How to Do the Alternate Heel Touchers
Beginner core exercise — bodyweight.
The Alternate Heel Touchers is a beginner-level core exercise that puts focused tension on the obliques, using no equipment. As an isolation movement it lets you target the obliques directly with less full-body fatigue, so it pairs well as an accessory after your main lifts. You can do it at home or while travelling — no gym required — which makes it easy to keep in your routine consistently.
Exercise details
- Muscle group
- Core
- Primary muscle
- Obliques
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
How to perform it
- 1Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- 2Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
- 3Engaging your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground and reach your right hand towards your right heel.
- 4Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side, reaching your left hand towards your left heel.
- 5Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
How to program the Alternate Heel Touchers
- Use the Alternate Heel Touchers later in your workout as an accessory, after your main compound lifts.
- Warm up with one or two lighter sets before your working sets to prime the movement.
- As an isolation move, 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps works well, resting 45–75 seconds. Chase a strong contraction and controlled tempo over heavy weight.
- To progress, add reps, slow the lowering phase, or move to a harder variation once the current version feels easy.
Alternate Heel Touchers alternatives
No space? These train the same obliques, grouped by what you have available.
Dumbbell or kettlebell
Machine or cable
Easier and harder variations
The Alternate Heel Touchers is rated beginner. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.
Harder — progress from it
What to pair it with
For a balanced session, pair the Alternate Heel Touchers with a move for the opposing muscles — the Captains Chair Straight Leg Raise (abs) or the Crunches (abs). Alternating the two as a superset saves time, because one side rests while the other works.
Where it fits in your weekly plan
When the free routine generator builds your week, the Alternate Heel Touchers can land on:
- Full Body days — in 1–2 days a week plans
- Legs days — in 3, 5 or 6 days a week plans
- Lower Body days — in 4 or 5 days a week plans
Included when your equipment is set to: No equipment, Dumbbells, Full gym.
Free tools for this exercise
Put it in your plan
SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Alternate Heel Touchers automatically — then tracks every set.
Build my free planFrequently asked questions
What muscles does the Alternate Heel Touchers work?
The Alternate Heel Touchers primarily targets the obliques within the core muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Alternate Heel Touchers?
None — the Alternate Heel Touchers is a bodyweight exercise you can do anywhere, no gym required.
Is the Alternate Heel Touchers a compound or isolation exercise?
The Alternate Heel Touchers is an isolation exercise, focusing work on a single muscle group. It's well suited to beginner trainees.
How many sets and reps of the Alternate Heel Touchers should I do?
As an isolation move, 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps works well, resting 45–75 seconds. Chase a strong contraction and controlled tempo over heavy weight.
Is the Alternate Heel Touchers good for beginners?
Yes — the Alternate Heel Touchers is beginner-friendly. Start light, focus on clean technique, and add difficulty gradually as it becomes comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Alternate Heel Touchers?
Good substitutes that train the same obliques include the Band Pallof Press (band), the Cross-Body Crunch (bodyweight), the Dumbbell Side Bend (dumbbell). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.
Can I do the Alternate Heel Touchers at home?
Yes — it needs no equipment, so it works at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere you have a bit of space.
