How many reps of the cable reverse crunch should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a light pulley weight is a solid starting point, since the cable adds resistance a floor reverse crunch cannot. Increase the weight in small increments once you can roll the hips off the floor cleanly for every rep.

What can I do instead of the cable reverse crunch without a cable machine?

A resistance band looped around your feet and anchored low reproduces a similar pull. With neither, a plain floor reverse crunch trains the same pelvic-tilt pattern without any added resistance.

What is the cable reverse crunch good for?

It lets you add real, progressive resistance to the reverse-crunch pattern once bodyweight reps stop being a challenge, which suits lifters chasing lower-ab strength rather than just endurance. It is a poor choice for someone still learning to roll the hips off the floor without swinging the legs, since added resistance will only amplify that habit.

Intermediate

Cable Reverse Crunch

The cable reverse crunch turns a bodyweight staple into a loadable lift by attaching your feet to a low pulley. Because the cable pulls back on the legs, you get resistance right where the lower abs work hardest, and you can add weight over time instead of just chasing reps. It is the go-to when floor reverse crunches feel too easy but you still want the pelvic-tilt pattern.

Equipment: Cables
Body part: Abs
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Spinal Flexion

How to do it

1
Attach an ankle strap to a low pulley and lie on your back with your feet toward the stack.
2
Cuff or hook the strap around your feet and bend the knees to about ninety degrees.
3
Hold a bench leg or the floor overhead to anchor your upper body.
4
Curl your pelvis up and pull your knees toward your chest against the cable.
5
Pause with the hips rolled off the floor, then lower under control against the pull.
6
Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as the legs return.

Tips

Roll the hips off the floor rather than just pulling the knees in.
Choose a load light enough that the abs, not momentum, win each rep.
Keep the upper back planted so the movement stays at the pelvis.

Variations

Common mistakes

The upper body slides toward the stack as the cable pulls, which steals range from the pelvis and hands it to a scoot across the floor.
Gripping the anchor with straight, locked arms gives the shoulders something to brace against instead of the abs controlling the pull.
Letting the strap ride up onto the shin instead of sitting across the top of the foot changes the pull angle and drags the ankle into the movement.
The knees flare out to the sides under load rather than tracking straight back toward the chest, turning the pull into a hip-abduction fight.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the cable reverse crunch should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a light pulley weight is a solid starting point, since the cable adds resistance a floor reverse crunch cannot. Increase the weight in small increments once you can roll the hips off the floor cleanly for every rep.
What can I do instead of the cable reverse crunch without a cable machine?: A resistance band looped around your feet and anchored low reproduces a similar pull. With neither, a plain floor reverse crunch trains the same pelvic-tilt pattern without any added resistance.
What is the cable reverse crunch good for?: It lets you add real, progressive resistance to the reverse-crunch pattern once bodyweight reps stop being a challenge, which suits lifters chasing lower-ab strength rather than just endurance. It is a poor choice for someone still learning to roll the hips off the floor without swinging the legs, since added resistance will only amplify that habit.

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