Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose cable crunch

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the abs while they’re stretched
You want the abs to do the work, not other muscles

Good reasons to choose crunch

You have no equipment

Cable Crunch

Crunch

You need

Cable station

Nothing but the floor

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Cable Crunch. Loadable spinal flexion: the abs finally get progressive overload like any other muscle.

Questions

Which is better for your abs, cable crunch or crunch?

For your abs, cable crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Is cable crunch or crunch easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do cable crunch or crunch at home?

Cable crunch needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Crunch needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere.

Which is easier on the joints, cable crunch or crunch?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Cable Crunch Crunch All abs exercises

Cable Crunch vs Crunch

For your abs, cable crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Research score

Target tension

Excellent

Strong

Loaded stretch

Strong

Fair

Progression

Excellent

Weak

Low cost

Excellent

See the full abs ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose cable crunch

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the abs while they’re stretched
You want the abs to do the work, not other muscles

Good reasons to choose crunch

You have no equipment

Cable Crunch

Crunch

You need

Cable station

Nothing but the floor

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Cable Crunch. Loadable spinal flexion: the abs finally get progressive overload like any other muscle.

Questions

Which is better for your abs, cable crunch or crunch?

For your abs, cable crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Is cable crunch or crunch easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do cable crunch or crunch at home?

Cable crunch needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Crunch needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere.

Which is easier on the joints, cable crunch or crunch?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.