The cable side crunch is an isolation exercise targeting the abdominal muscles, particularly the obliques, using a cable machine for resistance. It involves bending sideways at the waist to engage the core.
Also Works
Obliques
How to Perform
1
Attach a cable handle to a low pulley and stand sideways to the machine.
2
Grasp the handle with the hand furthest from the machine and place your other hand on your hip.
3
Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
4
With your abs engaged, bend sideways at the waist, bringing your elbow down towards your hip.
5
Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly return to the starting position.
6
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
Pro Tips
•Anchor the cable at a low position and stand sideways. Pull with the oblique on the side closest to the machine by crunching your rib cage toward your hip.
•Keep the movement short and controlled. Oblique crunches have a small range of motion, and trying to increase it usually involves compensating with other muscles.
•Exhale as you crunch to help contract the oblique more forcefully.
Common Mistakes
•Pulling with the arm instead of crunching with the oblique, which turns this into a one-arm Cable Curl.
•Bending forward instead of to the side, which recruits the rectus abdominis instead of the obliques.
•Using too much weight and compensating by shifting the hips or rotating the torso.