Toes-to-Bar
Shoulders down first. Toes-to-bar is the hanging leg raise with nowhere left to hide: the shoulder blades pull down, then the straight legs come all the way to the bar. Kipping the whole body to throw the feet up is the fault. If the toes will not reach, work the range you own rather than adding reps you cannot control.
Setup
- Hang from the bar, arms straight, shoulders engaged.
- Legs straight and together.
How To Do It
- Pull the shoulder blades down first, then raise the straight legs.
- Bring the toes up to touch the bar between the hands.
- Lower under control. Do not let the swing carry you into the next rep.
Breathing
Exhale as the legs rise.
Common Mistakes
- Kipping the whole body to throw the feet up.
- Bending the knees, which turns it back into a knee raise.
Programming It
Three sets of 5-10, strict.
Why This Exercise Works
Reaching the bar requires both a strong trunk and enough shoulder and hamstring range to get there. Most people fail this on range rather than strength, which is why the leg raise progressions matter more than doing more of these.
Where You Should Feel It
The whole front of the trunk, plus the lats pulling and the grip holding. Most people fail this on range rather than strength. The hamstrings and shoulders have to allow the position.
Where It Fits in a Program
The hanging leg raise with nowhere left to hide. It earns a place at the front of a session; accessories can wait for the tail.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the toes-to-bar: slow the lowering, or pause with the toes at the bar. To regress it: raise the knees to the chest instead, or do hanging leg raises.
Who It's For
Anyone with a strong hanging leg raise. If you cannot get the toes up, work the range rather than doing more reps.
Equipment and Substitutions
The version shown uses a pull-up bar. Without something to hang from, substitute a row from the list. It is not identical, but it loads the same back musculature.
Related Exercises
- Hanging Knee Raise · Abs, Hip Flexors, Grip
- Ab Wheel Rollout · Abs, Lats, Shoulders
- Body Saw · Abs, Core, Shoulders
- Hanging Leg Raise · Abs, Hip Flexors
- Hollow Rock · Abs, Deep Core
- Hollow Body Hold · Abs, Deep Core
- V-Up · Abs, Hip Flexors
- Dead Hang · Grip, Lats, Shoulders
Common Questions
What muscles does the toes-to-bar work?
The toes-to-bar primarily trains the abs, lats, grip.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three sets of 5-10, strict.
What are the most common toes-to-bar mistakes?
Most often: kipping the whole body to throw the feet up; bending the knees, which turns it back into a knee raise.
Do I need a pull-up bar to do this?
This version uses a pull-up bar, and it trains the abs, lats, grip. No pull-up bar? A door-frame bar costs very little. Failing that, the row variations below train the same muscles from a different angle.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
The toes-to-bar loads the knee, hip and lower back together, which means a problem in any one of them can surface here. If a rep reproduces the pain you already have, stop the set and get it looked at. Not medical advice.