Scissor Kicks
How to Do Scissor Kicks With Proper Form
Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides or hands beneath the pelvis for a regression.
Brace the abdominal wall and raise the legs to a height that lets the lower back stay controlled.
Keep the knees softly extended without locking them aggressively.
Cross one ankle over the other in a small, controlled scissoring motion.
Reverse the crossing pattern while keeping the pelvis quiet and the ribs from flaring.
Breathe steadily and avoid allowing the legs to drop as fatigue builds.
Stop the set when the lower back arches, the movement becomes large and fast, or the hip flexors dominate.
Form Check & Technique
DO THIS (Technique Tips)
- Start with the legs higher than you think you need
- Keep the crossing range small and repeatable
- Use slow breathing to maintain trunk tension
- Press the floor lightly with the hands without forcing the back flat
- End the set when the pelvis can no longer stay quiet
AVOID THIS (Common Mistakes)
- Lowering the legs beyond the range the trunk can control
- Arching the lower back off the floor
- Using large, fast leg swings
- Locking the knees and gripping the hip flexors
- Holding the breath throughout the set
- Continuing after the pelvis starts rocking
About Scissor Kicks
Scissor kicks are a lying core exercise in which the legs alternate across one another while the trunk stays braced. The rectus abdominis and deeper abdominal muscles help stabilize the pelvis, while the hip flexors and inner thighs control the leg movement. Keep the legs at a height you can manage without letting the lower back arch away from the floor.
Scissor Kicks Muscles Worked
The abdominal wall works to keep the pelvis and lower trunk stable while the legs move.
- The hip flexors lift and position the legs, and the adductors help control the crossing pattern.
- Lowering the legs closer to the floor increases the anti-extension demand.
Sets & Reps Guidance
Technique / Learning
2-3 sets of 10-20 gentle crossings from a higher leg position.
Strength Focus
3-4 sets of 8-15 controlled crossings per side with a challenging leg position.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
2-4 sets of 20-40 total crossings or 20-40 seconds with consistent trunk control.
General training baseline. Need.fit automatically adjusts exact sets, reps, and working weight based on your individual fitness level, recovery, and progress over time.
Exercise Variations & Alternatives
flutter kicks
reverse crunch
dead bug
hollow body hold
Plank
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Barbell Bench Press
Learn proper barbell bench press form, muscles worked, grip and bar-path cues, common mistakes, and practical sets and reps for strength or muscle.
How Low Should the Legs Go?
Use the lowest height at which you can keep the pelvis and lower back controlled. Raising the legs higher is a valid regression; lowering them is not automatically better if the back begins to arch.
Scissor Kicks vs Flutter Kicks
Scissor kicks cross the legs over one another, while flutter kicks move them up and down. Both challenge trunk stability, but the crossing pattern adds a small adduction component.
How to Make the Exercise Easier
Raise the legs, reduce the crossing range, slow the rhythm, or keep the hands under the pelvis. The goal is to preserve abdominal control rather than make the legs as low as possible.
How to Make Scissor Kicks Harder
Extend the legs farther from the body, lower them gradually, increase the work interval, or add a pause between crossings. Progress one variable at a time.
Sources & References
- [1]
- [2]ACSM Position Stand: Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance — PubMedView Source
- [3]