Flexion, spine extension, all of this is great for working your rectus abdominis muscle (aka your 6 pack), but it’s not enough!
We’ve already talked regarding it, you have to think “core training” and work your abdominal strap at 360°. To learn more, do not miss our article on “core training”.
This involves working your abs in depth, but also your obliques.
Adding rotation can be interesting as well as stabilization work.
That’s all we’re going to see today with some unusual but very effective exercises at the pulley.
The pulley is indeed one of the best tools to work on your 6 pack, with constant resistance.
1. High sheathing with pulling
A perfect movement to understand this work of stabilization that we desire. Your trunk will be put to the test and you will work your back muscles as a bonus.
To achieve it:
- Start by adjusting the pulley up to your shins then place yourself in a high sheathing position, one hand on the ground (hand in line with the shoulder), the other holding the handle, the pulley is under tension,
- By maintaining a perfect body alignment (see our article on sheathing errors), pull the handle with your back muscles by bringing your elbow in the direction of your back pocket,
We don’t want no rotation of the pelvis and the hips must remain straight throughout the movement. This will really engage your core, obliques, and intercostal muscles.
Aim for 3 sets of 12 controlled reps on each side.
2. Alternate press in “Bear crawl”
Here’s an anti-lateral flexion move that’s great for core stability, and will also engage your triceps, shoulders, and pecs.
To achieve it:
- This time adjust the pulley to your shoulder height and grab a handle in each hand before getting down on all fours on the ground,
- Now switch to the “Bear crawl” position, i.e. your knees are a few inches off the floor,
- Engage your abs strongly, keep your hips straight and let the resistance bring your elbows back one by one to 90° behind you, in control,
- Press down to the floor and repeat, keeping the pelvis neutral.
You should feel the burn on your hip flexors, in your “lower abs” as well as your obliques.
Aim for 3 sets of 12 controlled reps on each side.
3. Standing Spinning Punch
We are now going to emphasize the obliques with this pulley “punch”.
To achieve it:
- Adjust the pulley chest height and tie a rope to it, take one end in each hand, shift to the side to put the cable under tension,
- Keeping your hips straight, perform a trunk rotation of 180° to bring the rope from one end of your body to the other,
- The bust remains straight, we press at the end of the movement using the triceps and pectorals (this is the punch). Your knees are slightly bent and your eyes follow the rope during the movement.
Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps.
4. Lateral sheathing with pulling
We continue with a good movement for the whole upper body and the trunk.
In the vein of the first exercise, this time we are in low side sheath position (on the elbow therefore) to titillate the obliques.
To achieve it:
- The pulley is set at shin height and is already under tension in initial positionwhen your arm opposite to the one on the ground is extended (with the handle in your hand),
- Stabilize your body by keeping your shoulder in line with the elbow on the ground and perform your pull by bringing your elbow behind you,
- Your feet are stacked on top of each other, but if you lack stability, you can always put them both on the ground for more support.
Your hips remain high throughout the exercise, they should not sag. Engage your glutes and your abdominal muscles.
Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 controlled reps on each side.
5. Kneeling Lumberjack
The last is a classic, the famous woodchopper !
To achieve it:
- We adjust the pulley at the very top, we grab the handle in both hands and we stand on the ground, serving knight position (the knee closest to the pulley at an angle of 90°),
- Now bring the top handle down in a diagonal trajectory. We want to pull the band with the abs, not with arms.
You should feel a significant stretch in the transverse muscles.
Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 controlled reps on each side.
6. High pulley crunch
This is one of the best exercises for abs!
To achieve it:
- Face the pulley, with a space of regarding ½ meter, the angle formed between the arms/forearms remains the same throughout the duration of the exercise,
- The hands are placed on either side of the head, the grip is neutral on the rope,
- The entire upper part (arms / shoulders / hands / head) remain motionless,
- Knees in line with the pelvis, the thighs form a right angle, you do not sit on your calves (would limit the tensioning of the abdominals),
- The bust is bent and you must perform a slight arch,
- The abdominals are sheathed,
- The movement consists of a winding of the spine as if to bring the sternum closer to the pubis,
- Exhalation during the descent, inspiration during the ascent: evacuate all the air present in your lungs while drawing in the navel,
- Hold the contraction for one second in the low position,
- The arms never touch the ground.
This exercise can also be done facing the pulley or back to it.
The advantage of doing it with your back to the pulley is that the movement will give you a much greater contraction because the weight will pull you back into the initial position.
This movement will tend to put more strain on the lower back, so be careful not to venture into this variation if you are a beginner.
7. Pallof press
The pallof press is one of the best exercises for resist rotation of the lower spine.
To achieve it:
- Adjust the pulley or your elastic band to bust height,
- Standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, stand sideways in relation to the pulley (feet aligned with the anchor point), far enough to put it in tension in the initial position,
- Grab the handle or elastic band in both hands, then push it away from you, while resisting the rotation with your strap and hips.
- Do your reps, then switch sides.
Start with a very light weight, then work your way up.
Too difficult ?
Get on your knees (buttocks not resting on heels but hips fully extended).
This exercise strengthens trunk stability in a transverse plane using your obliques and core to resist the rotation of your body.
Compile these 5 movements in a single workout dedicated to the abdominals, or choose one or two to practice following your weight training sessions (the side sheath with pull-up and the lumberjack for example).
Remember that you can reproduce these exercises at home with an elastic band.
Why is the pulley the equipment of choice for abs?
The strong point of the pulley is its constant tension.
In addition, thanks to its adjustable nature, it is possible to work your abdominal strap from many angles, as seen in the previous list.
One will generally have a better range of motion and the ability to easily apply progressive overload.
Finally, it is a safe and particularly accessible device for beginners.
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