10 Best Toe Touchers Alternatives for Core Strength & Rehab

Toe Touchers are done lying on your back. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Lying Elbow To Knee, Alternate Heel Touchers and the Elbow-to-knee.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Toe Touchers

Toe Touchers
Primary muscle
Abdominals
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
How to perform Toe Touchers
  1. To begin, lie down on the floor or an exercise mat with your back pressed against the floor. Your arms should be lying across your sides with the palms facing down.
  2. Your legs should be touching each other. Slowly elevate your legs up in the air until they are almost perpendicular to the floor with a slight bend at the knees. Your feet should be parallel to the floor.
  3. Move your arms so that they are fully extended at a 45 degree angle from the floor. This is the starting position.
  4. While keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, slowly lift your torso and use your hands to try and touch your toes. Remember to exhale while perform this part of the exercise.
  5. Slowly begin to lower your torso and arms back down to the starting position while inhaling. Remember to keep your arms straight out pointing towards your toes.
  6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
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Ranked Toe Touchers Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Toe Touchers on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Lying Elbow To KneePlay demonstration

    1. Lying Elbow To Knee

    79% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the abs rather than the abdominals.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.
    4. At the same time, extend your right leg straight out and lift it off the ground.
    5. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time bringing your left elbow towards your right knee and extending your left leg.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  2. Alternate Heel TouchersPlay demonstration

    2. Alternate Heel Touchers

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground and reach your right hand towards your right heel.
    4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side, reaching your left hand towards your left heel.
    5. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  3. Elbow-to-kneePlay demonstration

    3. Elbow-to-knee

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.
    4. At the same time, bring your left knee towards your right elbow, creating a twisting motion.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body and extend your legs back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time bringing your left elbow towards your right knee and your right knee towards your left elbow.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  4. Oblique Crunches FloorPlay demonstration

    4. Oblique Crunches Floor

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
    2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor, rotating your torso to one side.
    4. Pause for a moment, then lower your shoulder blades back down to the floor.
    5. Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each repetition.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  5. Twisted Leg RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    5. Twisted Leg Raise

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides.
    2. Place your hands under your glutes for support.
    3. Engage your abs and lift both legs off the ground, keeping them straight.
    4. As you lift your legs, twist your hips to one side, bringing your legs towards your opposite shoulder.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time twisting your hips to the other side.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  6. Frog CrunchPlay demonstration

    6. Frog Crunch

    72% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  7. Scissor Kick

    Progression

    7. Scissor Kick

    72% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. To begin, lie down with your back pressed against the floor or on an exercise mat (optional). Your arms should be fully extended to the sides with your palms facing down. Note: The arms should be stationary the entire time.
    2. With a slight bend at the knees, lift your legs up so that your heels are about 6 inches off the ground. This is the starting position.
    3. Now lift your left leg up to about a 45 degree angle while your right leg is lowered until the heel is about 2-3 inches from the ground.
    4. Switch movements by raising your right leg up and lowering your left leg. Remember to breathe while performing this exercise.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than Toe Touchers
  8. Bottoms-upPlay demonstration

    Progression

    8. Bottoms-up

    71% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides.
    2. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest, keeping your feet off the ground.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your hips off the ground, bringing your knees towards your head.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  9. Knee Touch CrunchPlay demonstration

    9. Knee Touch Crunch

    71% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulder blades off the ground and reach your right hand towards your left knee.
    4. Return to the starting position and repeat, this time reaching your left hand towards your right knee.
    5. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Toe Touchers
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers
  10. Band Bicycle CrunchPlay demonstration

    10. Band Bicycle Crunch

    69% match
    • Abs
    • Band
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your hands behind your head and your knees bent.
    2. Lift your feet off the ground and bring your right knee towards your chest while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring your left elbow towards your right knee.
    3. Straighten your right leg while bringing your left knee towards your chest and twisting your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
    4. Continue alternating the twisting motion, as if you are pedaling a bicycle, while keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not abdominals
    • Equipment: a band, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Toe Touchers

Toe Touchers FAQ

Can I build muscle without doing Toe Touchers?

Yes. You can develop the rectus abdominis with a range of bodyweight options, hollow holds for time under tension, slow V-ups for concentric-eccentric overload, and controlled curl-and-reach crunches for peak contraction. Focus on progressive overload through reps, tempo, and range of motion while maintaining tight core bracing.

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Similarity scores compare exercise metadata such as movement pattern, muscles, equipment and body position. They are not a safety rating or a check that you own the equipment. Learn about our methodology