# Seated Flutter Kicks

A seated core exercise on the end of a flat bench. You lean back on your hands and kick straight legs up and down in alternation, training the abs to hold your trunk steady.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: Flat bench
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/seated-flutter-kicks/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/seated-flutter-kicks/

## Muscles worked

- Abs: 8/10
- Obliques: 5/10
- Lower back: 3/10

## How to do the Seated Flutter Kicks

1. Sit on the end of a bench, hands beside your hips.
2. Lean back slightly and lift both straight legs.
3. Alternate short up-and-down kicks, one leg up as the other lowers.
4. Keep your stomach tight and torso steady throughout.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Sit on the end of a flat bench and place your hands on the bench beside your hips.
2. Lean back slightly, tighten your stomach, and keep your back flat.
3. Lift both legs off the floor with your knees straight.
4. Raise one leg while lowering the other in a short, controlled scissor motion.
5. Keep alternating without letting your feet touch the floor.
6. Keep your torso and arms still while only your legs move.
7. Lower both feet to the floor at the end of the set.

## Common mistakes

- Rounding the back to lean away
- Kicking too high each rep
- Bending knees excessively
- Swinging legs with momentum
- Dropping the feet between kicks

## Form cues

- Keep knees straight
- Keep kicks short
- Keep ribs down
- Breathe through the set

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 1 min · 3 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth**: 3–4 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 1 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Endurance** (best fit): 2–3 sets of 20–40 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Dumbbell Overhead Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-overhead-sit-up/), [Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-decline-sit-up/)
- **Suspension trainer**: [Supine Suspension Trainer Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/supine-suspension-trainer-knee-tuck/), [Suspension Trainer Mountain Climbers](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-mountain-climbers/)
- **Barbell**: [Barbell Overhead Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/barbell-overhead-sit-up/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Resistance Band Dead Bug](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-dead-bug/), [Kneeling Resistance Band Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/kneeling-resistance-band-crunch/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-straight-arm-crunch/) — 15% of bodyweight
- Easier: [Bench Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/bench-knee-tuck/) — 20% of bodyweight
- **This exercise: Seated Flutter Kicks — 25% of bodyweight**
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Pass Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-crunch/) — 30% of bodyweight
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Half Rollout](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-half-rollout/) — 40% of bodyweight

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Seated Flutter Kicks work?

Primary: Abs 8/10. Also works: Obliques 5/10, Lower back 3/10.

### When should I do the Seated Flutter Kicks in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 5 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Seated Flutter Kicks?

Strength: 3 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 1 min, 3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 1 min, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 20–40 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Seated Flutter Kicks?

Dumbbells: Dumbbell Overhead Sit-Up, Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up. Suspension trainer: Supine Suspension Trainer Knee Tuck, Suspension Trainer Mountain Climbers. Barbell: Barbell Overhead Sit-Up. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Dead Bug, Kneeling Resistance Band Crunch.

### What is an easier version of the Seated Flutter Kicks?

Bench Knee Tuck (20% of bodyweight), Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch (15% of bodyweight).

### What is a harder version of the Seated Flutter Kicks?

Ab Wheel Pass Crunch (30% of bodyweight), Ab Wheel Half Rollout (40% of bodyweight).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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