Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Side-to-Side Toe Touch (Male): How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The side-to-side toe touch is a bodyweight exercise targeting the abs, obliques, and hip flexors. It involves bending at the waist to touch each foot alternately, promoting core engagement and flexibility.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Quads , Obliques
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the side-to-side toe touch (male)
Front view: muscles worked by the side-to-side toe touch (male). Primary: abs. Secondary: quads and obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the side-to-side toe touch (male). Primary: abs. Secondary: quads and obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the side-to-side toe touch (male)

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended to the sides.
  2. Step 2: Bend at the waist to the right, reaching your right hand towards your right foot while keeping your left hand extended to the side.
  3. Step 3: Return to the starting position and then bend at the waist to the left, reaching your left hand towards your left foot while keeping your right hand extended to the side.
  4. Step 4: Repeat the side-to-side bending motion for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the side-to-side toe touch (male) 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.

Side-to-Side Toe Touch (Male) alternatives

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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.