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Alternate Heel Touchers

A beginner strength exercise for the abs, done with just your bodyweight.

Alternate Heel Touchers: starting positionAlternate Heel Touchers: finishing position
Main muscles
Abs
Equipment
Bodyweight
Level
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Movement
Pull

How to do the Alternate Heel Touchers

  1. Lie on the floor with the knees bent and the feet on the floor around 18-24 inches apart. Your arms should be extended by your side. This will be your starting position.
  2. Crunch over your torso forward and up about 3-4 inches to the right side and touch your right heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement.
  3. Now go back slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
  4. Now crunch over your torso forward and up around 3-4 inches to the left side and touch your left heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement and then go back to the starting position as you inhale. Now that both heels have been touched, that is considered 1 repetition.
  5. Continue alternating sides in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.

Sets and reps

Muscle3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds
Pump or finisher2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Alternate Heel Touchers

Questions

What muscles does the Alternate Heel Touchers work?

Mainly the abs.

Is the Alternate Heel Touchers good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Alternate Heel Touchers?

Good alternatives that train the abs: Crunch - Hands Overhead, Crunch - Legs On Exercise Ball, Crunches or Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise.

How many sets and reps of the Alternate Heel Touchers should I do?

Muscle: 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds. Pump or finisher: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).