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

Hook a rope attachment to the high pulley.
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 rope 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. 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.