Cable Crunch

How to Perform

1. Kneel in front of a high cable with rope attachment
2. Hold the rope by your head or behind your neck
3. Lock your hips in place and crunch down by rounding your spine, bringing your elbows toward your knees
4. Squeeze the abs hard at the bottom
5. Return with control to the starting position

Tips

• The crunch should come entirely from spinal flexion (rounding your back), not hip flexion — keep your hips locked in position
• No cable? A resistance band anchored above your head, or weighted decline crunches, provide similar progressive overload for the abs
• Use a 2 second crunch down, 1 second squeeze, and 2-3 second return — slow tempo ensures your abs do the work, not momentum
• Sitting back onto your heels instead of crunching your spine is the most common mistake — your hips should not move at all
• Focus on feeling your abs shortening as you crunch — imagine trying to bring your sternum toward your pelvis by rounding your spine