Alternate Heel Touches Exercise Guide

Video Demonstration

The Alternate Heel Touch gets classified as a Strength Training, Calisenthetic Isolation training method.

This article will cover how you do Alternate Heel touches with video, image and a written step by step description on how to do it.

Its difficulty level, optional and required equipment, the different muscles that get worked.

The Benefits you get from doing it, and some training tips to make sure you get the most out of doing this exercise.

Before using this exercise, you should have a solid technique with the traditional plank.

Alternate Heel Touches How to Guide

Image Example

Step by Step Description

Step 1: Lie down have your back flat and facing the floor. Put your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Bend at your knees, so your legs have a 45-degree bend in them.

Step 2: Have your palms at your side facing in towards your body with your arms fully extended.

You are now in the starting position.

Step 3: Exhale, Crunch over your torso forward and up by 3-4 inches to your right side and move your right hand over and touch your right heel. Hold this position for one to two seconds.

Step 4: Inhale and slowly return your body to the starting position.

Step 5: Again exhale and crunch your torso forward and up. However, this time move 3-4 inches to your left side. Use your left hand to touch your left heel and hold for one to two seconds. Return to the starting position.

Now that you have touched both of your heels you have completed one repetition.

Difficulty Level

Because of the basic movement pattern used this exercise gets rated at a beginner fitness level.

If you are just starting with getting into shape, use this lift to start strengthening your Obliques and getting rid of those love handles.

Equipment Required

To perform this exercise, all you need is your body and a place with enough room for you to lie down.

Muscles Worked

This exercise will work your Abdominals and the Obliques.

Benefits of Alternate Heel Touchers

Strengthening your obliques will make any activity that requires you to bend or twist your core easier to complete.

People with weak core muscles tend to have bad posture and are at an increased risk of lower back problems. Strengthening your core is proven to help correct incorrect posture and provide relief for lower back pain.

When you perform this lift correctly, it has an extremely low injury rate.

• Alternate Exercises

• Suitcase Deadlift
• Side Plank Twist
• Plank Rotation
• Plank Hip Twist

In closing

Building strong obliques not only helps you to trim your waist but can also improve your performance on other compound lifts like the deadlift and squat.

If you are new to strengthening your body, this is a useful beginner exercise to prepare you for more challenging oblique training.