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Waist Exercise · Body Weight

Alternate Heel Touchers exercise animation

Alternate Heel Touchers

Category
Waist
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Abs

Alternate heel touchers isolate the obliques through a short, controlled side crunch rather than a big range of motion, which is exactly the point — it's about repeated contraction, not distance traveled. Reaching too far or twisting the shoulders off the floor turns it into momentum instead of muscle work. Keep the lower back pressed down and let the reach come from the ribs, not the arm.

How to Do the Alternate Heel Touchers

  1. Begin on your back with knees bent and both feet planted on the floor.
  2. Stretch your arms out to either side so they're in line with your shoulders and level with the floor.
  3. Tighten your abdominal muscles to curl your shoulders up off the floor, reaching your right fingertips toward your right heel.
  4. Lower back down to the start, then curl up again toward the left, this time reaching your left hand toward your left heel.
  5. Keep switching sides like this until you've completed your full set.

Calorie Burn & Set Tracker

Sets
3
Reps / Set
10
Active Timer
00:00
Estimated Burn
0 kcal

Muscles Worked

The Alternate Heel Touchers primarily targets the Abs, with Obliques as the primary synergist muscle group.

More Waist Exercises

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More Abs Exercises

Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted · Abs Assisted Hanging Knee Raise With Throw Down Assisted Hanging Knee Raise With Throw Down Assisted · Abs Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Lateral Throw Down Assisted · Abs Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down Assisted Lying Leg Raise With Throw Down Assisted · Abs Assisted Motion Russian Twist Assisted Motion Russian Twist Medicine Ball · Abs Assisted Prone Rectus Femoris Stretch Assisted Prone Rectus Femoris Stretch Assisted · Abs

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same abs with different equipment.

Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted · Abs Assisted Motion Russian Twist Assisted Motion Russian Twist Medicine Ball · Abs Band Alternating V-Up Band Alternating V-Up Band · Abs Barbell Press Sit-Up Barbell Press Sit-Up Barbell · Abs

FAQ

What muscles does the Alternate Heel Touchers work?
The Alternate Heel Touchers primarily targets the abs, with the obliques as the main supporting muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Alternate Heel Touchers?
The Alternate Heel Touchers is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the Alternate Heel Touchers?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Assisted Hanging Knee Raise targets the same abs using assisted instead.