Cable CrunchMuscles Worked
The cable crunch works your abs, the rectus abdominis in particular, as you curl your ribcage down toward your hips against the cable. Because you can add weight one plate at a time, it is one of the easiest ab exercises to progress.
PrimaryAbs
- Equipment
- Cable
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel facing the machine, far enough back that the weight lifts off the stack.
- Hold the rope ends beside your face or forehead and sit your hips back slightly toward your heels.
- Keeping your hips still, breathe out and crunch your ribcage down toward your pelvis, bringing your elbows toward your thighs.
- Hold the squeeze for a moment with your back rounded.
- Uncurl slowly until your abs are stretched, without letting the stack touch down between reps.
Form tips
- Round your spine to bring your ribs toward your hips instead of bending at the hips, which shifts the work away from your abs.
- Keep your hands fixed by your head so your arms don't pull the rope down.
- Pick a weight light enough that your abs, not your lower back or arms, are doing the work.
Why it made the list
No. 4 of 13
Best Ab Exercises
Loadable ab isolation. Unlike bodyweight ab exercises, you can progressively overload with weight.
More ab exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Cable Crunch sets in KasMaker and watch your abs fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
