5 Best Pull-Up Bar Exercises for a Strong Core

Best and effective pull-up bar exercises that women can do for strong core. (Image via Pexels/Omar Karakus)
Best and effective pull-up bar exercises that women can do for strong core. (Image via Pexels/Omar Karakus)

A strong core tends to be crucial for physical outlook as well as the overall fitness of the body. Building a strong core will enable you to get shredded, improve overall stability, enhance posture, reduce lower back pain, improve sports performance, and more. This is why abdominal exercises are bound to get more attention than any other body part. However, you should remember that abdominals are only one part of the core muscles. The core region also entails a few other muscles such as obliques and glutes.

Pull-up bar exercises can be considered one of the most popular and accessible ways to get a strong core. However, it is important to include a variety of pull-up bar exercises in your workout regime to effectively target all muscles in the core region. You should also have sufficient stability and grip strength so that they are not limiting factors.

Here are five of the best and most effective pull-up bar exercises that you can do for a strong core.


Pull-Up Bar Exercises for a Strong Core

1. Hanging Knee Raise

Hanging knee raises are one of the most basic and effective pull-up bar exercises that you can do for a strong core. This exercise will help you build foundational strength in the body, allowing you to perform advanced progressions of the pull-up bar exercises more effectively.

How to do it?

Hang on to the pull-up bar with your hands positioned apart at shoulder distance. Next, place both your feet together and raise your knees upwards by bending them so that your upper thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold your knees in this position for a few moments before lowering them slowly and with control. Repeat.


2. Hanging Knees to Chest

This is an intermediate-level pull-up bar exercise that you can do for a strong core as it will effectively work on the muscles throughout the core region. It will help in the overall strengthening and toning of the muscles.

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How to do it?

Begin by positioning yourself on the pull-up bar with an engaged core and palms apart at shoulder distance. Bring your legs upwards with knees bent at a ninety-degree angle until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Next, with tightened abs, raise your knees towards your chest as high as possible. Lower them to the center position. Repeat.


3. Hanging Around the World

This is an advanced pull-up bar exercise that involves the movement of lifting your legs and moving them in a circular motion similar to that of a clock, hence the name around the world. This exercise will significantly enhance the coordination of the body along with strengthening your core region and lower body.

How to do it?

Assume your position on the pull-up bar with your hands apart at shoulder distance and shoulder blades towards one another. Next, with both your legs together, start moving them into a circular movement in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. You need to ensure that your legs are completely extended and your knees are together throughout the movement. Repeat.


4. Hanging Knee Raise Twist

Hanging knee raise twists will help you get a strong core by effectively working on your midsection, especially your obliques.

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How to do it?

Assume your position on the pull-up bar with your hands apart at shoulder distance and your legs together. By engaging glutes and abs along with a lifted chest, maintain tension throughout your body. Raise both knees together upwards towards any one side of your body until they are at your hip level. Lower them to the center position before bringing them upwards to the alternate side. Repeat.


5. Hanging Leg Raise

Hanging leg raises are also one of the most efficient exercises that will help you get a strong core by effectively targeting all the muscles in the core region, especially deep abdominal muscles. This exercise will help you get shredded and develop a better balance in your lower body.

How to do it?

Start by hanging on the pull-up bar with your hand apart at shoulder distance. Now bring both your legs together and raise them upwards in front of you with your knees completely straightened and legs extended. However, you can even slightly bend your knees if hamstring flexibility is one of the limiting factors. Hold your legs in the upward movement for a few breaths before releasing. Repeat.


Bottom Line

The aforementioned pull-up bar exercises will certainly help you get a strong core by effectively targeting and working on all core muscles. Besides working on the core muscles, these pull-up bar exercises will also entail several other advantages such as better strength of the lower body, stronger body, strengthened shoulders and back, enhanced posture, defined and shredded physical aesthetics, and more.

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