Exercise guide
Corner Touch
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Hips
- Lower legs
The Corner Touch is a dynamic diagonal lunge variation that builds lower body strength and stability while challenging the core through rotational reaching. It effectively targets the quadriceps and glutes while engaging the obliques for balance and torso control.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms relaxed at your sides.
- Engage your core and pull your shoulders back to maintain a neutral spine.
- Visualize two 'corners' on the floor diagonally in front of you, roughly two feet away to the left and right.
How to do it
- Step your right foot forward and outward at a 45-degree angle into a lunge, keeping your left foot anchored.
- Inhale as you lower your hips, reaching your left hand down to touch the floor near your right foot.
- Exhale and drive powerfully through your right heel to push back to the starting standing position.
- Alternate sides by stepping out with the left leg and reaching down with the right hand.
Form checklist
- Keep your front knee tracked over your toes, avoiding any inward collapse.
- Hinge at the hips and keep your back flat rather than rounding your spine to reach the floor.
- Keep your chest as upright as possible while performing the reach.
- Ensure the heel of your stepping foot stays firmly planted on the ground.
Pro tips
- Focus on the mind-muscle connection in your obliques as you rotate your torso to reach across your body.
- Pause for a split second at the bottom of the movement to test your balance and maximize glute tension.
Make it harder
- Increase the pace to a 'skater' style tempo to add a cardiovascular and plyometric challenge.
- Hold a small weight or medicine ball and touch it to the floor to increase the resistance on the legs and core.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the corner touch work?
- The corner touch primarily targets the calves, glutes, and quadriceps, and also works the adductors and hamstrings as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the corner touch?
- The corner touch requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the corner touch good for beginners?
- The corner touch is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Alternate Forward Step Arm SwingIntermediate · calves, glutes, and quadriceps
- Arms Up Rotational Side StepIntermediate · calves, glutes, and quadriceps
- Back Shuffle Side KickoutIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- Barbell Band Assisted DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius