Summer’s just around the corner and if you haven’t already started, it’s time to focus on shedding those extra pounds you may have put on over the winter!   Of all my time in the Health and Fitness Industry as a Personal Trainer, probably the most frequent question I’m asked is “How do I get rid of this bit of fat?” as they point to their lower ab area.  This seems to be a more common concern as we near bathing suit weather!  Here’s some advice for adding a Knees To Elbows Abs exercise to your workout.

Men and women struggle with accumulation of fat in this area that I affectionately refer to as “The Pooch.”  It’s one of the most challenging areas to see progress unfortunately but it can be done! When it comes to stripping off bodyfat and especially for losing the pooch, it’s important to remember “first on, last off.”  Usually the thighs and midsection is the first place we’ll notice a little more pudge when we gain weight, and it’s the last place it’s going to come off when you decide to commit to changing your body composition.  A clean diet and enough cardio isn’t enough to getting sculpted abs, you need to train them like any other body part.

I like to say that a knees to elbows abs exercise is more of an advanced exercise not because it’s a necessarily complex movement, but rather because it’s not familiar to the average gym goer.  With the growing popularity of crossfit and bootcamp style workouts, more and more people are becoming more open to introducing new exercises and training into their workouts.

Tips For Knees To Elbows Abs

To do knees to elbows (kte) all you really need is a pull ups bar and some sort of hand protection ideally.  Every gym has some version of one and you can also find them in a lot of parks and even playgrounds.

1. Standing below the bar reach up and grab it with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip.

2. If you’re a beginner it’s a good idea to have someone stand behind you and hold your hips for a bit more added stability.

3. Focus on sucking your belly button in towards your spine and you bring your knees up to your elbows.

4. While you may need to “swing” your legs up for the first one, your goal is not to be swinging back and forth.

Knees to elbows will also engage your back and hip flexors, and they do require you have adequate upper body strength and grip.  If you’re new to the pull ups bar you may want to get a pair of gloves for pull ups to ease some of the friction on your hands.  While KTE may look difficult to newbies, it’s actually a simple exercise once you’ve got the basics mastered.  Adding new workouts to your routine or experimenting with new exercises is the best way to see those changes you’re going for.  If you want changes… you have to make changes!

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” – Henry Ford

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