Who doesn’t dream of having six-pack abs? Everyone wants to have rock hard abs. Having defined ab muscles have several benefits such as less back pain, better posture, and better sports performance. The best thing is, you just need a simple pull up bar to perform.
However, pull up bars are effective exercise, will work on every part of your abdominal muscles and help you to get your desired abs.
Training your core muscles using a pull up bar isn’t easy, especially for overweight people and beginners. Also, remember that getting six pack abs isn’t just exercise, your healthy diet also plays a very important role. There are number of healthy foods that you need to add in your diet routine.
Keep reading till the end to learn about 13 best pull-up bar exercises for abs with step-by-step instructions.
Table of Contents
13 Best Pull-Up Bar Exercises for Abs
01. Pull-Up Bar Hanging Leg Raises
The hanging leg raises are effective lower ab exercise, it strengthens the core, enhances your balance and stability, burns maximum calories fast and improves hanging strength.
How to perform:
- Start holding a pull up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and legs are fully extended down. That’s the starting position.
- Now, keep your abdominal muscles tight, and raise your legs up in front of you until your legs are parallel to the floor.
- Hold the movement for a second at the top and then slowly lower down back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Ensure to engage your lats and do not bend your knees as you raise your legs up.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
02. Hanging Knees Raises
The hanging knees raises is one of the easiest and effective exercises for targeting your abdominal muscles. This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, helps get six-pack abs faster, creates stability and muscular tension, improves balance and overall fitness performance.
How to perform:
- Hold the pull up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your legs are straight down.
- Now, keep your abdominal muscles tight and raise your knees upward towards your body until they are equal to your chest height.
- Hold the position for a second and then slowly straighten your legs to return back to the starting position.
- If you want to make this exercise a bit harder, then hold the dumbbell between your feet and do the same steps mentioned above.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
03. Pull Up Bar Hanging Bicycle
The hanging bicycle is a great full-body exercise and works on the entire core muscles. This exercise increases your grip strength and improves stability and balance. Adding this exercise in your workout routine can strengthen your core and help you to build defined six-pack abs.
How to perform:
- Hold a pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hang straight with your feet fully extended down. That’s your starting position.
- Now, bring your legs at your hips level so that your body forms an “L” shape.
- Keep your abdominal muscles tight and raise your one knee out and other knee in, like a bicycle pedal motion.
- Perform the moment slowly in controlled motion.
- Do 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps, and take 60-90 seconds rest between the sets.
04. Pull Up Bar L Hang
The pull up bar l hang is an effective and advanced variation of the dead hand. This exercise engages your abdominal muscles and also gives a nice stretch to the upper body.
It is great exercise to increase strength and stability, they also help you to work on your grip strength and upper back strength.
How to perform:
- Get on the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart., and legs are straight down and together.
- Now, keep your core tight and raise your legs up in front of you until they are parallel to the floor so that your body forms an “L” shape. While lifting your legs up, do not bend your knees.
- Hold the position as long as you can and ensure that your core muscles are fully engaged.
- Then slowly lower your legs to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Also, you can try holding a dumbbell between your feet, if you want to make it harder.
05. Pull Up Bar Oblique Twist
The pull up bar hanging oblique twist is one of the best and effective exercises for abs, especially this exercise works on the internal and external oblique. This exercise improves flexibility and grip strength.
How to perform:
- Hold the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your legs are fully extended down.
- Now raise your knees up and hold them in front of your chest, after that start twisting them to the right and then to the left.
- Then, slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
- Again, raise your knees at chest level and repeat the same step.
06. Hanging Toes to Bar
The hanging toes to bar is one of the toughest and awesome core exercises that work on the almost complete body. This exercise is a staple in most Crossfit workouts that will really get your abs working.
This exercise strengthens shoulder, back, and the core muscles, also improves grip and helps you build six-pack abs faster.
How to perform:
- Hand onto pull up bar with your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and legs are straight down and together.
- Now, keep your core tight, and raise your legs all the way up so your toes touch the bar.
- Ensure that you engage your lats as you lift your legs up.
