Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Crab Twist Toe Touch: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The crab twist toe touch is a bodyweight exercise targeting the abdominal muscles, with additional engagement of the obliques and hip flexors. It involves a dynamic movement pattern that requires coordination and balance, as you alternate reaching your hand to the opposite foot while supporting your body in a crab…

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Obliques , Quads
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the crab twist toe touch
Front view: muscles worked by the crab twist toe touch. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Back view: muscles worked by the crab twist toe touch. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Primary Secondary

How to do the crab twist toe touch

  1. Step 1: Start by sitting on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Step 2: Place your hands behind you, fingers pointing towards your feet, and lift your hips off the ground.
  3. Step 3: Extend one leg straight out in front of you while simultaneously reaching your opposite hand towards your toes.
  4. Step 4: Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
  5. Step 5: Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the crab twist toe touch by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Crab Twist Toe Touch alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.