Perfect belly with one exercise: how to do “Scissors” correctly for better abs

All fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts know effective exercises for the abdominal muscles. However, constantly doing the same crunches can be a bit monotonous and boring. In addition, your muscles will quickly get used to and adapt to the same exercises; over time, they will no longer respond so effectively to the load and their growth will slow down.

To avoid this, you need to use a variety of ways to work your abdominal muscles. An exercise for the press such as “scissors”, which is familiar to us from physical education classes at school, is well suited for this. The exercise is quite simple, but extremely effective for developing strength and definition of the abdominal muscles.

This material will discuss the technique of the “scissors” exercise, the muscles involved in the movement, its advantages and useful properties, as well as tips for implementation.

General characteristics of the exercise

The scissors training exercise is designed to work the muscle mass of the legs and abdomen. The most problematic area of the press is its lower section (see exercises for the lower press). With this type of training, you will pump up not only your abdominal muscles and lower limbs, but also many auxiliary muscles. Systematic training will help you achieve a slimmer waist, eliminate fat deposits and tighten your hips.

What muscles work?

Despite its simplicity, the “Scissors” exercise affects the entire rectus abdominis muscle, and especially its lower section, which is so difficult to work with other movements. The transverse and oblique muscles, which are responsible for a beautiful waist and posture, as well as the leg muscles are also involved.

In terms of their effect, “Scissors” are similar to “Bicycle”, and although a little less effective, they are suitable for absolutely everyone, from children to adults, and do not put any strain on the back.

Benefits of Exercise

The main advantages of this type of training are:

Scissor exercise, like any other type of training, enriches the body with oxygen, nourishes tissues and improves the functionality of the cardiovascular system. These processes occur especially actively in the abdominal muscles.
When performing scissors, the main load is placed on the lower abdomen, but at the same time the auxiliary muscles of the abs and legs are also tightened.
The exercise uses the back and front muscles of the thighs. This contributes to the formation of a “gap” in the area of the inner femur.
Regular 10-minute workouts help burn up to 100 kcal and form a thin waist.
The exercise strengthens the back muscles and is restorative after injuries and fractures (for example, the femoral neck), as the muscles that are responsible for running and walking are worked out.
This type of training can be performed by people of different age groups, even after suffering a back injury or surgery. It is prescribed as postoperative therapy. Scissors are useful for women after childbirth, as this can help get rid of stretch marks (the skin will become elastic and firm).
Training does not require special sports equipment and does not require a large room. The movements are simple, so physically unprepared people can do them.
Training can be done 2-3 times a week.

Exercise “Scissors” for perfect legs: 4 levels of difficulty

We will talk about the all-familiar “Scissors” exercise. About its value, advantages, implementation procedure, as well as “fine points”. Follow our instructions, achieve your goal, stick to a proper diet - and you are guaranteed a flat stomach, toned thighs and buttocks, general vigor and a great mood

Pros and fitness enthusiasts have a lot of tricks in their arsenal to quickly and effectively tighten their abdominal muscles. However, swinging on exercise machines, sometimes from the same angles and under repeated loads, often becomes boring not only for us, but also for our “abs”. In addition, they are contraindicated for some back injuries.

Technique and general rules of execution

Let's consider the main option for performing scissor training:

Lie down on the floor.
Place your hands under your buttocks or rest on the floor - this will reduce the load on your lower back and help you maintain your balance.
The surface must be hard.
Raise your straightened legs up, approximately 20 cm from the surface.
Start swinging your legs in different directions (left limb to the right, and right limb to the left), and then swing in the opposite direction.
The duration of the workout is 2 minutes, 3 sets, rest time is 30 seconds.

If during the exercise you feel a strong burning sensation in the lower abdomen, then you are doing everything right. Try to do 7-8 more leg swings, no matter how painful it is, this will help work the deep muscular areas of the abdomen and legs.

Rules and recommendations that must be taken into account during the training process:

do not move your body, only your legs work here;
do not raise your head and shoulders, as this increases the likelihood of injury;
do not bend your legs, pull your toes forward;
monitor your respiratory system;
start with minimal load, gradually increasing it;
do not make sudden movements.

How the technique of doing the exercise looks like – watch our video:

Tips for implementation

Since many novice athletes do not have sufficient strength in their abdominal muscles, the biggest difficulty in performing the exercise is maintaining the straight legs off the floor during the entire approach.

