Core · Core
Cable Crunch with Handles
The Cable Crunch with Handles mainly trains your abs. Also working: obliques.
Both cables
Stable
How to do it
- Kneel with your back to the machine, handles at your collarbones
- Hips stay over your knees
- Curl your breastbone down toward your pelvis
- Come back up slowly and stretch your abs
Coach’s tip
No rope needed: the cables run past your head on the left and right. Keep your hands fixed at your shoulders: only your abs move the load.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the top
Grip
Single handles above your shoulders
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (core). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Cable Crunch with Handles work?
Mainly the abs. The obliques help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Cable Crunch with Handles?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the top. Grip: Single handles above your shoulders.
Can I do the Cable Crunch with Handles on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Cable Crunch with Handles needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Cable Crunch and Hanging Knee Raise instead.
What can I do instead of the Cable Crunch with Handles?
For the same movement: Cable Crunch, Hanging Knee Raise and Forearm Plank. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Cable Crunch with Handles in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.