If your ab training still consists of chasing some arbitrary number, like the old-school idea of 100 or 200-plus daily reps of various exercises, then maybe its time to rethink your approach. Volume alone won’t carve out your abs. Even if you’re not stuck in an outdated mindset, you can still reap the benefits of adding toes to bar to your workouts.
If you’re not familiar with the exercise, you have probably seen the movement performed. An athlete hanging straight down from a pull-up bar and swinging his feet up to touch the bar for multiple reps. Calling this move “dynamic” sells it short—it not only places incredible demands on your core muscles, but it also builds your grip, arm, and shoulder strength. The move is trickier than it looks, though, so be sure to follow these tips for proper setup and execution.
Toes to Bar in 5 Steps
Grip Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, wrapping your thumbs for a secure grip—when you kick your feet up, you don’t want to kick your hands.
Flex Squeeze both your butt and abs, creating a “hollow-body” position where your feet are slightly in front of your torso. With these muscles flexed, your body’s ready to swing.
Transition To transition from backswing to upswing, simply drive your knees toward your elbows, then extend your legs, kicking your feet toward the bar as they rise.
Downswing As soon as your momentum toward the bar ends, pull back into an arc and squeeze your butt to load your hips for the next rep.
