There are a number of options you can choose from to perform the vertical knee up variation. These include:

1) Hanging from a chinning bar, gripping shoulder width with palms facing in the direction you are facing.

2)
Supporting your body on your lower arms on a frame designed
specifically for this exercise (lower arms are parallel to the ground).
Dipping stations sometimes allow for this. 3) Hands through straps that hang down from supports above.

No
matter which device you choose, the guidelines remain constant. In the
first instance, start the movement with the knees and hips at ninety
degrees. Keep them at these joint angles throughout the movement. Then
lift the knees to the chest, bringing them as close to the chest as you
can. This will involve the lower back rounding. The greatest
challenge you face in this movement (apart from the obvious of lifting
the knees to the chest) is to lift and lower the legs within minimal or
no body sway. The technique I recommend is to lift your legs in a
smooth, controlled, non-accelerated method. Pause them at the top and
then lower them taking three seconds. Using this controlled method will
minimize the body sway. It'll also reduce the number of reps you can do!If
you need more resistance (and I don't think this will apply to too many
people), here are two progressively harder options:

Option I:
Start with your legs full extended and as you lift (flex your hips),
bring your knees up to your chest by bending also at the knees. Lower
back down in reverse, i.e. extending your legs out as you lower down. Option II:
For an even higher level of difficulty, start with your legs straight
and raise them up keeping them straight at all times. Lower them down
in a mirror image of this.

This is one lift I
strongly suggest you be smart about. It's possibly the abdominal
exercise that places the most stress on the lower back (through the
pull of the hip flexors). So this is no time to aim to impress the
audience. Just stick with what you can do well. And if you experience
lower back discomfort, look to lower the level of difficulty!From
a purist's point of view, your pelvis should remain at a constant angle
throughout, rather than rolling forward from the top (anterior
rotation) during the most difficult ranges. However, my coaching
philosophy is to drill you in lead-up movements such that this control
happens automatically, rather than attempt to coach or have you cue
yourself during more complex movements. I see so many coaches and
trainers cueing finer points during a complex lift and for the most
part they're wasting their time. If it isn't happening by itself, I
usually go back to a lower level of difficulty and progress back up.I
also want to share another teaching philosophy I use. As the level of
difficulty rises, I don't demand the same level of "perfection"
technically. Rather, I allow some drop off — not to the extent that the
person's health is at risk, but a more relaxed view on technique. And
then we aim to perform at a higher level technically the next time. Notes:
Speed of movement — Controlled dynamic movement at 311.
Selecting
appropriate level — Start conservatively in your load selection and
progress over the subsequent workouts and weeks. Ensure that no
inappropriate loading is being experienced in the lower back.
Modified V-sitsLie
on your back on the ground. You're going to flex (lift) the hips/legs
and trunk at the same time. The end goal is to be in the nearly full
seated position with the thighs close to the chest. Your body will
create a V-shape at the top, with the trunk leaning back about 45 to 60
degrees and your upper legs also forming this angle. Just imagine your
trunk and thighs creating a V-shape.As your legs lift, bend your
knees and aim them toward the chest. Lift the legs at the same rate as
the trunk. Don't get one ahead of the other! This lift can be a
challenge from a coordination perspective, but mastery of this is
rewarding! As
you flex the hip/legs and trunk simultaneously, your arms will raise,
but keep them parallel to the ground at all times. If you want to make
it even harder, don't allow your heels or upper back or arms to rest on
the ground when you lower down to the bottom position!As with
the knee ups, this exercise can place considerable strain through the
hip flexors, so ensure that you're not aggravating the lower back in
any way by performing this movement. The pull of the hip flexors should
be countered to some extent by the pelvis rolling backward (posterior
rotation) as your trunk flexes up.Now should you require an
increased resistance (which I don't believe will apply to many people),
you can place a weight plate on your chest, holding it with your arms
crossed over your chest like an "X."
Side Raises with twist on Roman chairYou
performed the basis of this variation in the previous stage. The
variation I'm applying for this stage is that as you flex upward, begin
progressively rotating your trunk until you're faced upward to the roof
as much as possible at the top position. As you lower the trunk down,
you simply reverse this rotation until you get back sideways toward the
bottom half of the lowering. As
I explained in the prior stage, the placement of the hands will alter
the level of difficulty. The further the hands are above the head, the
harder the movement. In the initial position, I suggest you cross the
arms on the chest. Notes:
Arm
positions — Start with arms crossed on the chest but take them out
further above the head or hold a weight plate on the chest as is needed
to provide appropriate loading.
Selecting
appropriate level — The only way to really know what level of
difficulty is appropriate is to perform a rep or two at each level,
starting from a light load, until you're being challenged. Do not
continue on looking for failure; work with a level that's manageable.
B — Days 2 and 4 (Tue/Fri)Warm up: Same as "A" day. Curl up with load

