10 Cable Ab and Obliques Exercises to Make Your Core Burn!

Discover 10 killer cable ab and oblique exercises to define your midsection and strengthen your core.

It can be a struggle to motivate yourself to do your ab workouts, especially if you are like me and find repeating the same bodyweight movements over again and again a little tedious! 

However, what if I told you that there was a way to make your ab exercises a little bit more fun while remaining challenging at the same time? 

Let me introduce you to the game-changing piece of gym machinery that will not only make your core workouts more interesting but will leave your core looking super defined…

The cable machine!

Those of you who have read my Growing Bigger Glutes series will already know my obsession with the cable machine. 

But just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, I’m here to tell you that using a cable machine is one of the best ways to train your abdominal muscles too!

In this post, I’ll show you my top 10 cable ab exercises you need to try for a killer ab and obliques workout that will leave your core burning for days. 

Trust me, once you’ve finished reading, your ab workouts will never be the same again! 

Why do we even need to train our ab muscles? 

Aside from the aesthetics of creating a defined midsection, training our abdominal muscles contributes towards having a strong core. This is extremely important for our functional fitness and overall quality of life. 

The main benefits of developing our core strength include improved posture, strength, and balance, while also protecting our spine from injury when lifting heavy loads. 

What makes the cable machine so effective for ab workouts? 

To this day, cable machines are one of the most overlooked ways to train your abs effectively.

Unlike when performing bodyweight or free-weight ab exercises, the cable machine offers constant tension throughout the entire exercise. This helps our core become truly engaged, leaving our muscles to feel the burn after just a few controlled reps. 

As you’ll see in this post, the cable machine is also a completely versatile piece of equipment.

This means you can choose an appropriate cable ab exercise to isolate a specific muscle or area in your core.

This makes the cable machine great for further personalising your ab workout based on your unique and individual goals! 

Understanding Abdominal Muscle Anatomy

The terms ‘abs’ and ‘core’ are often used interchangeably however they are referring to two different things.

The abs are all the abdominal muscles located on the front of your abdomen such as the rectus abdominis, the external and internal obliques, and the transverse abdominis.

On the other hand, the core includes all the abdominal muscles as well as other surrounding muscle groups that help stabilize the spine, pelvis, and torso. These other muscles include the erector spinae, pelvic floor muscles, the glutes, the diaphragm, and the hip flexors.

The abs mainly control spinal flexion, rotation, and side bending, as well as protecting internal organs, while the core is responsible for overall stability, balance, posture, and transferring power between the upper and lower body.

So in other words, training the abs is important for developing a visible ‘six pack’ while also contributing to the strengthening of your overall core.

The abdominal wall has several layers, with each unique ab muscle also carrying out a specific function. To break this down clearly, we have:

• Rectus Abdominis: Known as the “six-pack” muscle, it’s responsible for flexing the spine, such as when performing crunches. This muscle is closest to the skin making these abs easily visible when you’re at a low body fat percentage.
• External and Internal Obliques: These muscles are on the sides of the abdomen (the internal obliques are located beneath the external obliques) and help with twisting and bending.
• Transverse Abdominis: The deepest abdominal muscle which stabilizes the spine and pelvis.

1. Cable Crunches

Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis (focuses on the upper abs).

How to perform cable crunches:

1. Attach a rope handle to a high pulley on the cable machine.
2. Kneel a few feet away from the machine and hold the rope ends by your head.
3. Crunch your torso downward, bringing your elbows toward your thighs.
4. Slowly return to the starting position while keeping tension on the cable.

Top tip: Avoid pulling with your arms; focus on using your abs.

2. Standing Cable Woodchoppers

Muscles targeted: External obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominis.

How to perform standing cable woodchoppers:

1. Set the pulley to a high position and grab the handle with both hands.
2. Stand sideways to the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull the handle diagonally across your body, ending near your opposite knee.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Top tip: Keep your torso straight and rotate through your core, not your arms.

