Lying Reverse Cable Crunch
Reviewed by Bryan Cortez, MS
Move the pelvis with the abs; the knees are only the handle for the cable.
Demonstration
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Physique Skool is filming one canonical demonstration per exercise. Until this movement is published, use the setup, execution, common errors, programming, and substitutions below.
Browse Physique Skool on YouTubeHow to do it
Setup
- Attach both ankles or feet securely to a low cable
- Lie far enough from the stack to maintain tension
- Set the hips and knees at a repeatable bend
- Brace the upper body against the floor or a stable anchor
Execution
- Draw the knees toward the torso only as the pelvis begins to curl
- Lift the tailbone with controlled posterior pelvic rotation
- Pause without swinging the legs overhead
- Lower the pelvis slowly while maintaining cable tension
Common Errors
- Moving only at the hips
- Changing knee angle to shorten the lever mid-set
- Using momentum from the legs
- Letting the stack pull the pelvis down abruptly
Cues That Work
- Curl the belt line toward the ribs; tailbone lifts; legs do not swing
No-Fly Zone
Avoid loose ankle straps, swinging the legs, pulling the knees without lifting the pelvis, or using load that makes the low back slap into the floor.
Programming
Sequence priority
Late
The direct loaded pelvic curl fits after bracing-heavy work, when the cable can be set up carefully without compromising later compound stability.
Progression
Model — Double
Fallback model — Double
Freeze attachment, distance from the stack, knee angle, and curl range; reach the top of the rep range before adding the smallest cable load.
Best program fit
Full body
Load increments
If it hurts
Pain is information, not a challenge to push through. Stop the set if pain is sharp, worsening, or changes how you move. These are exercise-selection options, not medical diagnosis or rehabilitation advice.
Work down this list in order. Stop at the first change that removes the pain.
Step 1
Setup tweaks
Use an unweighted reverse crunch or lighter cable tension until posterior pelvic rotation is clear and repeatable.
Step 2
ROM / tempo / bias
Add a one-second top pause or slower lowering phase before increasing stack load.
Step 3
Implement swap
Reverse crunch, hanging knee raise with pelvic curl, or selectorized seated ab crunch.
Substitutions
Approved fallback
Reverse crunch, hanging knee raise with pelvic curl, or selectorized seated ab crunch.
The Evidence
This profile adds a measurable cable load to the reverse-crunch family, but hip-flexor contribution and attachment geometry remain substantial uncertainties. It is not evidence for region-specific abdominal growth.
SFR — 2.7
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