Cable Crunch
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Cable Crunch Strength Standards (kg)
| Body Weight | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 kg | 35 | 55 | 75 | 100 | 130 |
| 130 kg | 35 | 55 | 80 | 105 | 135 |
| 140 kg | 40 | 60 | 80 | 105 | 140 |
| 150 kg | 40 | 60 | 85 | 110 | 145 |
| 160 kg | 40 | 65 | 85 | 115 | 150 |
| 170 kg | 40 | 65 | 90 | 120 | 155 |
| 180 kg | 45 | 65 | 90 | 120 | 160 |
| 190 kg | 45 | 70 | 95 | 125 | 165 |
| 200 kg | 45 | 70 | 95 | 130 | 165 |
| 210 kg | 45 | 75 | 100 | 130 | 170 |
| 220 kg | 50 | 75 | 100 | 135 | 175 |
How to Perform the Cable Crunch
Kneel in front of a high cable pulley with a rope attachment. Hold the rope handles at either side of your head and maintain this hand position throughout the movement. Crunch downward by flexing your spine, bringing your elbows toward your knees. Focus on curling the ribcage toward the pelvis rather than hinging at the hips. Squeeze the abdominals at the bottom, then slowly return to the starting position while maintaining tension.
Muscle Activation
The cable crunch directly targets the rectus abdominis through its primary function of spinal flexion. The constant tension from the cable ensures the abs are loaded throughout the entire range of motion, unlike bodyweight crunches where tension varies. The obliques assist in stabilizing the torso during the movement. Because it uses a cable, progressive overload is straightforward, making it one of the best exercises for building ab strength and thickness.
Common Mistakes
- Hinging at the hips rather than flexing the spine, which turns it into a hip flexion exercise.
- Pulling with the arms and shoulders rather than crunching with the abs.
- Sitting back toward the heels instead of crunching downward and forward.
- Using too much weight, which forces other muscle groups to compensate and reduces abdominal isolation.
Variations
Standing cable crunches provide a different angle of resistance. Oblique cable crunches, where you crunch to one side, target the obliques directly. High-to-low cable woodchops train rotation. Reverse cable crunches, done from a low pulley while lying down, target the lower abs. Single-arm cable crunches add an anti-rotation component.
Programming Tips
Perform 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps, 2-3 times per week. Start with a moderate weight and focus on feeling the abs contract before increasing the load. Cable crunches are one of the few ab exercises where progressive overload is easy to apply, so treat them like any other muscle and gradually increase resistance over time.