Standing Toe Touches

Also called toe touch, forward fold and standing forward bend.

Works

Hamstrings, plus calves

Equipment

Bodyweight

Level

Beginner

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. Stand with some space in front and behind you.

1. Bend at the waist, keeping your legs straight, until you can relax and let your upper body hang down in front of you. Let your arms and hands hang down naturally. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds.

Cues

• Legs straight, knees soft.
• Hinge and let the head hang.
• Arms hang loose.
• Breathe out, sink lower.

Common mistakes

• Bouncing to reach.
• Locking the knees hard.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a cranky lower back. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

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