Lying Side Heel Taps
Lying side heel taps crunch the waist sideways: from your back with knees bent, you side-bend to tap each heel with the same-side hand, shortening the obliques rep after rep. They are the gentlest entry into direct oblique work — floor-supported, small range, self-limiting. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 × 6–8 taps per side (slow, paused) | 90 s |
| Muscle | 3–4 × 10–15 taps per side | 60 s |
| Endurance | 3 × 20–27 taps per side | 45 s |
Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.
Level — Beginner
Beginner — the true entry-level oblique drill; the held shoulder curl is its only trap.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Lie back, knees bent, feet flat and drawn close enough for fingertips to nearly reach the heels.
- Lift the shoulder blades slightly off the mat and hold that small curl throughout.
- Slide one hand along the floor to tap the same-side heel — pure side-bend, no twisting.
- Return through the centre and immediately reach for the other heel.
- Keep the neck long and relaxed; the movement lives in the waist, not the head.
Breathing: Exhale toward each heel tap, quick inhale passing through the centre.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
How to program lying side heel taps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength — beginner | 3 | 6 taps per side, 1 s pause at the heel | slow, paused | 90 s | 6-7 |
| Strength — standard | 4 | 6-8 taps per side, slow and paused | 2 s reach, 1 s pause | 90 s | 7-8 |
| Strength — advanced | 4 | 8 taps per side, shoulders held higher | 2 s reach, 2 s pause | 90 s | 8 |
| Hypertrophy — beginner | 3 | 10-12 taps per side | controlled side crunch | 60 s | 7 |
| Hypertrophy — standard | 3-4 | 10-15 taps per side | controlled side crunch | 60 s | 7-8 |
| Hypertrophy — advanced | 4 | 15 taps per side, constant crunch tension | no rest at centre | 60 s | 8-9 |
| Endurance — beginner | 3 | 15-20 taps per side | steady rhythm | 45 s | 6-7 |
| Endurance — standard | 3 | 20-27 taps per side | steady rhythm | 45 s | 7-8 |
| Endurance — advanced | 3 | 27+ taps per side or 45 s continuous | brisk, ribs stay down | 30-45 s | 8 |
| Beginner on-ramp — week 1-2 | 2 | 8 taps per side, head resting down | gentle side reach | 60 s | 4-5 |
| Beginner on-ramp — week 3-4 | 2-3 | 10 taps per side, shoulders slightly lifted | controlled | 60 s | 6 |
| Deload / technique | 2 | 10 taps per side, focus on lateral flexion only | slow, no hip shift | 60 s | 4-5 |
Common questions
Are heel taps effective or too easy to matter?
They are honest work at the level they are meant for: constant-tension oblique endurance with almost zero injury risk. For a beginner, that stimulus is real and productive. For someone months into training, they become a burnout finisher rather than a main course — useful, just differently.
Why should I avoid twisting during the tap?
The exercise is built on lateral flexion — the sideways shortening of the waist. Adding rotation midway changes the loading, invites the hip flexors to assist, and muddies what you can progress or measure. Save rotation for drills designed for it, and keep this one purely sideways.
What do I move to after heel taps?
The natural ladder runs: heel taps, then kneeling or standing side crunches for range, then side planks for anti-lateral-flexion strength, then loaded side bends. Each rung trades a little comfort for more demand. Change rungs when three sets at the top of the rep range feel routine.
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