Hinging at the hips
Lock your hips in place and think about rounding the spine, not bowing forward.
Isolation · Cable
Cable Crunch
A kneeling crunch against a high cable pulley, usually holding a rope by your head. It lets you load spinal flexion and progress the abs like any other muscle. Good for anyone who wants stronger, more visible abs beyond bodyweight work.
- Primary
- Abs
- Starting rep range
- 12–20 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 5 kg / one stack step
Muscles worked
The rectus abdominis flexes the spine, curling the ribs toward the pelvis. The movement should come from the trunk; if the hips fold, the hip flexors take over.
How to set up
- Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel facing the stack.
- Hold the rope ends beside your head or forehead.
- Sit your hips slightly back and keep them fixed in place.
- Start with a long, tall spine.
How to do each rep
- Curl your ribs down toward your hips, rounding the spine.
- Drive your elbows toward your thighs while keeping the hips still.
- Pause and exhale hard at the bottom.
- Return slowly to the tall position, feeling the abs stretch.
Common cable crunch mistakes
Pulling with the arms
Keep your hands fixed by your head; the arms just hold the rope.
Going too heavy
Pick a weight that lets you fully curl and control each rep.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the cable crunch at 12–20 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Use 10-20 rep sets and add weight once you hit the top of your range with full curls. Add a pause at the bottom before moving up a plate.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Cable Crunch alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Are cable crunches good for abs?
Yes. They let you add load steadily, which is hard to do with bodyweight crunches. That makes them one of the easiest ab exercises to progress.
Why do I feel cable crunches in my hip flexors or arms?
Usually because you are hinging at the hips or pulling with your hands. Keep the hips fixed, the hands by your head, and focus on curling the ribs down.