Flutter Kicks
Muscles Worked: Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks mainly train your abs by forcing them to keep your midsection braced while your legs move up and down. Your hip flexors assist by lifting each leg, especially when you keep your knees straight and feet off the floor. Because the movement is continuous, your trunk has to resist rocking and stop your lower back from taking over. You should feel steady tension across the front of your core more than strain in your low back, and in competitive swimmers the flutter kick has been studied for lower-limb muscle co-contraction during this continuous kicking pattern (Matsuda et al., 2016).
Technique and form
How to perform the Flutter Kicks
- Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms placed alongside your body, palms pressing into the floor for stability.
- Engage your core muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine and pressing your lower back firmly into the floor.
- Raise both legs about 6 inches off the ground while maintaining the posterior pelvic tilt position to protect your lower back.
- Lift your head and shoulder blades slightly off the floor, keeping your neck in a neutral position by gazing toward your knees.
- Begin the flutter motion by raising one leg higher while simultaneously lowering the other, keeping both feet off the ground at all times.
- Maintain a small range of motion (4-6 inches between legs) and focus on controlled movements rather than speed or height.
- Breathe normally throughout the exercise, avoiding the tendency to hold your breath as you stabilize your core.
- Continue alternating leg positions in a rhythmic, scissor-like motion while keeping your abdominals engaged and back pressed into the floor.
Important information
- Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the floor throughout the entire exercise to prevent arching and potential strain.
- If you feel any discomfort in your lower back, raise your legs higher off the ground or place your hands underneath your tailbone for additional support.
- Focus on the quality of movement rather than speed; slower, controlled flutter kicks engage the core more effectively.
- For beginners, start with 20-30 seconds and gradually increase duration as your core strength improves.
Is Flutter Kicks effective for endurance?
Yes. Flutter kicks are better for core endurance than pure muscle size because the exercise uses long time under tension, light resistance, and nonstop reps. They are also specific to repeated kicking patterns used in swimming, where underwater flutter kicking has been studied during front-crawl start and turn segments (Takeda et al., 2022).
- Long tension on the abs — Your core stays switched on the whole set to keep your ribs down and your lower back from arching. That makes flutter kicks useful for building the kind of ab endurance you need in long sets, circuits, or finisher work.
- Hip flexor stamina — Each small kick asks the muscles at the front of your hips to keep lifting and lowering your legs without much rest. That can help with repeated leg-drive tasks, but it also means sloppy form usually shows up as low-back discomfort before your abs truly fatigue.
- Range control matters — Smaller kicks usually keep more tension on the core because your trunk stays still. If you swing too high or too low, the movement often turns into momentum instead of useful work, which takes stress off the target muscles.
- Easy to pair with other core drills — Flutter kicks fit well after moves like dead bug or hollow body hold because they train your core to stay braced while your legs move. That makes them a solid bridge between static holds and faster ab work.
Programming for endurance
Do 2-4 sets of 20-40 seconds or 15-30 reps per leg with 30-60 seconds rest. Train them 2-4 times per week at the end of your workout or inside a core circuit. Start with short sets you can keep smooth and pain-free, then add time before making the kicks bigger or faster.
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FAQ - Flutter Kicks
Flutter Kicks primarily target the lower abdominal muscles, while also engaging the hip flexors, quadriceps, and lower back stabilizers. The continuous motion creates sustained tension in the core, making it particularly effective for developing lower abdominal strength and endurance.
Beginners can perform Flutter Kicks with bent knees or for shorter durations (15-20 seconds). To increase difficulty, extend your legs fully, raise your shoulders off the ground, or add ankle weights for additional resistance.
The most common mistakes include rounding your lower back, rotating your hips instead of keeping them square, rushing through the movement, and not hinging properly at the hips. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine, moving with control, and keeping your standing knee slightly soft rather than locked.
Flutter Kicks can aggravate existing back problems if performed incorrectly. If you have back concerns, start with bent knees, place hands under your glutes for support, and stop if you feel any back pain. Consider consulting a physical therapist before incorporating this exercise.
Include Flutter Kicks 2-3 times weekly as part of your core training, performing 2-3 sets of 30-60 seconds each. Allow 24-48 hours between sessions for muscle recovery, especially if you're targeting the core intensely in your overall program.
Workouts with Flutter Kicks
Scientific References
Underwater flutter kicking causes deceleration in start and turn segments of front crawl.
Takeda T, Sakai S, Takagi H · Sports biomechanics (2022)
Lower muscle co-contraction in flutter kicking for competitive swimmers.
Matsuda Y, Hirano M, Yamada Y et al. · Human movement science (2016)
Sources are peer-reviewed academic publications from PubMed.
Flutter Kicks
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