If this leads to the fact that the exercise cannot be performed with the correct technique, then the number of repetitions in the approach should be reduced. In addition, while your abdominal muscles are not strong enough, you can perform the movement while resting on your elbows, which will make the exercise easier.

Exercise options

There are several variations of the exercise for more experienced ones.

Keep your arms not pressed to the floor, but extended forward along the surface of the floor. As in the standard version of scissors, lift your extended legs up from the floor by about 15 cm. Then, as you exhale, lift each leg up in turn, without bending your knees, and smoothly lower it down as you exhale.
Add an element of static load to the standard version of the exercise, for which you increase the duration of holding your legs in a raised position or perform the exercise more slowly.
Also, to increase the intensity of the load, you can use additional weights in the form of special weights for the legs, which are put on the legs and secured with straps or Velcro. The weight of such weights varies; as a rule, weights weighing from 0.5 kg to 1.5 kg are used. The use of such weights will make the exercise even more difficult, which will certainly lead to an increase in its effectiveness.

Perform the scissor exercise regularly in combination with other abdominal exercises for best results. After about 2 months, you will see tangible results in the mirror that will definitely please you.

Benefits of exercise

Let's look at some of the beneficial properties of the exercise:

The “Scissors” exercise is excellent for maintaining the tone of the abdominal muscles and improving its relief.
It is one of the best exercises for working the lower abdomen (below the navel) - a rather problematic area for many. In addition, the entire muscle mass of the abdominal region is visually improved.
A fairly large number of muscles work, both in active and static loads. The thighs acquire beautiful shapes, namely their medial and lateral areas.
Systematic exercise helps narrow the waist and reduce fat deposits on it.
The exercise can be used by people who have suffered back diseases and injuries. It promotes speedy rehabilitation after fractures and strengthens the muscles that are involved in walking and running. Flexibility and mobility of the lower spine develops.
In addition, the exercise is well suited for postpartum exercises for women (preferably with the permission of a doctor, 1.5 months after birth).
The technique of performing the “scissors” exercise is simple, and can be performed even by people without sports training. You need to start with a small number of approaches and repetitions and gradually progress the load.
The exercise does not require a large space and can be performed at home and without any additional equipment.

The “Scissors” exercise can be considered one of the most effective exercises for the abdominal muscles (along with the “Bicycle” exercise) and is a complex movement, as a result of focusing the load on the entire range of muscles of the body.

Put these recommendations into practice, combine abdominal exercises with a proper diet, be consistent in achieving your goals and you can achieve excellent results. Success in sports!

Variations of the exercise

Many people believe that the scissors exercise is performed in only one style. But that's not true. There are many variations of this type of training:

Lightweight look. If the classic version of the workout is difficult for you, you can make the exercise easier. To do this, you need to raise the body. The support will be your arms bent at the elbow. The leg movements are identical.
Exercise lying on your stomach. The muscles of the buttocks and rear thigh are activated. In this form, the starting position is lying face down. Swing your legs in the same way.
Option with increased load. Sit on the floor with your legs straight. Lower your body back a little. Straighten your arms and lean on the surface. Raise your legs 20 cm above the surface and perform the exercise. It is important to keep your back straight, without allowing it to bend.
The movements can be performed crosswise or up and down. Also one of the effective scissors exercises is lying on a bench. The main thing is that the legs are in a suspended state.
The exercise can be done with weights. To do this, attach 1 kg dumbbells to your legs.

The exercise can be divided into several stages of loads and performed alternately:

The first stage is also the easiest. Legs must be raised to an angle of 90 degrees.
In the second stage, the lower limbs are raised 60 degrees.
At the third stage the angle is 30 degrees
At the final stage, the angle is 10 degrees. This option is difficult, so start your workout with minimal load.

There is another option for scissors - with your hands. Watch the technique for doing it in our video:

Common execution errors

The most common mistakes that athletes make when performing scissors:

raise your back from the surface, which can lead to spinal injury;
bend the knee joints and thereby reduce the load on the abdominal muscles;
They tear their heads off the floor, which is why they quickly lose strength.

The scissor exercise is a simple way to train your leg and abdominal muscles. It has a number of advantages and has no contraindications. If you do it correctly, you will quickly achieve your goal.