Scissors (advanced)

Scissors (advanced): So führst du sie aus

1. 1Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs fully extended. Place your hands palms-down under your lower back or beside your hips for light support.
2. 2Press your lower back firmly into the floor by engaging your core before any movement begins.
3. 3Lift both legs a few inches off the floor, keeping them straight and together, so they hover just above the ground.
4. 4Slowly raise your right leg to roughly a 45° angle while simultaneously lowering your left leg as close to the floor as possible without letting it touch.
5. 5Reverse the movement with control, raising the left leg and lowering the right in a steady alternating scissors pattern.
6. 6Keep both legs as straight as possible throughout, squeezing your thighs and engaging your core on every repetition.
7. 7Breathe continuously — exhale as you lift each leg, inhale as you lower it — and resist the urge to hold your breath.
8. 8Continue alternating for the target number of reps or time, then lower both legs to the floor together in a controlled manner to finish the set.

Technik-Tipps

• Press your lower back into the floor for the entire set — if it lifts away, raise your foot height or reduce your range of motion until your core strength catches up.
• Move with a deliberate slow tempo (2–3 seconds per direction) to maximize time under tension and eliminate momentum from the movement.
• Keep your toes pointed and legs fully extended; softening the knees shortens the lever arm and makes each rep significantly easier.
• Fix your gaze at the ceiling rather than lifting your head, which keeps your neck neutral and prevents unnecessary tension in your cervical spine.
• Brace your core as if bracing for a punch at the start of each set and maintain that tension throughout — do not relax between reps.

Häufige Fehler

• Letting the lower back arch off the floor: this shifts the load away from the rectus abdominis and onto the hip flexors and lumbar spine, increasing injury risk and reducing core engagement.
• Bending the knees: shortening the lever arm makes the exercise substantially easier and reduces the demand on the gluteus medius, adductors, and abdominals.
• Using momentum and swinging the legs: rapid, uncontrolled movement removes tension from the target muscles and turns a strength drill into a cardio swing, negating the core stability benefit.
• Holding the breath: breath-holding spikes intra-abdominal pressure and causes compensatory muscle bracing that masks instability — breathe steadily throughout.
• Raising the legs too high on every rep: keeping the legs high throughout the movement reduces the challenge; the key is maintaining tension by hovering the lowering leg just above the floor.

Häufig gestellte Fragen