Alternate Heel Touchers
Alternate Heel Touchers is built for your first months of training and fits at the end of any workout.
How to do Alternate Heel Touchers
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
- Engaging your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground and reach your right hand towards your right heel.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side, reaching your left hand towards your left heel.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Alternate Heel Touchers Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Common Alternate Heel Touchers Mistakes
Adding reps forever instead of making the movement harder
Change leverage, elevation, or tempo once you clear your rep range.
Holding your breath through the hardest part of the rep
Exhale as you brace so the ribs stay down and pressure stays controlled.
Easier and Harder Than Alternate Heel Touchers
Swap Alternate Heel Touchers For
Alternate Heel Touchers — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Alternate Heel Touchers?
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground and reach your right hand towards your right heel. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Alternate Heel Touchers work?
The Alternate Heel Touchers primarily targets the abs. It is classified as a core exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Alternate Heel Touchers should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Alternate Heel Touchers good for beginners?
Yes. The Alternate Heel Touchers is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Alternate Heel Touchers?
Try the Cable Kneeling Crunch, Band Bicycle Crunch or the Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch. Each trains the abs with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
