Alternating Heel Touches
Lying on your back with knees bent and shoulders lifted, you bend sideways to reach each hand toward the heel on the same side, working your obliques.
- Primary muscles
- Obliques
- Secondary
- Abs
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
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Why do it
Heel touches are a simple, low-skill way to train your obliques through side bending, without any twisting or equipment. They suit beginners and fit well at the end of a session or in a home circuit. Unlike bicycle crunches or Russian twists, your torso doesn't rotate; you shorten one side of your waist at a time while your abs hold your shoulders off the floor. Moving your feet further away makes the reach longer and the set harder.
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, arms at your sides.
Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor and hold them there for the whole set.
Bend sideways at the waist to reach your right hand toward your right heel.
Come back to centre and repeat to the left. Keep your shoulders off the mat between reps so the obliques stay under tension.
Common mistakes
Dropping your shoulders between reps
Resting your head on the mat each rep takes the tension off your obliques. Keep your shoulder blades just off the floor for the whole set.
Holding yourself up with your neck
Cranking your chin toward your chest makes your neck do the holding. Keep a fist-sized gap under your chin and lift from your upper back instead.
Reaching with your arm only
Stretching your arm down without bending at the waist gives your obliques little to do. Bring your ribs toward your hip and let the hand reach as a result.
Tapping too fast
Rapid little taps turn into a wiggle. Move at a steady pace and pause briefly at each heel.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