3. Kneeling Oblique Twists with Cable

Muscles targeted: External obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominis.

How to perform kneeling oblique twists with cable:

1. Attach a rope handle to a high pulley.
2. Kneel on one side of the machine and hold the rope with both hands at chest level.
3. Rotate your torso, pulling the rope across your body toward the floor on the opposite side.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Top tip: Keep your hips stable and focus on twisting through your obliques.

4. Cable Side Bends

Muscles targeted: External obliques, internal obliques.

How to perform cable side bends:

1. Set the pulley to the lowest position and grab the handle with one hand.
2. Stand sideways to the machine with feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Bend sideways toward the machine, feeling a stretch in your obliques.
4. Return to the starting position.

Top tip: Perform the movement slowly and avoid using momentum.

5. Cable Reverse Crunch

Muscles targeted: Lower rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.

How to perform cable reverse crunches:

1. Lie on your back with your head near the machine and attach ankle straps to the low pulley.
2. Bend your knees and pull your legs toward your chest.
3. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Top tip: Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout the movement.

6. Standing Cable Crunch

Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques.

How to perform the standing cable crunch:

1. Attach a rope to the high pulley of a cable machine and set the weight to a moderate level.
2. Stand facing the machine, hold the rope with both hands and step back slightly to create tension on the cable.
3. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and your core engaged.
4. Pull the rope to the sides of your head, keeping your elbows bent and close to your ears.
5. Crunch your torso downward, contracting your abs and bringing your chest slightly toward your hips.
6. Pause briefly at the bottom to feel the squeeze in your core.
7. Slowly return to the starting position, maintaining tension on the cable throughout.

Top tip: Engage your core to maintain stability throughout.

7. Cable Plank Rows

Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques.

How to perform cable plank rows:

1. Set the pulley to a low position and attach a single handle.
2. Get into a plank position with one hand holding the handle.
3. Pull the cable handle toward your torso while maintaining a plank.
4. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Top tip: Avoid letting your hips sag or twist during the movement.

8. Cable Anti-Rotation Press

Muscles targeted: Transverse abdominis, obliques.

How to perform the cable anti-rotation press:

1. Set the pulley to chest height and hold the handle with both hands.
2. Stand sideways to the machine with the handle close to your chest.
3. Press the handle straight out and hold, resisting the cable’s pull.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Top tip: Keep your torso upright and avoid twisting.

9. Cable Leg Raises

Muscles targeted: Lower rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.

How to perform cable leg raises:

1. Attach ankle straps to a low pulley and lie flat on your back.
2. Lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling while keeping them extended.
3. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Top tip: Control the movement to keep constant tension on your abs. You can also place your hands under your glutes for added stability.

10. Cable Hanging Knee Tucks

Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, lower abs.

How to perform cable hanging knee tucks:

1. Attach ankle straps to a low pulley and hang from a pull-up bar. Alternatively, you can create a resistance line by attaching two opposing cables (as shown in the video).
2. Pull your knees toward your chest, keeping your movements controlled.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.

Top tip: Avoid swinging your body and focus on engaging your abs.

Tips For Maximising Your Cable Ab Workouts

• Use proper form: Prioritize good form and technique over the amount of weight you are lifting. During each cable ab exercise, you should keep your core engaged the entire time. You can use the instructions and videos provided in this post as guidelines for how to perform each exercise correctly.
• Perform slow and controlled movements: This encourages better mind-muscle connection, helping to activate your core muscles further. This also helps to avoid jerking movements that may otherwise lead to injury.
• Incorporate a variety of cable ab exercises: During your workout, perform a range of cable ab exercises to ensure you are targeting all areas and muscles in your abdomen.

Final Thoughts

Using the cable machine for your ab workouts is a great way to develop strength in your abdominal muscles and core while keeping your sessions interesting.

If you fancy spicing up your next ab workout, why not give these exercises a go? Who knows… you may never look back!

I’d also love to know if you’ve tried out any of these exercises, if you have let me know your thoughts in the comments below!