Heel Tap

What is Heel Tap:

The Heel Tap is a lateral spinal flexion exercise, primarily working the obliques. During this exercise, you lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor and alternate tapping your heels, contracting your obliques.

Key Benefits:

  • Size and Strength: Works primarily the obliques, promoting muscle growth and strength improvement.
  • Functional Strength: Improves lateral spinal flexion strength, spinal rotation strength, core stability, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Functional Strength: Improves lateral spinal flexion strength, spinal rotation strength, core stability, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Convenience: This exercise can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment, making it accessible and convenient for most individuals.

Variations:

  • Russian Twist: A core exercise that targets the obliques through controlled twisting motions of the torso.
  • Side Plank Raise: A plank variation that works the obliques primarily through spinal lateral flexions.
  • Floor Windshield Wiper: A core exercise performed by lying on your back and moving the lower body sideways, like a windshield wiper.
  • Dumbbell Side Bends: An oblique exercise performed while standing utilizing free weights, such as dumbbells, to load the obliques in lateral spinal flexions..

How to perform Heel Taps:

  • Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your shoulders off the floor with your arms extended on your sides.
  • Execution: Contract your obliques by twisting your body sideways, reaching for your heels or further. Hold this position briefly, then return to the starting position and do the other side.
  • Repetition: Repeat and alternate each side for your desired number of repetitions.

Breathing Technique:

Proper breathing is crucial for maximizing performance and maintaining stamina throughout the exercise. Experiment with what you're comfortable with and let you perform your best. For starters, you can try the following:

  • Inhale: Inhale at the starting position.
  • Exhale: Exhale at the end positions.
  • Movement Purpose: The purpose of the exercise is to challenge and contract the obliques, not necessarily the heel taps themselves, which is just a way to simplify the movement. That said, focus on contracting the obliques rather than tapping your heels.
  • Scapular Engagement: Maintain scapular depression and a bit of protraction throughout the exercise for optimal performance.
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    Additional Information:

    Ways to make it easier:

    • Decreasing the Range of Motion - partial reps, only go as far as you can handle
    • Regressing to an easier variation/exercise

    Ways to make it harder:

    • Playing with the Tempo & adding an Isometric phase (pause/hold)
    • Contracting the obliques as much as possible or reaching further past the heels.
    • Progressing to a harder variation/exercise