Core · Bodyweight
Advanced Scissors
How to do the advanced scissors, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with your legs extended and lifted a few inches off the floor, hands tucked under your lower back or at your sides. Cross one leg over the other in a continuous scissoring motion, keeping your legs low and your lower back pressed down throughout.
- 1Constant tension in your lower abs holding the legs up
- 2Your lower back pressed flat into the floor
- 3A steady, controlled scissor rather than fast kicks
Common mistakes
- Letting your lower back arch off the floor
- Holding your breath as you scissor
- Raising the legs too high so the abs go slack
Muscles worked
The advanced scissors mainly works the lower abs and hip flexors, with the upper abs, obliques, quads, and adductors assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the advanced 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.