- Hold the position for a second at the top, and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Do 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
07. Pull Up Bar Side Leg Raise
Hanging side leg raise is one of the best and effective exercises for your core muscles. it will engage your external and internal oblique and build stronger core as well as improve hip mobility.
How to perform:
- Hold the pull up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and legs are straight down and together.
- Keep your core tight, bend your knees and raise them to the right side, then slowly lower it down.
- Again, raise your knees to the left side and then slowly lower down. That’s one rep.
- Perform the movement slowly and in a controlled manner.
- Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
08. Hanging Knees to Elbows
The hanging knees to elbows is an easier exercise and variation of toes to bar ab exercise. This exercise improves your grip strength, increases functional strength and builds six-pack abs faster.
How to perform:
- Start hanging onto the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your legs are fully extended down and together.
- Keeping your abdominal muscles tight, raise your legs all the way up so that your knees touch your elbows.
- Hold for a second and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Make sure your lats are engaged as you lift your knees up.
- Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 rep.
09. Hanging Scissors Ab Exercise
Hanging scissors is one of the easiest ab exercises that you can do on the pull up bar. Still, you need great grip and forearm strength so that you can hang properly on the bar. This exercise works great on your core muscles.
How to perform:
- Hold the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and keep your leg straight down.
- Keep your abdominal muscles tight and slightly raise your leg in front of you. That’s your starting position.
- Now, bring your right leg out and then return back, then bring your left leg out and then return back like scissor kicks. You can repeat for the desired number of times.
10. Hanging Windshield Wipers
The hanging windshield wipers are the toughest and more advanced ab exercise. If you’re looking for killer abs workout with the pull up bar, then consider windshield wipers. This exercise strengthens your core and works great on your abs and obliques.
How to perform:
- Start by hanging on the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your legs together and straight down.
- Keep your core tight, and raise your legs all the way up towards the ceiling until they are horizontally straight.
- Now, slowly lower your feet down toward one side, hold the position for a second and then raise your feet back to the center position.
- Now, lower your feet down towards the other side, hold for a second and then raise your feet back to the starting position.
- That’s one rep.
11. Hanging Ab Crunches
The hanging ab crunches are a variation of knee raise and it is slightly easier. This exercise is also effective in building a stronger core and some serious abs.
How to perform:
- First, connect your hanging straps to the pull up bar and keep your elbows into it. Hold the top of the straps with your hands.
- Now, let your body hang by the support of the straps. Keep your legs together and straight down.
- Keep your abdominal muscles tight, and raise your knees towards your upper body. Make sure not to raise too high.
- Then slowly lower your knees to starting position. That’s one rep.
- Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
12. Hanging Knee Circles
Hanging knee circles is one of the great and effective core exercises. This exercise works on the entire core muscles. It will improve grip strength, reduce shoulder stress and also strengthen your back muscles.
How to perform:
- Hold the pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and keep your legs fully extended down
- Keep your abdominal muscles tight and bring your knees up to the left, and then across the front and followed by down to the right like circle motion (rotate your legs in a circle).
- Hold for a second and then reverse the same steps back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Do 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
13. Hanging Garhammer Raise
The hanging garhammer raise is a more advanced ab exercise that keeps your abs on tension the entire time.
How to perform:
- Hang on the pull up bar with your hands shoulder width apart. Your knees are straight down.
- Engage your core, and bend your knees and raise them up and keep them at about 90 degrees.
- Turn your toes in to face each other. That’s your starting position.
- Now, bring your knees up as high as you can.
- Hold the position for a second, and then return back to the starting position without letting your knees straighten. That’s one rep.
- Do 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
Conclusion
Pull up bar ab exercises aren’t easy to perform for anyone, these exercises required great grip, core and forearm strength. Some of the exercises are easy to perform, but some pull up bar exercises are the toughest one which are challenging.
Keep these pull up bar exercises for abs in mind, and start with an easier one to build stronger and sculpted midsection today.
Hopefully, you like this article, if you have any questions and suggestions kindly put them in the comment box below.
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