10 Best Flutter Kicks Alternatives for Ab Strength
Flutter Kicks are done lying on your back. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Half Sit-up, the Quarter Sit-up and the Sit-up. Six harder versions, among them the Cross Body Crunch and the Reverse Crunch, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.
Most of these swaps ask for nothing more than the floor Flutter Kicks already use; the Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise is the one that wants a bench, and the Sit-up wants your feet pinned under something solid. The Half Sit-up is the first one to try: you lie on the same floor, bend your knees, plant your feet, and curl your upper body to about 45 degrees, so the abs do the work without your legs held in the air. A twist through the trunk brings in the obliques for more work from the sides.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Flutter Kicks
- Primary muscle
- Abs
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
Secondary muscles: Hip Flexors, Lower Abs
How to perform Flutter Kicks
- Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your hands by your sides.
- Engage your core and lift your legs off the ground about 6 inches.
- Keeping your legs straight, alternate lifting one leg slightly higher than the other.
- Continue this fluttering motion for the desired number of repetitions.
Ranked Flutter Kicks Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Flutter Kicks on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.
Best match 1. Half Sit-up
92% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
It uses the same equipment and still works the abs.
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
2. Cross Body Crunch
93% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the abs.
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground and twist to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
3. Quarter Sit-up
92% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
4. Reverse Crunch
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your arms extended along your sides.
- Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, bringing your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
- Contract your abs and curl your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
5. Sit-up
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie down on the floor placing your feet either under something that will not move or by having a partner hold them. Your legs should be bent at the knees.
- Place your hands behind your head and lock them together by clasping your fingers. This is the starting position.
- Elevate your upper body so that it creates an imaginary V-shape with your thighs. Breathe out when performing this part of the exercise.
- Once you feel the contraction for a second, lower your upper body back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
6. Crunch (Hands Overhead)
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your arms straight above your head.
- Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward towards your knees.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
7. Crunch Floor
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
- Engage your abs and lift your shoulders off the ground, curling forward towards your knees.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
8. Flat Bench Leg Pull-in
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie on an exercise mat or a flat bench with your legs off the end.
- Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench (or with palms down by the side on an exercise mat). Also extend your legs straight out. This will be your starting position.
- Bend your knees and pull your upper thighs into your midsection as you breathe out. Continue this movement until your knees are near your chest. Hold the contracted position for a second.
- As you breathe in, slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
9. Arms Overhead Full Sit-up
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Extend your arms overhead, keeping them straight.
- Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is upright.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Progression
10. Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise
88% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Isolation
How to perform this exercise
- Lie with your back flat on a bench and your legs extended in front of you off the end.
- Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench. This will be your starting position.
- As you keep your legs extended, straight as possible with your knees slightly bent but locked raise your legs until they make a 90-degree angle with the floor. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second.
- Now, as you inhale, slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Flutter Kicks
- Body position: lying on your back, the same as Flutter Kicks
Why You Might Need a Flutter Kicks Alternative
Flutter Kicks hold both legs off the floor while you alternate a small kick, and that steady hold leans on the hip flexors as much as it does the abs. If your lower back tires before the abs feel worked, or the hip flexors take over the set, a shorter curl through a smaller range keeps the effort where you want it. None of them adds weight, so the choice comes down to how far you want to curl, whether you want the legs or the trunk doing the lifting, and whether you have a bench for the leg raise. All of them start lying on your back: most curl the trunk up, one adds a twist, and three lift the legs or hips instead.
How to Choose the Right Flutter Kicks Substitute
Start with the Half Sit-up: you lie on the same floor as Flutter Kicks, only with knees bent and feet flat, and curl your upper body to 45 degrees instead of holding your legs up, so nothing new is needed. The Quarter Sit-up and the Crunch Floor are the same floor curl with hands behind your head, the Reverse Crunch flips it round and curls your hips up with feet in the air, and the Sit-up takes the curl to a V once you have something to hook your feet under. The Arms Overhead Full Sit-up curls you all the way to upright with arms held straight overhead, making every rep longer than the half version, and the Crunch (Hands Overhead) and the Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise are worth moving to once those feel too easy.
Flutter Kicks FAQ
Do I need any equipment for Flutter Kicks alternatives?
Mostly no. Flutter Kicks, the Half Sit-up, the Quarter Sit-up, the Cross Body Crunch, the Reverse Crunch and the Crunch Floor need nothing but a patch of floor. The Sit-up asks you to wedge your feet under something solid or have a partner hold them, and the Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise needs a bench to lie on with your legs hanging off the end.
Which Flutter Kicks alternative suits an absolute beginner?
The Quarter Sit-up and the Crunch Floor are the simplest place to start, since each one is a short curl of the upper body with your knees bent and feet flat. The Reverse Crunch is just as easy to set up but works from the other end, lifting your feet and curling your hips off the floor with your knees bent. Lie on your back, hands behind your head, and curl through a range you control before adding anything harder.
How do I make a Flutter Kicks alternative harder?
Move up to the Cross Body Crunch, which twists each elbow towards the opposite knee on the way up so the obliques join the abs. The Arms Overhead Full Sit-up, the Crunch (Hands Overhead) and the Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise sit a step above the basic curl, so try them once the simpler options stop feeling like work.
Why would I swap out Flutter Kicks in the first place?
Flutter Kicks hold both legs off the floor and alternate a small kick, which leans on the hip flexors as much as the abs, and some lifters would rather put that effort into a shorter curl instead. The Half Sit-up and the Quarter Sit-up trade the leg hold for a curl, so the abs pick up more of the load.
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