What is a good Scissor Kicks?
For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Scissor Kicks is about 35 reps. Advanced starts around 63 reps. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.
Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.
A solid (Intermediate) Scissor Kicks for a 180 lb male is about 35 reps. Use the calculator below to convert your own Scissor Kicks into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 63 reps.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How strong is your Scissor Kicks? Compare your max reps against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Many Scissor Kicks Should You Be Able to Do?
A fit adult man at about 180 lb should be able to do around 35 Scissor Kicks in one set, which is an Intermediate result. An advanced lifter does 63+, and an elite lifter reaches 95 or more.
Scissor Kicks rep targets for a 180 lb man, by training level:
Men vs women: a 180 lb man should do about 35 Scissor Kicks at an Intermediate level, while a 140 lb woman should do about 27.
By age: at an Intermediate level a 30 year old does about 35 Scissor Kicks, dropping to about 28 by age 50. See the By Age tab for every band.
What counts as a good number? Anything at or above the Intermediate target puts you past the beginner and novice bands for your bodyweight. Beginners often start with fewer than one and build up; clearing the Advanced number is a strong target for trained gym lifters.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with gym and competition datasets labeled separately
How Strong Is Your Scissor Kicks?
That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.
Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your rep count falls, not a measured frequency count.
Reader Data Is Still Building
We do not have enough reader-submitted Scissor Kicks entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:
Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.
How Much Should You Scissor Kicks?
Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| BW (lbs) | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | < 1 | 5 | 31 | 68 | 110 |
| 120 | < 1 | 7 | 33 | 68 | 108 |
| 130 | < 1 | 8 | 34 | 67 | 106 |
| 140 | < 1 | 9 | 34 | 67 | 104 |
| 150 | < 1 | 10 | 35 | 66 | 102 |
| 160 | < 1 | 11 | 35 | 65 | 99 |
| 170 | < 1 | 11 | 35 | 64 | 97 |
| 180 | < 1 | 12 | 35 | 63 | 95 |
| 190 | < 1 | 12 | 35 | 62 | 93 |
| 200 | < 1 | 13 | 35 | 61 | 91 |
| 210 | < 1 | 13 | 34 | 60 | 89 |
| 220 | < 1 | 13 | 34 | 59 | 87 |
| 230 | < 1 | 13 | 34 | 58 | 86 |
| 240 | < 1 | 13 | 33 | 57 | 84 |
| 250 | < 1 | 13 | 33 | 56 | 82 |
| 260 | < 1 | 13 | 33 | 55 | 81 |
| 270 | < 1 | 13 | 32 | 55 | 79 |
| 280 | < 1 | 13 | 32 | 54 | 78 |
| 290 | < 1 | 13 | 31 | 53 | 76 |
| 300 | < 1 | 13 | 31 | 52 | 75 |
| 310 | < 1 | 13 | 30 | 51 | 73 |
| 90 | < 1 | 2 | 24 | 54 | 88 |
| 100 | < 1 | 4 | 25 | 53 | 86 |
| 110 | < 1 | 6 | 26 | 53 | 84 |
| 120 | < 1 | 7 | 27 | 52 | 81 |
| 130 | < 1 | 8 | 27 | 52 | 79 |
| 140 | < 1 | 8 | 27 | 51 | 77 |
| 150 | < 1 | 9 | 27 | 50 | 75 |
| 160 | < 1 | 9 | 27 | 49 | 73 |
| 170 | < 1 | 9 | 26 | 48 | 71 |
| 180 | < 1 | 9 | 26 | 46 | 69 |
| 190 | < 1 | 9 | 26 | 45 | 67 |
| 200 | < 1 | 9 | 25 | 44 | 66 |
| 210 | < 1 | 9 | 25 | 43 | 64 |
| 220 | < 1 | 9 | 24 | 42 | 62 |
| 230 | < 1 | 9 | 24 | 41 | 61 |
| 240 | < 1 | 9 | 23 | 40 | 59 |
| 250 | < 1 | 9 | 23 | 40 | 58 |
| 260 | < 1 | 9 | 22 | 39 | 56 |
Is Your Scissor Kicks Good?
