Core · Bodyweight
Lying Obliques Scissors
How to do the lying obliques scissors, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with your legs extended and hands at your sides or under your lower back for support. Lift both legs slightly off the floor and cross them over each other in a scissoring motion, opening and closing while keeping your lower back pressed down. Move with control to keep tension on your obliques and lower abs.
- 1Feel your obliques and lower abs working to control the leg crossover
- 2Keep your lower back pressed flat into the floor
- 3Breathe steadily and keep the legs moving smoothly
Common mistakes
- Don't let your lower back arch off the floor
- Avoid holding your breath or rushing the scissors
- Don't drop the legs too low if it strains your back
Muscles worked
The lying obliques scissors mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the hip flexors, upper abs, quads, and adductors assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the lying obliques scissors for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.