How to Work Abs With the Cable Standing Crunch

The cable standing crunch is an exercise that you will perform using a resistance weight system that allows you to pull a cable and pulley attachment down, thereby pulling the weights. This exercise is one of few exercises that work the abdominal muscles without lying or sitting down.

Things You'll Need

• Weight system that uses a cable and pulley

Instructions

1. Stand facing your weight system and grasp the cable attachment above your head. Bend your knees and keep your hips flexed, sticking out your buttocks. Bend your elbows so that your hands are on either side of your head. Bend at the waist while contracting your abdominal muscles until your elbows meet your thighs. Keep your hips and your knees still.

2. Let the resistance of the weights to pull you back up until you are at your beginning position. You should feel a small stretch in your spine. Repeat the crunch until your abdominal muscles feel fatigued. Rest, and do another set of standing crunches or move on to another exercise.

3. Try the cable standing crunch while facing away from your weight system, with your hands grasping the cable attachments near your shoulders. Finish the exercise as you would in Steps 1 and 2.

4. Work your oblique muscles also with the cable standing crunch. Stand with your side facing the weight system. Grasp the pulley attachment with the hand closest to the weight system. Holding the pulley attachment next to your head, bend toward the weight system by contracting your obliques, remembering to keep your arm in its original position.

Tips & Warnings

• The reason the standing crunch is a good exercise is because you will use your muscles while standing up, which is how you use them every day, not lying down.