Rope Crunches



Exercise:

Rope Crunches

Target Muscle:

Upper Abs

Secondary Muscle:

Lower Abs, Obliques

Equipment Needed:

Cable pulldown machine, rope attachment

Proper Execution:

Grip the rope attachment and bend down onto your knees. Position your hands above your head and keep your elbows relatively close to your body. As you exhale, crunch down toward the floor until your elbows touch the ground. Make sure to bend only at the waist and keep your legs and hips stationary. Squeeze your abs at the bottom of the motion and then raise yourself back up to the starting position. Continue until you reach muscular failure.

Tips:

Make sure to use a full range of motion by lowering yourself until your elbows touch the ground and by raising your body until your abs are fully stretched. Also remember to bend only at the waist and to keep your legs and hips stationary, since this will keep the tension on your abs at all times.