How to Do Scissor Kicks
Many people need to get most advantages from every train in our exercise routine. We don’t have time to waste! So in relation to core workouts, think about turning to the scissor kicks ab train, which is the final word multi-tasker.
Not solely do scissor kicks work just about each muscle in your core — together with your aesthetic six-pack muscle mass — additionally they construct hip and thigh power and provide a cardio enhance.
Right here’s reap the various advantages of the scissor kicks train.
Scissor Kicks: Step-by-Step Directions
- Lie in your again along with your arms down by your sides.
- Raise each of your legs a number of inches off the bottom and separate them barely right into a “V” form. Interact your core and press your decrease again into the ground.
- Conserving each legs straight, deliver your legs collectively and cross your proper leg over the left. Widen your legs right into a “V” once more, after which deliver your legs collectively once more, this time crossing your left leg over the best.
- Proceed alternating till you’ve accomplished all reps.
- All the time preserve your decrease again pressed into the ground. If it begins to arch, raise your legs as much as scale back rigidity in your core.
Variations on Scissor Kicks
There are lots of methods to vary up the scissor kicks train to suit your present potential and fitness level.
- Make it easier: If standard scissor kicks are too intense, Beachbody fitness expert Cody Braun suggests bending one leg and putting that foot on the floor, and moving the other leg back and forth while straight. Switch sides to perform an equal number of reps with both legs.
- Make it harder: If you want to bump up the intensity, Braun suggests adding in a hollow body position, which makes your core muscles work even harder to keep you stable with less floor support. Here’s how to do it:
- Lay on your back and place your hands gently behind your ears with your elbows wide.
- Lift your head and shoulders off the floor into a partial crunch and keep your neck neutral; don’t hold up your head with your hands or tuck your chin.
- Cross your legs back and forth, making sure to keep your lower back pressed into the floor.
- There’s also another way to perform this exercise that is sometimes referred to as a flutter kick. It’s similar, but instead of crossing your legs, you just move them up and down.
What Muscles Do Scissor Kicks Work?
Like other core exercises, this targets the muscles in your abdomen that are responsible for keeping your trunk and spine stable, Braun explains:
- Rectus abdominis
- Obliques
- Transverse abdominis
Additionally, scissor kicks offer the added benefit of working some muscles in your lower body, because you’re crossing your legs:
- Hip abductors (which draw your legs out to the sides)
- Inner thigh muscles
And because you’re constantly moving in this exercise, it can be a great addition to any cardio circuit. Performing scissor kicks during a cardio circuit will keep your heart rate elevated while you work your core muscles. This way, you don’t waste time doing separate cardio and core sessions.
