Band-Only Standing Lat Pulldown Crunch (Anchored)

A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.

HOW TO PERFORM

Anchor a band high on the lat pulldown machine, where the high pulley would be.
Stand facing the machine and slide your thighs forward until they are locked tight underneath the thigh rollers, with your glutes or lower back pressed back against the framework.
Pull the band down to your head and hold it there.
Keeping the hips completely locked in place, flex the spine to close the gap between your ribs and your hips, crunching straight down toward the floor.
Return under control to the start.

Pinning the hips or lower back against the pad stops the hips from flexing, so the six-pack muscles (rectus abdominis) do the movement through spinal flexion alone.
Fix your hips. Keep the lower body rigid against the pads so only the upper spine moves.
Do not pull with your arms. The hands are static anchors holding the band to your head; the abs do the work.
A band gets harder the further it stretches, so the bottom of the crunch is the hardest point. Exhale fully there and hold the squeeze.

Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.