Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are a core exercise done lying on your back: with both straight legs held just off the floor, you make small, quick alternating kicks, usually for time. The hip flexors do most of the work while the abdominals hold the pelvis and low back steady, so it trains endurance more than strength.
Also called: Flutter Kick, Scissor Kicks, Scissor Flutter, Supine Flutter Kicks · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: isolation
Step by step
- Lie on your back on a mat with your legs straight and your arms by your sides, palms down.
- Brace your abs and tilt your pelvis back so your low back presses flat into the floor. Keep it pressed down for the whole set.
- Lift both straight legs off the floor to a height at which your low back stays flat. For many lifters this puts the heels about 15–30 cm up.
- Kick your legs in small, quick alternating strokes, one leg rising as the other drops, moving from the hips through a short range.
- Keep your legs long, knees soft and toes pointed. Rest your head on the floor, or tuck your chin if you lift it.
- Breathe steadily throughout, keeping your abs braced and ribs down.
- When the set time or rep count is done, bend your knees and set your feet on the floor.
- Low back pressed into the floor
- Small, quick kicks from the hips
- Legs long, toes pointed
- Ribs down, abs braced
- Breathe steadily through the set
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hip flexors | Prime mover | B |
| Rectus abdominis: lower (infraumbilical) | Secondary | C |
| Rectus abdominis: upper (supraumbilical) | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | D |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Low back arching off the floor
Fix: Press your low back down; lift your legs higher or bend your knees until it stays flat.
Kicks too big
Fix: Keep each kick short and quick, moving from the hips.
Legs sinking as the set goes on
Fix: Hold one leg height for the whole set and end the set when you can no longer keep it.
Holding the breath
Fix: Breathe out steadily through pursed lips while keeping your abs braced.
Neck straining forward
Fix: Rest your head on the floor, or keep a light chin tuck if you lift it.
What the research says
Endurance · first choiceGeneral fitnessFat loss & conditioning
- Muscles involved — EMG research on the leg-raise pattern finds it is led by the hip flexors, with abdominal activation below that of sit-ups. Flutter kicks belong to that hip-flexor-led family, and EMG measures activation, not growth.- **Timed sets.** A common approach is timed sets of about 20–45 seconds, often within conditioning circuits. There is no direct research on dosing flutter kicks.
- Progression — A common progression is to bring the legs closer to the floor or lengthen the set as control improves, while the low back stays flat. This is coaching practice rather than a research finding.
- Endurance, not size — There is no research on muscle growth from flutter kicks. With only the legs as load, they are mostly used for core endurance and conditioning.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the flutter kicks in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.