A quick read on what counts as a good Scissor Kicks at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.
Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Scissor Kicks is about 35 reps. Advanced lifters hit 63 reps, and Elite is 95 reps.
Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Scissor Kicks is about 27 reps. Advanced lifters hit 51 reps, and Elite is 77 reps.
Scissor Kicks Rep Targets by Bodyweight and Age
Men: a 180 lb male should do about 35 reps at an Intermediate level.
Women: a 140 lb female should do about 27 reps at an Intermediate level.
By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter does about 35 reps, and a 220 lb lifter does about 34 reps at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.
By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male does about 35 reps, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 28 reps. See the By Age tab for every age band.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How Does Age Affect Scissor Kicks Strength?
How Scissor Kicks standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | < 1 | 5 | 25 | 53 | 84 |
| 20 | < 1 | 9 | 33 | 65 | 100 |
| 25 | < 1 | 10 | 35 | 67 | 104 |
| 30 | < 1 | 10 | 35 | 67 | 104 |
| 35 | < 1 | 10 | 35 | 67 | 104 |
| 40 | < 1 | 10 | 35 | 67 | 104 |
| 45 | < 1 | 8 | 32 | 62 | 97 |
| 50 | < 1 | 6 | 28 | 57 | 89 |
| 55 | < 1 | 4 | 24 | 50 | 80 |
| 60 | < 1 | 1 | 19 | 43 | 71 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | 14 | 36 | 61 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 29 | 52 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 23 | 43 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 18 | 35 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 13 | 29 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 23 |
| 15 | < 1 | 1 | 19 | 41 | 67 |
| 20 | < 1 | 6 | 25 | 51 | 80 |
| 25 | < 1 | 7 | 27 | 53 | 83 |
| 30 | < 1 | 7 | 27 | 53 | 83 |
| 35 | < 1 | 7 | 27 | 53 | 83 |
| 40 | < 1 | 7 | 27 | 53 | 83 |
| 45 | < 1 | 5 | 24 | 49 | 77 |
| 50 | < 1 | 3 | 21 | 44 | 71 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 17 | 39 | 63 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 13 | 33 | 55 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 27 | 47 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 21 | 39 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | 2 | 16 | 32 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 11 | 25 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 20 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 15 |
What Do Scissor Kicks Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement on the Scissor Kicks, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Scissor Kicks with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Scissor Kicks is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Scissor Kicks through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Scissor Kicks strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.
How to Progress Your Scissor Kicks
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Scissor Kicks to the next level.
- Train the Scissor Kicks 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
- Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
- Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
- Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
- Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Scissor Kicks.
- Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
- Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
- Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
- Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Scissor Kicks plateaus.
- Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
- Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
- Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
- Maximize Scissor Kicks strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
- Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
- Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
- Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
How to Perform Scissor Kicks
- Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat with your legs fully extended and your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
- Engage your core by drawing your belly button towards your spine.
- Lift both legs about 6 inches off the ground while keeping your lower back pressed into the mat.
- Begin the movement by lifting your right leg higher towards the ceiling while lowering your left leg closer to the ground, but without touching it.
- Alternate the position of your legs in a controlled, scissor-like motion by lowering your right leg and lifting your left leg.
- Continue to alternate legs for the desired number of repetitions or duration, maintaining core engagement throughout the exercise.
- Remember to breathe steadily throughout the movement, exhaling as you lift each leg and inhaling as you switch.
Tips for Scissor Kicks
- Keep your lower back pressed into the mat to prevent strain.
- Move your legs in a controlled manner to maintain tension on the abdominals.
- Avoid holding your breath; maintain a steady breathing pattern.
- If you experience lower back discomfort, place your hands under your glutes for support.
Where Do These Scissor Kicks Standards Come From?
FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.
Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026
Is Your Scissor Kicks Good for Your Weight?
Use this page to compare your Scissor Kicks against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:
- Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
- Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
- Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
- Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.
If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Scissor Kicks 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.
The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
