10 Best Cable Crunch Alternatives for Limited Equipment
The Cable Crunch is done kneeling with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: Butt-ups, the Tuck Crunch and the Bent-knee Hip Raise.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Cable Crunch
- Primary muscle
- Abs
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
How to perform Cable Crunch
- Kneel below a high pulley that contains a rope attachment.
- Grasp cable rope attachment and lower the rope until your hands are placed next to your face.
- Flex your hips slightly and allow the weight to hyperextend the lower back. This will be your starting position.
- With the hips stationary, flex the waist as you contract the abs so that the elbows travel towards the middle of the thighs. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction for a second.
- Slowly return to the starting position as you inhale. Tip: Make sure that you keep constant tension on the abs throughout the movement. Also, do not choose a weight so heavy that the lower back handles the brunt of the work.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Ranked Cable Crunch Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable Crunch 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.
Best match 1. Butt-ups
78% 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
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands by your sides, palms facing down.
- Engaging your abs, lift your legs off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- At the top of the movement, squeeze your abs and pause for a moment.
- Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
2. Tuck Crunch
78% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- 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.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your shoulder blades and extend your legs back to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
3. Bent-knee Hip Raise
77% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lay flat on the floor with your arms next to your sides.
- Now bend your knees at around a 75 degree angle and lift your feet off the floor by around 2 inches.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
4. Decline Reverse Crunch
77% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hold the contraction for a second and move your legs back to the starting position while inhaling.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
5. Negative Crunch
73% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
6. Reverse Crunch
73% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your arms extended along your sides.
- Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, bringing your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
- Contract your abs and curl your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
7. Flat Bench Leg Pull-in
72% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie on an exercise mat or a flat bench with your legs off the end.
- Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench (or with palms down by the side on an exercise mat). Also extend your legs straight out. This will be your starting position.
- Bend your knees and pull your upper thighs into your midsection as you breathe out. Continue this movement until your knees are near your chest. Hold the contracted position for a second.
- As you breathe in, slowly return to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
8. Suspended Reverse Crunch
72% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and your palms facing away from you.
- Engage your core and lift your knees up towards your chest, curling your pelvis towards your ribcage.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your knees back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: a suspension trainer, not a cable
- Body position: hanging, not kneeling
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable Crunch
9. Leg Pull In Flat Bench
72% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
- Place your hands on the bench beside your hips for support.
- Engage your abs and lift your legs off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: seated, not kneeling
10. Sit-up
72% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- 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 Cable Crunch
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
- Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
Cable Crunch FAQ
What muscles does Cable Crunch work?
Cable Crunch primarily targets the rectus abdominis with secondary activation of the external obliques and stabilizing lumbar musculature. When performed correctly, you should feel rib-cage to pelvis flexion with the rectus doing the concentric work, not the neck or hip flexors.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Cable Crunch?
Hanging knee raises are the best bodyweight option for building rectus and lower-ab engagement; initiate the curl from the pelvis and exhale as you lift to emphasize hip posterior tilt. If you need progression, move to toes-to-bar or add a slow eccentric phase to increase time under tension.
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