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abdominals

Rope Ab Pulldown

Kneeling in front of a high cable, you hold a rope by your head and curl your ribs down toward your hips. The best way to add heavy weight to the crunch.

intermediatecable machinerope attachmentmat

Rope Ab Pulldown, start position
START
Rope Ab Pulldown, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the pulley above head height and attach the rope.
  2. Choose the weight with the pin.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Grab the rope and kneel down facing the machine, a step back from it.
  2. Hold the rope ends beside your head or at your forehead.
  3. Keep your hips still and your upper body upright but slightly forward.

Check: You are kneeling with the rope held at your head, your hips are still, and the weight is off the stack.

Curl down

  1. Tighten your stomach and curl your ribs down toward your hips, rounding your back. Your elbows move toward your knees; your hands stay at your head.
  2. Hold for a second at the bottom.

Check: Your upper back is rounded, your elbows are near your thighs, and your hips have not moved back or forward.

Return slowly

  1. Let the weight pull you slowly back up until your back is straight again.

Check: You are upright again with the weight still off the stack.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; pause; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Rope Ab Pulldown: muscles worked, front view
Rope Ab Pulldown: muscles worked, back view

abs

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Pulling the rope down with the arms. The arms and back do the work instead of the stomach. Fix: Keep your hands at your head; only your trunk moves.
  • Sitting back onto the heels. Fix: Keep your hips still; the ribs curl toward the hips, not the hips toward the floor.
  • Bowing forward with a straight back. Fix: Round your back like a cat.
SAFETY1
  • Keep the pull slow and the weight moderate; the neck is easy to strain.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • cable machine · pulley: above head height
  • mat For your knees.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: crunch, crunch machine

variants: crunch machine

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