Kneeling Cable Crunches

• Set up a cable machine with the pulley at the highest setting. Attach a rope handle to the cable.

• Kneel in front of the cable machine, facing away from it. Hold the rope handle with both hands behind your head.

• Keep your elbows pointed forward and pull your shoulders down and back so they are not hunched up near your ears. Engage your core.

• With your back straight, hinge forward at the hips while simultaneously flexing your spine to curl your chest towards your knees. Focus on using your abs to initiate the movement, not your arms.

• Exhale as you crunch up, keeping your elbows wide. Make sure you are not pulling on your neck.

• Pause and squeeze your abs at the top of the movement.

• Inhale and slowly return to the starting position with control. Do not let your back round.

• Make sure you are not rocking back and forth or using momentum to swing the weight. The movement should be slow and controlled.

• Breathe out as you crunch up, breathe in as you return to start. Do not hold your breath.

• For variation, you can do single arm cables crunches, using one handle at a time.