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Tabletop Knee to Elbow Touch

From hands and knees, this drill rounds the spine and draws one knee forward to tap the same-side elbow, then extends the leg back long, alternating sides. Maddy uses it to teach beginners how the abs and obliques flex and control the spine before harder plank-based crunches. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Obliques Abs · rectus abdominis Deep core · transverse abdominis

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength3 × 5-6 slow reps per side with a 2-s tap hold60-90 s
Muscle3 × 9-12 reps per side60 s
Endurance2 × 18-24 alternating reps30-45 s

Level — Beginner

Beginner; the point is learning to round the spine on purpose — speed adds nothing here.

Proper form — 5 cues

  1. Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
  2. Extend one leg straight behind you at hip height.
  3. Exhale, round the upper back, and draw the knee forward to tap your elbow.
  4. Re-extend the leg long without letting the hips rotate open.
  5. Keep the supporting arm pushing the floor away throughout.

Breathing: Exhale completely as knee and elbow meet, inhale as the leg reaches back out.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Keeping the back flat while the knee swings forward.. Without the spine rounding, the abs never contract — the leg just swings from the hip and the core sleeps through the set. Fix: Lead with the exhale-and-round, and let the knee arrive because the trunk folded, not because the hip hurried.
Hiking the hip of the moving leg toward the ceiling.. The hip hike twists the pelvis, taking tension off the obliques and loading the lower back unevenly. Fix: Keep both hip bones facing the floor; film from behind once — the hips should stay square through every rep.
Collapsing into the supporting shoulder.. A sunken shoulder blade lets the torso sag and turns the stable side into a passive prop. Fix: Press the supporting hand down until the space between the shoulder blades feels broad and lifted.

How to program tabletop knee to elbow touch

GoalPhaseSetsRepsTempoRestRPE
strengthweeks 1–4 · build36 per side with 2-s tap hold2-2-2-060–90 s7
strengthweeks 5–8 · intensify36 per side with 2-s tap hold2-2-2-060–90 s7–8
strengthweeks 9–12 · peak35–6 per side, slower extension3-2-2-060–90 s8
hypertrophyweeks 1–4 · build312 per side2-1-2-060 s7
hypertrophyweeks 5–8 · intensify310 per side2-1-2-060 s7–8
hypertrophyweeks 9–12 · peak39–10 per side3-1-2-060 s8
enduranceweeks 1–4 · build218 alternating1-0-1-030–45 s6
enduranceweeks 5–8 · intensify221 alternating1-0-1-030–45 s6–7
enduranceweeks 9–12 · peak224 alternating1-0-1-030–45 s7
beginnerweeks 1–4 · learn26 per side, toe tap behind instead of full extension2-1-2-060 s5
beginnerweeks 5–8 · groove28 per side2-1-2-060 s5–6
beginnerweeks 9–12 · load38–10 per side2-1-2-060 s6

Tempo = eccentric-pause-concentric-pause, seconds (X = explosive intent).

Common questions

Is this the same as a bird dog?

It is the flexion half of the bird dog family. A bird dog extends opposite arm and leg and resists movement; the knee-to-elbow touch adds the active crunch — rounding the spine and folding the knee in — before re-extending. Many programmes, including Maddy's beginner blocks, chain them: extend into a bird-dog reach, then crunch knee to elbow, counting the pair as one rep.

Knee to same-side elbow or opposite elbow — which is right?

Both exist and train slightly different lines. Same-side, as written here, keeps the pelvis square and emphasises a clean spinal fold with oblique assistance. Driving the knee across to the opposite elbow adds rotation and more oblique bias, but is easier to cheat by twisting the hips. Learn same-side first; the cross-body version is the natural next step in the library.

How can I make this harder without equipment?

Three honest levers: hold the knee-to-elbow tap for two full seconds while exhaling completely, slow the re-extension to three counts, or lift the supporting knee slightly off the floor so the whole drill happens from a hover. That last version transforms the difficulty and is the doorway to plank knee-to-elbow work like cross mountain climbers.

Why do I lose my balance when I extend my leg back in this exercise?

With one leg off the floor your base of support shrinks, and your trunk has to stop the pelvis rotating toward the lifted side — that wobble is the exercise doing its job. Push the floor away through the supporting hand, keep the hips level like a table top, and move the leg slowly rather than kicking it back. Shortening the extension helps at first; tap the toe behind you before attempting a full lift. As the deep core strengthens over a few weeks, the wobble quietens noticeably.

Can I do this exercise on a bed or thick carpet if kneeling on a hard floor hurts?

Carpet or a folded towel under the knees works well and changes almost nothing about the exercise. A bed is the weaker option — the mattress lets your supporting knee and hand sink, which makes balance sloppy rather than productively challenging and takes tension off the core. If knee pressure is the only issue, a doubled yoga mat or a cushion under the kneecap solves it in most cases. Keep the supporting surface firm and level, and save soft surfaces for genuine no-alternative days.

Related exercises

Bicycle KicksObliques Bicycle Kicks (Modified)Obliques Cross Knee to Elbow PulseObliques Downward Dog Cross Knee to Elbow TouchObliques Downward Dog Knee to Elbow TouchObliques

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