By: Jeremy Fox, CNC, CPT – Updated: November 15, 2022

You’ve probably seen an ab exercise involving a rope and cable. And you may even have tried it yourself. But a few mistakes can make this movement anything but effective for building a six-pack.

So I will show you how to do rope crunches the right way. Scroll down to learn more about proper rope crunch form and watch a short video demonstration.

What Is A Rope Crunch?

A rope crunch is an abdominal exercise that uses a rope attachment on a cable machine. Unlike regular crunches, you perform this exercise while kneeling and pulling down against the weighted cable for resistance.

Other names for this exercise include cable rope crunch, rope ab crunch, kneeling rope crunch, or weighted rope crunches. All of these describe the same exercise.

Also, the rope attachment is most commonly used because it’s easy to grasp. But you could use other cable attachments like a bar or handles.

Rope Crunch Muscles Worked

As with any crunch or sit-up, rope crunches primarily target your rectus abdominis or abs. These are the small rectangular muscles that make up the almighty 6-pack.

With certain rope crunch variations, you can activate the feather-like muscles along the side of your abdomen, also known as the obliques.

How To Do A Rope Crunch

First, secure the rope or other attachment to the cable. Then adjust the pulley, so it’s at about head level. This setting puts the rope’s end at the right level when kneeling.

Next, grab one end of the rope in each hand with your palms facing in. Now kneel about 3 feet (1 meter) away from the cable machine, so you have enough room to bend forward.

Hold the rope’s end just above your head and lean forward at about 45 degrees with your back straight. In the starting position, your abs should be stretched and under tension.

From here, pull your upper torso down and back towards your knees until you feel your abs fully contract. Then raise back up to the starting position and repeat.

To recap, here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Adjust the pulley to the proper height
2. Kneel and hold the rope just above your head
3. Bend forward at about a 45-degree angle to start
4. Squeeze your abs to pull your torso toward the floor
5. Control the weight on the way back up
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps

Rope Crunch Form

While this exercise may appear straightforward, it’s actually easy to screw up. The most common mistake is bending more at the hips instead of the abdominals.

You’re not fully contracting your abs when you bend at the hips. Instead, you’re using more hip flexors to pull the weight down. And that’s not going to get you the six-pack abs you’re after.

Here are some other things to avoid.

Imagine a string connecting your sternum to your navel to get the most abdominal contraction. And try to shorten that distance as much as possible when performing the crunch.

If you use the strict form described above, you can make your abs fail much faster. And that’s what results in more strength and muscle gains.

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Rope Crunch Variations

You can use a few variations of rope crunches to target specific parts of your abdomen.

Reverse Rope Crunch

With this rope crunch variation, you face away from the cable machine and hold the rope over your shoulder on either side of your neck. Other than that, the exercise is the same.

By facing the other way, you change the angle at which the force is applied. Compared to regular rope crunches, you’ll feel more resistance in the top half of the range of motion.

Oblique Rope Crunch

Oblique rope crunches use a twisting motion to involve your sides and love-handle area. To do this variation, twist your trunk, so your left elbow moves towards your right knee and vice versa.

You can alternate sides on each rep or do multiple reps with each side before switching.

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Rope Crunch Alternative

Here are some rope crunch alternatives if you don’t have a cable machine.

Decline Crunch

Another way to add resistance is by doing crunches on a decline bench. Decline crunches force you to work harder against gravity. And the steeper the angle, the more resistance you’ll feel.

Resistance Band Rope Crunch

Lastly, if you don’t have a cable machine or decline bench, you can also do rope crunches with resistance bands. Anchor the bands at about head level and perform the exercise as demonstrated with the cables.

10 Tips For Getting Abs

Weighted rope crunches are a great addition to your ab workouts. But if you want a six-pack, you must reduce overall body fat.

Furthermore, it takes a mix of diet, exercise, and maybe some supplements to do this. So if you want a six-pack sooner, check out my 10 tips for how to get abs faster.

With this information, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your fitness goals. And if you found this exercise tutorial helpful, click on the articles below for more workout tips!