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how to do flutter kicks

Small, quick alternating leg kicks just above the floor make flutter kicks an endurance drill for your abs, which have to hold your pelvis steady while your legs keep moving. Your hip flexors work hard too, so they tend to tire at the front of the hips alongside the belly. They suit you if you can already hold your legs off the floor for a few seconds and want something more dynamic than a hold. If your lower back lifts no matter what, they are not your move yet; build the dead bug first.

▶ watch flutter kicks on the dedicated video page

primary musclesabs, obliques
also workship flexors
levelbeginner
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typerep-based

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Place your hands under your hips for added support if needed.
  2. Lift your legs off the floor a few inches, keeping them straight and close together.
  3. Quickly alternate kicking your legs up and down in a small, controlled motion, engaging your core throughout the movement.
  4. Continue the flutter kicks for the desired duration, maintaining a steady and controlled pace. Lower your legs back to the floor to complete the exercise.

how much: Start with 3 sets of 10–13 reps, counting each leg's kick as one, and add reps before shortening rest.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Keep your legs long with soft knees and pointed toes, kicks no taller than a hand's width.
  • Slide your hands under your hips if needed so your lower back stays flat.
  • Lift your head and shoulders slightly to keep your abs switched on throughout.

common mistakes

  • Kicks getting bigger and faster as you tire — shrink the range and slow the rhythm to stay controlled.
  • Legs hovering so low the back arches — raise your legs higher until the back flattens again.
  • Tensing your neck and jaw to push through — rest your head down if the strain moves upward.

make it easier or harder

easier
Bend your knees slightly and keep your kicks higher, closer to 45 degrees off the floor.
harder
Hold your arms straight overhead in a hollow position while you flutter your legs.
flutter kicks: legs straight and lifted, one slightly higher than the other
flutter kicks — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

plank on forearms: elbows under shoulders, body straight from head to heels plank mountain climbers in high plank: one knee driven toward the chest, hips level mountain climbers bicycle crunches mid-twist: elbow reaching toward the opposite knee, other leg extended bicycle crunches hollow hold: shoulders and straight legs lifted, lower back pressed flat hollow hold side plank on one forearm: hips lifted, body straight from head to feet side plank heel touches: shoulders lifted, right hand reaching toward right heel heel touches

never wonder what to train next

flutter kicks is one of 1,300+ exercises in the wandelbar app — where you don’t pick exercises at all. Answer a few questions, get a personal 90-day bodyweight plan, and it reshapes itself after every session. free for 7 days.

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