Core · Isolation

Flutter Kick

A lower abdominal exercise performed lying down, alternating small up-and-down kicks with the legs to build core endurance. The real work is isometric: the abs fight to keep the lower back pinned down while the legs try to pull it into an arch. Sets end when that flat-back position is lost, not when a rep count says so.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Bodyweight Isolation Core
flutter-kick-poster
  • Level Beginner
  • Equipment Bodyweight
  • Primary Muscles Abs, Obliques
  • Movement Isolation Core

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Flutter Kick

  1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and hands at your sides or tucked under your hips.
  2. Press your lower back firmly into the floor.
  3. Lift both legs a few inches off the ground.
  4. Kick the legs up and down in small, quick alternating pulses.
  5. Breathe steadily while keeping the lower back pinned down.
  6. End the set the moment the lower back starts to peel up.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

core
Primary muscles
Abs Obliques

Do This

Form Cues

  • Press the lower back into the floor and keep it there for the whole set.
  • Keep the kicks small and quick rather than wide.
  • Tuck your hands under your hips if the lower back wants to arch.
  • The kicks stay small, roughly a foot of travel. Big slow kicks are a different and worse exercise.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the lower back peel off the floor, which is the cue to stop the set.
  • Kicking too high, which takes tension off the lower abs.
  • Holding your breath. Breathe steadily through the set.
  • Grinding on after the back arches, which trains the hip flexors and irritates the spine.

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