How to do a Toes to Bar Kipping
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Toes to Bar Kipping
Instructions for Proper Form
The Kipping version of Toes to Bar introduces momentum into the exercise, making it slightly less focused on pure core strength and more on coordination and timing. This variation is popular in cross-training and functional fitness, providing a cardiovascular challenge while still targeting the core and upper body.
- Grasp a bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width such that your palms face forwards.
- Engage your core, lats and shoulders for stability. Swing your legs back behind such that you have a slight arch in your back.
- Engage your core as your legs swing forward to fold at the hips. Explosively raise your feet up to the bar or as high as you feel comfortable.
- Keep your core lightly engaged as you allow your legs to swing back down.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core, shoulders and lats engaged throughout the exercise.
- You should feel this exercise primarily in your core.
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Alternative Exercises to Toes to Bar Kipping
1. Toes to Bar
30.8 mSCORESWAPPED 11 TIMESToes to Bar is a challenging core exercise performed by hanging from a pull-up bar and lifting the toes to touch the bar, engaging the abs, hip flexors, and shoulders. It requires significant core strength and flexibility, making it a staple in gymnastics and functional fitness routines.
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2. Hanging Knee Raise
73.4 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESHanging Knee Raise is a variation of Vertical Knee Raise. Like Vertical Knee Raise, this is a bodyweight core exercise that involves suspending yourself and raising your knees to your chest. By hanging from a pull up bar, you add more instability to the movement, which causes you to further recruit your core for stability.
- Beginner
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3. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
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4. Dead Bug
92.4 mSCORESWAPPED 6 TIMESDead Bugs are a bodyweight core exercise that requires you to lay on your back, and alternate extending your arms and legs out away from your body. The position you’re in on the ground keeps your core engaged, while extending your arms and legs away from you forces you to further recruit your core to continue to stabilize yourself.
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5. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
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6. Vertical Leg Raise
82.2 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESVertical Leg Raise is a more challenging variation of Vertical Knee Raise. By keeping your legs straight as you raise them up and away from you, you add significantly more resistance to this exercise. Keeping your legs extended also forces you to engage your quadriceps. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Vertical Knee Raises more challenging.
- Intermediate
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- Vertical Bench (Vertical Knee Raise)
7. Dumbbell V-Sit Cross Jab
44.2 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESDumbbell V-Sit Cross Jab is a compound exercise that combines a V-Sit and a Cross Jab. This exercise primarily targets your core, shoulders, and obliques. By holding a V-Sit position, you engage your core for stability while performing cross jabs with dumbbells. The added resistance of the dumbbells can further improve muscle activation and conditioning.
8. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
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9. Hanging Leg Raise
60.2 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESHanging Leg Raise is a bodyweight core exercise that primarily targets the abdominals and hip flexors. By hanging from a pull-up bar and raising your legs, you add instability, forcing greater muscle engagement. This is a more challenging variation than Vertical Knee Raises, increasing the demand on your core and possibly the quadriceps, providing excellent strength and muscle-conditioning benefits.
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10. V-Up
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