Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Flutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.
Flutter kicks primarily work the lower abdominal muscles, including the rectus abdominis and the lower part of the transverse abdominis. They also engage the hip flexors, particularly the iliopsoas, as well as the quadriceps. Additionally, flutter kicks help strengthen the lower back muscles and improve overall core stability and endurance.
Butterfly kicks help strengthen and tone the core muscles, but do not specifically target belly fat. Spot reduction, or losing fat from a specific area through targeted exercises, is a common misconception. To effectively burn belly fat, a combination of overall calorie deficit through diet, cardiovascular exercise, and full-body strength training is necessary.
Don’t allow your heels to drop between reps. Keep them elevated throughout the entire exercise. You would be able to perform more reps by giving yourself some time to rest between reps, however it will make this exercise less effective. Focus on keeping your core engaged, and your legs elevated.
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
Enter your stats to calculate your Sets & Reps