Seated Lat Pulldown Crunch (Facing Away)

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

Attach a rope handle to the lat pulldown machine.
Sit on the seat facing away from the weight stack, with your lower back and hips pressed firmly against the thigh pads or the edge of the machine so the hips cannot swing back.
Grab the rope and hold the ends securely against your forehead or the sides of your head near your ears.
Start with the spine slightly extended to fully stretch the upper abs.
Exhale powerfully and curl the torso downward, driving your chest toward your pelvis.
Uncurl under control back to the stretch without letting the hips move.

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. The usual mistake on a cable crunch is bending forward at the waist. 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 rope to your head; the abs move the weight.
Exhale and contract. Blow all the air out as you compress at the bottom for a deep, forceful contraction.

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.