10 Best Cable Kneeling Crunch Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Ranked Cable Kneeling Crunch Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable Kneeling 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.

1. Best match

   Play demonstration

   1. Butt-ups

   77% 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. 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
2. Play demonstration

   2. Tuck Crunch

   77% 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
3. 

   3. Bent-knee Hip Raise

   76% 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
   • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Cable Kneeling Crunch
4. 

   4. Decline Reverse Crunch

   76% 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
5. Play demonstration

   5. Negative Crunch

   74% 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
6. Play demonstration

   6. Suspended Reverse Crunch

   73% match

   • Abs
   • Bodyweight
   • Beginner
   • Isolation

   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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: a suspension trainer, not a cable
   • Body position: hanging, not kneeling
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable Kneeling Crunch
7. Play demonstration

   7. Leg Pull In Flat Bench

   73% match

   • Abs
   • Bodyweight
   • Intermediate
   • Isolation

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Sit on a flat bench with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
   2. Place your hands on the bench beside your hips for support.
   3. Engage your abs and lift your legs off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest.
   4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: seated, not kneeling
8. Play demonstration

   8. Sit-up

   73% 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, 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 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling
9. 

   9. Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull-in

   73% 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 Cable Kneeling Crunch
   • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
   • Body position: seated, not kneeling
10. Play demonstration

    10. Reverse Crunch

    72% match

    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    How to perform this exercise

    1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended along your sides.
    2. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, bringing your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
    3. Contract your abs and curl your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest.
    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 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches

    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Cable Kneeling Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: lying on your back, not kneeling