Everyone wants to have a great-looking summer bod, flashing their rock-solid abs. But, building a six-pack is easier said than done.
When it comes to working the abs, most people only use traditional forms of exercise. Though these are effective, once you build your core, traditional methods render less effectiveness. Instead of relying on basic crunches, situps, mountain climbers, and planks, experienced gym-goers make sure to incorporate the help of cable machines in their workouts.
If you looking to scale up your ab workout routine, and take it a notch further, take a look at these 6 cable ab workouts in 2023.
Abs and Cable Machines
Core muscles are made up of six major muscle groups: four abdominal muscles namely, Rectus Abdominis (forming your packs), Transverse Abdominis, External Obliques (the V-muscle), and Internal Obliques, and two lower back muscles, Multifidus and Erector Spinae.
Usually, core exercises involve contracting and expanding them, or engaging them against gravity. Whereas, the exercises involving cable cross machines are very effective in targeting the chest muscles, back muscles, and shoulder muscles. Little do most people know that cable machines are used for training your ab muscles as well. This is because the cable machine offers more traction and resistance to efficiently strengthen that particular muscle group.
In addition to making your build look attractive, ab and core muscles help maintain your balance and stability. They are also easy to strengthen.
Depending on the weights, the position of the pulleys, and the angle at which you pull the cables, different muscle groups will be engaged.
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6 Best Cable Ab Workouts
The cable machine offers a variety of exercises that specifically target every muscle group of your abdominal muscles. Some exercises target one muscle group, whereas others target the rest of the muscle groups.
Here we have a list of the 6 best cable ab workouts that are essential to building your overall core strength.
So, let’s get into the list of cable ab workouts right away.
Kneeling Cable Crunch
Kneeling cable crunches is a modified form of regular crunches that helps in building your upper abdominal muscles (Rectus abdominis). With the resistance from the cable machine and modifiable weights, this exercise will help you build your upper abs easily.
How to Do It
- First, position one pulley of the cable machine in the upper rack above your head and attach a tricep rope to the end of the cable.
- Sit on the ground kneeling.
- Lift your head with your spine straight. Then, position the rope in front of your head and hold the ends of the rope. This will be your starting position.
- Bend down squeezing your abdominal muscles and curl your shoulders inwards.
- Now, release the rope slowly back to your starting position. But, make sure you don’t relax your muscles completely.
- Again, bend down, pull the rope, squeeze your abs, and then relax your muscles.
Variations
When it comes to cable crunches, there are multiple variations to this exercise. Just like performing the cable crunches kneeling, you can perform the cable crunches seated on a gym bench or while standing. Additionally, you can use a tricep gym rope or a straight pushdown bar to perform the exercise.
Cross Arm Ab Twists
Instead of performing traditional oblique crunches, try cross-arm twists with the cable for a more resistive workout. Cross-arm twists are an exercise that uniquely engages your obliques. When performing this exercise, make sure to slowly pull the cable and tighten your obliques until you feel a squeeze in your muscle, rather than snapping and jerking.
How to Do It
- To perform this exercise, you will need a stirrup handle attached to one end of the cable machine.
- Start the exercise by positioning one side of the pulley parallel to your shoulders.
- Hold the handle with one hand with your arms very close to your body. Let’s say, you hold the handle with your right hand. You will have to hold the handle towards your left side.
- Now, slowly pull the cable and twist your torso alone stretching your obliques.
- Slowly release the cable and return to the starting position.
Variations
You can perform a different variation of this exercise by making use of the form and position of your hands.
Instead of holding your arms close to your body, you can perform this exercise by holding the cable and engaging your obliques by laterally extending your arm outwards. Additionally, you can also perform this exercise standing, sitting on a bench, or sitting on the ground.
Cable Side Bends
This exercise is a resistive alternative to the lying toe taps. When performing the side bends using the cable machine, you will exclusively target the obliques, your overall core muscles and more importantly, shrink your love handles.
How to Do It
- First, position one pulley of the cable machine in the lowest slot of the cable machine.
- Stand to the side of the cable rack.
- Now, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your torso in one direction and hold the cable.
- Then, bend in the opposite direction so that you stretch one side of your oblique, squeezing the other.
- Repeat this exercise for a few repetitions.
- Now, turn around or use the other side of the pulley to engage and work the other side of your obliques.
Variations
As we perform the cable side bends by positioning the pulley at the bottom, you can also perform side bends by positioning the pulley of the cable machine on the top and engaging your obliques.
Wood Choppers
This exercise gets its name from the motion used when performing this exercise. Though this is an odd name for an exercise, wood choppers greatly aid in strengthening your obliques.
How to Do It
- Start by positioning one side of the pulley on the top slot of the cable machine.
- Hold the stirrup handle with both hands and take a step away from the cable machine. This marks the starting position.
- Now, with your hands straight, bring your arms diagonally down towards the opposite side in a slash-type motion. This is where the exercise gets its name. When performing this exercise, make sure you engage your obliques and core through your hips.
- Slowly bring the cable back to the starting position.
- Again, pull the cable, bring it back, and repeat the exercise.
Variations
We saw one variation of the wood choppers, that is, making a wood chopping motion from a high position to a lower position. You can also work a variation of this exercise by positioning the pulley in a lower slot and making a slash motion diagonally to the top.
Reverse Cable Crunches
Reverse crunches are one of the traditional exercises to strengthen your lower abs (Rectus abdominis) muscles. Once you get customized to the traditional reverse crunches and want to take the difficulty level up a notch, you can try the reverse cable crunches, which can effectively target your lower abdominal muscles.
How to Do It
- Start by positioning one pulley of the cable machine in the lower slot and attach a tricep pushdown rod, or a velcro loop strap to the end of the cable.
- Now, lie on the floor facing the cable with your hands behind your head, and hold the rod between your feet. This marks the starting position.
- Just like you do your traditional reverse crunch, bring your knees toward your torso squeezing your lower ab muscles. Make sure you make a 90° between your hips and thighs and 90° between your thighs and knees.
- Now, slowly unsqueeze your ab and return to your starting position.
- Repeat this exercise for a few repetitions.
Cable Tuck Crunch
If you are looking to engage both your upper and lower abs in a single exercise, the cable tuck crunches are the perfect exercise for you. However, this is a pretty advanced exercise and the resistance weights make it even harder to perform reps.
How to Do It
- For this exercise, you will need to position both the pulleys of the cable machine in the lowermost position. You can either attach push-up rods on both ends, or attach a strap for the legs and a cable rod for the head.
- To perform the exercise, lie perpendicular to both cables and hold one end of the cable with both hands above your head.
- Hold the other end of the cable with your feet. This will be your starting position.
- Now, tuck your head towards your abs. Simultaneously, bring your knees towards your torso such that your hips make a 90° with your thighs and your thighs make a 90° with your knees.
- Slowly release your hold, and go back to the starting position.
- Now, repeat the exercise for a few repetitions.
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Wrapping Up
These exercises above are a few of the most effective cable ab workouts. In addition to training your abs using traditional ways using standard crunches and planks, incorporating a few exercises using the cable machine greatly increases the strength of your abdominal muscles.
In addition to these exercises, planning a perfect workout routine, maintaining a proper diet, and staying consistent with your workout regimen yield outstanding results.
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