Warm-up: 15 reps at bodyweight Sets: 1-2 x 10-20 Speed: 20X Rest:1-2 minutes

Wrist to Knee Curl Up

Warm-up: 15 at bodyweight Sets: 1-2 x 10-20 Speed: 20X (the "X" means to explode up) Rest:1-2 minutes

Extended body holds

Warm-up: nil Sets: 1-2 x 30 to 120 second holds Speed: 201 Rest:1-2 minutes

*Again, you only need to do a warm up set if you plan to use external resistance in the work sets.Here's a description of the exercises involved in B day, stage three:Curl up with loadThis
is the same body position that I've had you use throughout the ordinary
curl up. In otherwords, lying on your back on the ground, knees bent to
about 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Your feet are not to be
anchored under anything. Then you sit up or curl up the trunk, ideally
to a full sitting position. In this stage however, I want you to hold a
weight plate on your chest. Start out with a very light one! If
you plan on using external load in the work sets, do a bodyweight set
to warm up first. Like any loaded strength training exercise, if you
lose the ability to complete the range you used on the first rep,
terminate the set.Notes:
Speed of movement — Attempt to explode up, then control down. No pause needed.
Arm positions — Assuming you're up to it, the arms will be across the chest holding on to the external load.
Wrist-to-knee curl upsLie
on your back on the ground, each hand touching its own side of the
forehead with the fingers, elbows out at 45 degrees. Don't change the
elbow angle during the exercise. Starting with legs out straight, raise
(flex) the trunk and one leg simultaneously. As you continue into
flexion, rotate the trunk so that the elbow (or preferably the wrist)
on the opposite side to the knee that's been lifted touches the
opposite knee. Then return to a fully straight body position, repeating
the next rep on the other side. If
you do need to add resistance, you can hold weight on your chest or add
light ankle weights, or both. This would mean you wouldn't be touching
the wrist to the opposite knee, rather looking to bring the knee as
close as you can to the opposite side of the chest/shoulder.Notes:
Speed of movement — Perform this movement explosively during the lift and then control down. No pause needed.
Arm
positions — Have the fingers lightly touching the front of the head,
elbows out at 45 degrees from the body, and arm/elbow angle not
changing during the lift. The placement of the hands will alter the
level of difficulty. The further the hands are above the head, the
harder the movement.
Extended body holdsPlace
your feet on a bench and place a Swiss ball or another bench out in
front of you. Rest your elbows on the ball or bench so that you're
extended out as far as you can. Once
in that position, hold it for as long as you can. If you exceed two
minutes, which I doubt, and you're not able to safely extend your arms
out further, have someone place a medicine ball or weight plate on your
hips or lower back.Notes:
Speed
of movement — Hold each extended position for somewhere between 30 and
120 seconds. If you can't hold the position for at least 30 seconds,
look to make the position easier by bringing your elbows under your
body — not during the movement ideally, but prior to starting the hold.

Arm positions — Start with the elbows under the
shoulders, shoulder width or inside shoulder width. Extend the elbows
forward to make it harder.
ConclusionThat's it! Remember some of the decisions I want you to make:

• Whether you do abs before or after the workout. •
Whether to progress in all exercises in level of difficulty or whether
to spend more time on some with the prior stage exercise. • Whether you feel the need to shift "lower abdominal" training away from the lower body workouts.

So get into it! I look forward to your feedback!
Note:
I realize that many of the exercises in this program are challenging to
teach through words and still photos alone and therefore my video, Ian King's Guide to Abdominal Training,
may be of value to those who wish to exploit fully the potential of
these programs. This video can be ordered at GetBuffed.net.
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