It’s officially BIKINI SEASON! Are you ready to bare your belly? Whether you’re looking sculpted or just getting started, IFBB Pro Juliana Daniell has some exercises to kick up your training intensity and build beautiful bikini abs!
This week, Juliana demonstrates CABLE LEG PULL-INS—a challenging but effective exercise targeting the lower abdominals. As you’ve probably experienced, training the lower abdominals can be difficult, especially when adding resistance. “These are kind of challenging for me, but I love them,” explains Juliana. That said, what worth doing isn’t a challenge, right?
NOTE: If you are new to abdominal training, you may want to start with leg raises, reverse crunches and decline sit-ups for a few weeks to strengthen your lower abdominals and core a bit before jumping into this exercise.
How To Do It
1. Position cable pulley at a low setting and connect two ankle strap attachments to the cable.
2. Sit on the ground facing the cable and strap on the ankle cuffs.
3. Lean back slightly with your hands positioned behind you for support.
4. Lift your feet a few inches off of the ground and then draw your knees toward your chest in a slow and controlled manner.
5. Pause for a moment and slowly return to the starting position. Keep your feet elevated for the duration of each set.
Perform 4 sets of 12 reps.
Juliana’s Tips
– Find a weight that works for you. “It’s hard for me to do a lot of weight when doing this exercise, but at the same time, it’s hard to do a really light weight as well. So, experiment with the weight a bit to figure out what’s right for you.”
– “Concentrate on keeping your back straight, and don’t allow the angle of your torso to change or your back to arch.”
– “Eventually, you want to bring your knees all the way to your chest, but not until you can maintain good posture and form. That will just take time.”
