Cable Crunch
A kneeling crunch against a cable that lets you load the abs progressively like any other muscle.
Muscle activation
- Upper abs55%
- Lower abs30%
- Obliques15%
Approximate share of work; varies with grip, stance and tempo.
Step by step
1. Start position
Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel facing the stack.
2. Mid-rep
Keep your hips still — don't sit back onto your heels.
3. End of the movement
Squeeze your abs at the bottom.
4. Common mistake
Pulling with the arms
Ways to do it
Abs on 4 different setups — pick whatever is free in your gym. Progress is tracked separately for each.
How to do it
Setup
- 1Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel facing the stack.
- 2Hold the rope ends beside your head or forehead.
- 3Hinge slightly forward with hips stacked over knees.
Execution
- 1Crunch down by flexing your spine, bringing your ribs toward your hips.
- 2Keep your hips still — don't sit back onto your heels.
- 3Squeeze your abs at the bottom.
- 4Return slowly until your abs are stretched.
Breathing
Exhale fully as you crunch, inhale as you return.
Tempo
2-0-1-1 (eccentric-pause-concentric-pause)
Muscles worked
Primary
Upper abs, Lower abs
Secondary
Obliques
Key form cues
- Ribs to hips
- Hips stay still
- Round the spine
- Exhale hard
Common mistakes
Pulling with the arms
Keep hands fixed by your head and move with the trunk.
Hinging at the hips instead of flexing the spine
Keep hips over knees and curl the torso.
Going too heavy
Use a load you can control with a full squeeze.
Range of motion
From tall kneeling with abs lengthened to the spine fully curled with elbows near the thighs.
Variations
Easier
Floor crunch
Harder
Cable crunch with a 2 s squeeze
At home
Band crunch
Machine / cable
Machine ab crunch