight legs as high as you can. Keep pulling them upuntil you feel your spine round and your pelvis roll under you like you’re tucking your tail. Control the descent back to a dead hang.
Don’t stop the rep early – if you stay in a dead hang and your pelvis is spilled forward, you won’t get the gains from this movement that you want!
Single Leg Raise
What is it?
The same as the above, scaled down to use just one leg at a time.
Lumbar Band Hollow body Hold
Setup
Secure a resistance band to an upright, squat rack or heavy weight, and stretch it out. Lie down (face up) on the stretched out band, lining it up below your belly button under your lower back. Press down into the band with your back.
Technique
Lift your arms straight up toward the ceiling, and do the same with your toes. Reach up so that your shoulders peel off the floor. Now, extend your arms up toward the ceiling and your toes down toward the wall at the same time, lengthening the levers adding weight to your abs.
Hold this position without letting your lower back lift (if you do, the band will snap away from you). Use the band to help you keep a good position where your bottom ribs are always pulling toward your pelvis.
Medball Knee Raise
Setup
Tuck a big (4-10kg) medball in between your ankles and climb or hop up to a bar in a dead hang.
Technique
Pull your knees toward your chest, with the medball staying between the ankles. Keep pulling until you feel your spine round and your pelvis roll under you like you’re tucking your tail. Control the descent back to a dead hang.
Don’t stop the rep early – if you stay in a dead hang and your pelvis is spilled forward, you won’t get the gains from this movement that you want!
Single Leg Pike Lifts
What is it?
A deep core compression exercise that loads up the lower abs and quads.
Technique
From a seated pike position on the floor, walk your hands as far forward as you can. In this position, lift one leg at a time without bending the knee.
V-Up
Technique
Lying flat on the floor, reach your hands and legs toward each other to tap your toes with both hands. This should make the shape of a V with your body. Keep your legs as straight as you can.
Single Leg V-Up
Technique
Just like the above – but only tap one hand to the opposite foot, then lie back down and switch sides as you come back up.
GHD Sit up
What is it?
A great all-rounder heavy ab exercise.
Technique
Sitting on the GHD so that your butt and hamstrings hang off the edge, set your eyes on something high on the wall in front of you. Lean back, keeping your ribs pulled down toward your belt line for as long as you can, reaching back at the last minute to tap the floor with your hands. At this point your focal point may be blocked by your own torso. Aggressively throw your hands back toward your feet, crunch your abs and snap the quads to find your way back to a tall seated position as fast as possible.
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