10 Best Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends is done kneeling with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Suspended Reverse Crunch, Butt-ups and the Tuck Crunch.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends

Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
Primary muscle
Abs
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
How to perform Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
  1. Connect a standard handle to each arm of a cable machine, and position them in the most downward position.
  2. Grab a Bosu Ball and position it in front and center of the cable machine.
  3. Lie down on the Bosu Ball with the small of your back arched around the ball. Your rear end should be close to the floor without touching it.
  4. With both hands, reach back and grab the handle of each cable.
  5. With your feet positioned in a wide stance, extend your arms straight out in front of you and in between your knees. Your hands should be at knee level.
  6. Keep your arms straight and in-line with the upward angle of the cable. Elevate your torso in a crunching motion without dropping or bending your arms.
  7. Maintain the rigid position with your arms. Slowly descend back to the starting position with your back arched around the Bosu Ball and your abdominals elongated.
  8. Repeat the same series of movements to failure.
  9. Once you reach failure, keep your abs tight and raise your torso into plank position so your back is elevated off the Bosu Ball.
  10. Lower your arms down to your side; keep them straight. Start doing alternating side bends; reach for your heels! This finishing movement will focus on your obliques.
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Ranked Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Suspended Reverse CrunchPlay demonstration

    1. Suspended Reverse Crunch

    67% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the abs with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and lift your knees up towards your chest, curling your pelvis towards your ribcage.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your knees back down to the starting position.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: a suspension trainer, not a cable
    • Body position: hanging, not kneeling
  2. Butt-upsPlay demonstration

    2. Butt-ups

    62% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands by your sides, palms facing down.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your legs off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest.
    4. At the top of the movement, squeeze your abs and pause for a moment.
    5. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
  3. Tuck CrunchPlay demonstration

    3. Tuck Crunch

    62% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulder blades off the ground and bring your knees towards your chest, simultaneously curling your upper body towards your knees.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your shoulder blades and extend your legs back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
  4. Gorilla Chin/crunch

    4. Gorilla Chin/crunch

    61% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a chin-up bar using an underhand grip (palms facing you) that is slightly wider than shoulder width.
    2. Now bend your knees at a 90 degree angle so that the calves are parallel to the floor while the thighs remain perpendicular to it. This will be your starting position.
    3. As you exhale, pull yourself up while crunching your knees up at the same time until your knees are at chest level. You will stop going up as soon as your nose is at the same level as the bar. Tip: When you get to this point you should also be finishing the crunch at the same time.
    4. Slowly start to inhale as you return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: hanging, not kneeling
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
  5. Bent-knee Hip Raise

    5. Bent-knee Hip Raise

    61% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lay flat on the floor with your arms next to your sides.
    2. Now bend your knees at around a 75 degree angle and lift your feet off the floor by around 2 inches.
    3. Using your lower abs, bring your knees in towards you as you maintain the 75 degree angle bend in your legs. Continue this movement until you raise your hips off of the floor by rolling your pelvis backward. Breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: At the end of the movement your knees will be over your chest.
    4. Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement for a second and then return to the starting position slowly as you breathe in. Tip: Maintain a controlled motion at all times.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
  6. Suspended Abdominal FalloutPlay demonstration

    6. Suspended Abdominal Fallout

    61% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Attach a suspension trainer to a high anchor point and adjust the straps to waist height.
    2. Stand facing away from the anchor point and hold the handles with your arms extended in front of you.
    3. Lean forward at the waist, keeping your body straight and your core engaged.
    4. Lower your body as far as you can while maintaining control and tension in your abs.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly raise your body back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: a suspension trainer, not a cable
    • Body position: kneeling, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
  7. Decline Reverse Crunch

    7. Decline Reverse Crunch

    60% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie on your back on a decline bench and hold on to the top of the bench with both hands. Don't let your body slip down from this position.
    2. Hold your legs parallel to the floor using your abs to hold them there while keeping your knees and feet together. Tip: Your legs should be fully extended with a slight bend on the knee. This will be your starting position.
    3. While exhaling, move your legs towards the torso as you roll your pelvis backwards and you raise your hips off the bench. At the end of this movement your knees will be touching your chest.
    4. Hold the contraction for a second and move your legs back to the starting position while inhaling.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
  8. Bottoms-upPlay demonstration

    8. Bottoms-up

    60% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides.
    2. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest, keeping your feet off the ground.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your hips off the ground, bringing your knees towards your head.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
  9. Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull-in

    9. Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull-in

    60% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on a bench with the legs stretched out in front of you slightly below parallel and your arms holding on to the sides of the bench. Your torso should be leaning backwards around a 45-degree angle from the bench. This will be your starting position.
    2. Bring the knees in toward you as you move your torso closer to them at the same time. Breathe out as you perform this movement.
    3. After a second pause, go back to the starting position as you inhale.
    4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: seated, not kneeling
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
  10. Negative CrunchPlay demonstration

    10. Negative Crunch

    58% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling

Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends FAQ

What muscles does Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends work?

It primarily targets the rectus abdominis for trunk flexion and the external/internal obliques during the side-bend portion. Cue: draw the ribs toward the pelvis and squeeze the obliques during lateral flexion to maximize targeted activation while minimizing lumbar shear.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends?

A side-plank with hip dips is the best bodyweight alternative because it trains lateral trunk flexion and anti-rotation through the obliques while requiring no equipment. Cue: keep hips stacked, dip slowly through the oblique contraction, and maintain a braced neutral spine to preserve oblique tension.

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology