Core
Back bow with heel taps
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- lower back · glutes
- Also
- hamstrings · mid back · rear delts
Back bow with heel taps is a face-down core movement: you hold your chest and thighs off the floor in a gentle arch, then bend your knees to tap your heels together above you. It trains the muscles along the back of your body that most floor core work ignores, which makes it a useful balance to crunches and planks. It suits anyone who sits a lot and needs work behind them.
Form
How to do back bow with heel taps
- 1Lie face down with your legs straight and together, arms reaching forward or out to the sides, forehead just off the floor.
- 2Press your hips gently into the floor and lift your chest, arms and thighs until you are holding a shallow arch. Look at the floor, not forward.
- 3Keeping the thighs lifted, bend both knees and tap your heels together above your glutes, then straighten the legs back out without letting them drop.
- 4Keep tapping at a steady pace, breathing in a relaxed rhythm rather than holding your breath.
- 5Lower your chest and legs to the floor to finish, then rest flat for a moment before moving on.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Cranking the head and neck back to lift higher.
Fix: Keep your gaze down and let the lift come from the muscles along your spine, with your neck in line with your back.
Letting the thighs sink to the floor between taps.
Fix: Hold the legs at a fixed height and only bend and straighten the knees, so the thighs never touch down.
Rushing the taps so the whole body bounces.
Fix: Slow the tempo until the torso stays still and only the lower legs move.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions