Staying fit and losing weight in middle age can be tough, but no one makes it look better than football superstar David Beckham, who has shared one of the cornerstones of his workout regime.
David Beckham, the soccer icon who’s equally well-known for his impeccable style and athletic prowess, has shared a video that reveals one of the key secrets behind his enviable body that he’s managed to keep in ship shape well into middle age.
The secret to his killer six-pack abs? A brutal but devastatingly effective exercise: hanging knee raises. Beckham recently took to Instagram to share a glimpse of his workout routine, featuring this core-burning move that has become a centrepiece of his training programme under the mentorship of trainer Bobby Rich.
The exercise is a lot harder than it looks, especially if you’re carrying a little more timber than Beckham (as most of us sadly are…). The technique is straightforward but burns: While hanging from a pull-up bar, engage the core muscles to lift both knees until your thighs are parallel (or just beyond) with the floor. Targeting not only the rectus abdominis‚ the six-pack muscles — but the whole upper body as it grips and holds the hang position, this is a stone-cold killer.
Wendy Batts — regional master trainer for the National Academy of Sports Medicine who recently spoke to Coach Web — stresses the importance of proper form and progression with this exercise. She points out that the hanging knee raise may not be suitable for beginners due to the control required to maintain a neutral spine as an anterior pelvic tilt — an arched lower back — can lead to compensatory movements elsewhere in the body that diminish the exercise’s effectiveness.
For those finding the hanging knee raise challenging, Batts recommends starting with simpler exercises such as knee-ups or reverse crunches to build the necessary foundational strength and stability. On the flip side, if you already find the hanging knee raise a walk in the park, there are plenty of ways to turn up the heat…
“There are a lot of different variations to make it harder; sometimes one knee up at a time so you have to hang longer, or there are different rotational movements while doing it… I have our athletes do it where they’ll raise their knees, kick their legs out, hold this position, and then come down… ”
Wendy Batts
Beckham’s dedication to maintaining his physique should serve as an inspiration to a lot of blokes, especially those facing up to the harsh realities of middle age. Beckham serves as a welcome reminder of the importance of consistency, proper technique, and gradual progression in not only achieving but sustaining your fitness goals.