Summary

The lower abs, obliques, and hip flexors are the primary muscles involved in flutter kicks and help activate secondary muscles like quads, hamstrings, and lower back.
Proper technique ensures optimal performance and safety by maintaining a neutral spine and engaging the core while performing the movements slowly and under control.
Flutter kicks are great for boosting core strength, building muscle endurance, increasing balance, providing support for the lower back, and can also be a great calorie burn when included as part of one's cardio routine.
There are alternatives such as reverse flutter kicks, scissor kicks, bicycle kicks, and criss-cross kicks, each of which is in a different intensity range and targets a variety of muscles.
Adding other core exercises, such as combining flutter kicks with planks, Russian twists, crunches, and strength exercises, develops the core and efficiently burns calories.

Do you want to know in details about flutter kicks? How to do them properly? What is the proper form to do the flutter kicks? And which muscles do these flutter kicks work? You've come to the right place.

Flutter kicks works several parts of your core including your obliques, rectus abdominus, transverse abs along with your secondary muscles such as your quads, hip flexors and lower back.

Incorporate flutter kicks in your ab workout routine to chisel your core

How To Do Flutter Kicks?

Flutter kicks are a bodyweight cardio exercise that work multiple muscle groups in your core. However, if you narrow it down to one group, then flutter kicks mainly work your lower abs, which makes them a great exercise if you’re trying to strengthen your core and flatten your belly.

Step-By-Step Method Of Doing Flutter Kicks With The Right Form:

Lie Down with Your Back Flat: Make sure you’re comfortably laying down on a yoga mat or a soft surface.
Support Your Spine: With your palms flat, position them under your glutes or hip – this position will give your pelvis stability and help you lift your body, especially as a beginner.
Engage Your Core: Tuck your upper abs inward and suck your belly button into your spine – it will activate your core and make sure you feel the movement in your abs.
Elevate Your Legs: With your core tucked and braced, and your lower back flat against the ground, raise your legs upward. for working position, aim to be at a 30° to 45° angle away from the ground.

Step by step technique to do flutter kicks

Start Fluttering Your Kicks: In slow and controlled motions, and with your legs straight, start fluttering your legs as if you’re swimming – but in the air. You don’t need to move your legs too upwards, as long as you maintain a steady motion.
Control Your Breathing: Inhale and exhale with every flutter to make sure your breathing pattern is controlled and well-managed.
Counting Reps: Don’t underestimate this exercise. Either aim for as many flutter kicks as you can do in 40 seconds or count to 30 flutters on each leg.

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What Muscles Do Flutter Kicks Work?

Flutter kicks primarily aim to build your core strength and agility in your legs. Here are the primary and secondary muscles worked:

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower abs, hip flexors, and quads.
Secondary Muscles Worked: Oblique (side abs), hamstring, and lower back.

Perfecting Your Form

If you get the right technique in your flutter kicks, you’ll be able to prevent back strain. Without proper technique, flutter kicks won’t be as effective for building abs.

Here are five essential tips:

Keep Your Neck Neutral: Make sure your neck and spine are aligned and straight.
Hand Placement: Keep your palms flat against the ground and under your glutes. This placement will prevent lower back strain and help you power through your move.
Keep Your Core Active: Make sure your core is braced and tucked in to keep it engaged. You can also alleviate the strain from your lower back and keeps your workout effective.
Control Your Movements: Control your upward and downward movement to activate your core muscles and keep the tension in them.
Use a Yoga Mat: Make sure you’re laying on a yoga mat to avoid discomfort.

The Benefits of Flutter Kicks

The burn you feel during flutter kicks is not just an indicator of you being on your way to having those chiseled abs – it’s a sign you’re investing in yourself.

More than giving you those ripped abs, flutter kicks offer several benefits such as:

1. Strengthening Your Core

Flutter kicks target multiple muscle groups within your core. From your lower abs, one of the hardest areas to target, to your upper abs and flexors, this exercise builds strength in each area. A stronger core makes other exercises easier and allows you to lift heavier weights.

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2. Improving Muscle Balance and Stability

By strengthening your muscles, this exercise helps you build balance and stability all over. Flutter kicks facilitates your daily functionality, helping you do everyday tasks easily.

