Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Flutter Kicks: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Flutter kicks are a bodyweight exercise performed lying on your back, where you lift your legs off the ground and alternate kicking them up and down in a fluttering motion. This movement primarily targets the glutes, with secondary emphasis on the hip flexors and lower abs.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Abs , Quads
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the flutter kicks
Front view: muscles worked by the flutter kicks. Primary: glutes. Secondary: abs and quads.
Back view: muscles worked by the flutter kicks. Primary: glutes. Secondary: abs and quads.
Primary Secondary

How to do the flutter kicks

  1. Step 1: Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your hands by your sides.
  2. Step 2: Engage your core and lift your legs off the ground about 6 inches.
  3. Step 3: Keeping your legs straight, alternate lifting one leg slightly higher than the other.
  4. Step 4: Continue this fluttering motion for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the flutter kicks by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Flutter Kicks alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

See the best glute exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.