Cable crunch

Setup

Attach a rope to a high cable. Kneel a foot back from the stack so the cable runs at roughly a 30 degree angle to vertical. Hold a rope end in each hand and bring the rope down to either side of your face, knuckles in. Brace the abs before the first rep and keep that brace the whole set.

How to do it

1. 1

   Anchor the hips

   Sit back onto your heels so the hips do not move during the rep. Movement happens at the spine, not the hips. If your hips swing, the load is going into the hip flexors not the abs.

2. 2

   Curl the ribcage down

   Pull the ribcage toward the pelvis, rounding the upper back, not folding at the hips. Aim to bring the elbows toward the thighs. Exhale on the way down to fully empty the trunk.

3. 3

   Pause at the bottom

   Hold the squeezed position for one count. This is the half of the rep most lifters skip and the half that actually builds the abs.

4. 4

   Return under control

   Reverse the curl slowly. Resist the cable on the way up. The eccentric is where the muscle does most of its work; do not let it snap back to the start.

Common mistakes

• • Hinging at the hips instead of rounding the spine, which turns the lift into a kneeling row.
• • Pulling with the arms, which works the lats but ignores the abs.
• • Letting the cable yank you back at the top, losing the eccentric.
• • Loading the stack too heavy, which forces the hips to swing.
• • Holding the breath. Exhale on the curl down to squeeze the abs harder.

FAQ