Alternate Heel Touchers
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.
How to program the Alternate Heel Touchers
Sets and reps
As an isolation movement, the Alternate Heel Touchers is best trained with moderate loads and higher reps: 2–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 60–90 seconds of rest. Chasing heavy weight on isolation work usually degrades form before it builds muscle — prioritize a full range of motion and a controlled negative. Program it after your compound lifts.
Progression
The Alternate Heel Touchers is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Alternate Heel Touchers work?
The Alternate Heel Touchers primarily targets the Abdominals.
What equipment do I need for the Alternate Heel Touchers?
You need Body Only. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Alternate Heel Touchers should I do?
Do 2–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 60–90 seconds rest, focusing on a full range of motion and controlled tempo rather than maximum load.
