Toes to bar is the full-range, straight-leg version of the hanging leg raise. You hang from a bar, keep your legs completely straight, and raise them all the way up until your toes touch the bar above your head. It's a humbling jump in difficulty from knee raises: straight legs dramatically lengthen the lever, so your abs, hip flexors, and grip all have to work much harder for much longer.
This exercise doesn't just build a very strong core, it also teaches compact, coordinated movement. Hitting the bar cleanly without swinging, using pure core strength, is what separates a strong gymnast-style core from a crunch-builder.
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip and a still body. Without swinging, keep your legs glued together and completely straight. Drive your toes up in a big arc toward the bar, tucking the pelvis under at the top so the toes meet the bar (or as close as you can get). Lower slowly back to a still dead hang before the next rep.
See more here:
Video by The Movement Collective
Target
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 10
- Rest: 90 seconds between sets
- Advance when: 3×10 with straight legs, toes touching the bar
Key tips
- Keep your legs straight. Even a slight bend makes it much easier
- Tuck your pelvis under at the top; it's not just hip flexors, it's core
- Control the descent, don't just let your legs swing down
- Minimize swinging between reps; pause and reset if you start kipping
- Progression path: hanging knee raise, then tuck L-sit for straight-arm core, then L-raise (legs parallel to floor), then toes to bar