- EquipmentMachine
- PatternCore
- Reps8 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Stand in the captain's chair with your back against the pad and your forearms on the arm rests, legs hanging.
First cueKeep the back against the pad.
How to do the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise
Set up. Stand in the captain's chair with your back against the pad and your forearms on the arm rests, legs hanging.
- Lift your knees toward your chest.
- Curl the pelvis up slightly at the top.
- Lower slowly.
Form cues
- Keep the back against the pad.
- Move slowly.
- Do not swing the legs.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs up.
- Dropping the legs quickly.
Muscles worked
Main target: Abs. The rectus abdominis runs down the front of the trunk. It curls the trunk forward and, more often in training, stops the spine arching under a load.
On the way: Obliques.
Its other side: Lower back, in the trunk pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Reverse Hyperextension Superset partner: it trains the other side of the trunk pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Cable Woodchop Often left out: it trains the obliques, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Captain’s Chair Knee Raise 3 × 8 to 20 reps
- Reverse Hyperextension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Woodchop 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Crunch 3 × 10 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Hanging Leg Raise
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Cable Crunch
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Hanging Leg Raise.
Other variations of the Hanging Leg Raise: Reverse Crunch and Hanging Knee Raise.
Do before it: Dead Bug (bracing), Hollow Hold (same movement, lighter) and Hanging Knee Raise (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise?
Set up: Stand in the captain's chair with your back against the pad and your forearms on the arm rests, legs hanging. Steps: 1. Lift your knees toward your chest. 2. Curl the pelvis up slightly at the top. 3. Lower slowly. Form cues: Keep the back against the pad. Move slowly. Do not swing the legs. Common mistakes: Swinging the legs up. Dropping the legs quickly.
What muscles does the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise work?
It trains the abs as its main target and works the obliques on the way.
What can I do instead of the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise?
At home: Hanging Leg Raise. In a gym: Cable Crunch. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Captain’s Chair Knee Raise with?
Good partners in the same workout are Reverse Hyperextension and Cable Woodchop.