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3. Enhancing Muscular Endurance

Beyond strength, flutter kicks pave the pathway for agility and endurance in your body. Because of muscular endurance, you’re able to improve your stamina as well as overall flexibility. You can also train your body to withstand sports-related or life-related strenuous physical activity.

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4. Supporting Lower Back

Since your hip flexors and lower back are engaged during this exercise, it strengthens your lower body muscles. This allows you to participate in daily activities such as walking, running, and even standing without any extra strain. In addition to improving your posture, this exercise also prevents health hazards in the future such as sciatica and lower back pain.

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5. Boosting Calorie Burning

Flutter kicks involve a lot of physical movement, making them not just a bodyweight ab exercise but also part of cardio training. This means you’re not just sculpting your abs, you’re also burning calories which leads to fat and weight loss.

Ramp up your routine and burn calories with this HIIT workout.

The Different Variations of Flutter Kicks

Flutter Kicks has various similar exercises which target different muscle parts with different intensity.

1. Reverse Flutter Kicks

Reverse flutter kicks are done facing down, usually on a bench or higher surface. They have a similar impact as the normal ones.

2. Scissor Kicks

Scissor Kicks require a little more elevation of your legs and are usually required for swimmers who use the side stroke technique.

3. Bicycle Kicks

Bicycle Kicks involve bending your legs and bringing them closer to your body, like riding a bicycle in the air.

4. Criss-cross Kicks

Criss-cross kicks involve moving the legs sideways and overlapping them over one another.

5 Day Flutter Kicks Workout Routine

Day	Core Exercises	Overall Exercises	Reps	Sets	Rest (between sets)	Est. Calories Burned
Day 1	Flutter Kicks, Plank	HIIT Cardio Circuit	20	3	30 sec	300-400
Day 2	Flutter Kicks, Russian Twists	Strength Training (Upper Body)	20	3	30 sec	250-350
Day 3	Flutter Kicks, Bicycle Crunches	Yoga (Vinyasa Flow)	20	3	30 sec	200-300
Day 4	Flutter Kicks, Reverse Crunches	Strength Training (Lower Body)	20	3	30 sec	300-400
Day 5	Flutter Kicks, Mountain Climbers	Pilates	20	3	30 sec	250-350

Key Takeaways

And that's a wrap on the flutter kicks. They're the perfect way for you to improve your core strength as well as overall fitness. In this guide, we've covered how you can do them, the muscles worked, and some variations you can try!

The only thing you need to keep in mind is - keep your back neutral and your core braced. Incorporate this exercise into your workout to get those shredded abs you dream of. But, remember - you can't build abs with workout alone.

You also need to incorporate healthy habits in your daily life to build six pack abs.

FAQs

How to do a flutter kick step by step?

Lie on your back on a mat with your hands under your glutes for support. Keep your legs extended and lift them a little off the ground at an angle of around 30°-45°. When you are ready, engage your core and start moving your legs, alternately, up and down in a controlled manner, like you are swimming. Keep your breath even and maintain a slow, steady rhythm. Aim for 30-40 seconds per set, or count 30 reps per leg.

How do you teach a flutter kick?

Start by ensuring that the person is lying on a comfortable surface, with their hands under their hips for support. Emphasize keeping the core tight and the back flat on the ground to avoid strain. Show them slow, controlled movements of the legs and remind them to breathe properly. Encourage small kicks instead of big, uncontrolled movements. For beginners, allow them to keep one foot on the ground before progressing to full flutter kicks.

What do flutter kicks work?

Flutter kicks are an exercise directed at the lower abs, making them an excellent core-strengthening workout. They strongly engage the hip flexors, quads, and obliques, and secondarily work the hamstrings and lower back. Since they require balance and control, they help develop core stability and endurance.

How to do more flutter kicks?

Begin with shorter sets to gradually increase endurance, then progressively extend the duration. Also, add exercises like planks and leg raises to strengthen your core, which will help with overall stability. Control your breathing to avoid wearing out too quickly. Try variations such as scissor kicks or add ankle weights for extra resistance. Your core will eventually get strong enough so you can comfortably do more reps.

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