Tony Horton’s Ultimate Exercise For Whipping Your Core Into Shape

Annebaek, Getty Images

Can’t bear to do one more crunch or plank? Shake up your abs routine (literally) with the flutter kick, a core-rocking move from P90X creator Tony Horton.

The move is a part of his new DVD workout program, 22-Minute Hard Corps, which is basically all of the muscle-quaking, sweat-dripping power that the P90X franchise is famous for in just—you guessed it—22 minutes. “Hard Corps is designed to get as much muscle recruitment as possible [in every move],” Horton tells SELF. “You’re always working more than just one thing.” Plus, you can do it at home—no actual drill sergeant required.

In 22-Minute Hard Corps, you alternate between cardio, resistance, and core-focused workouts—and the flutter kick is just one of the featured moves. It’s all about strengthening those abs, Horton explains. “I like the flutter kick because if you’re doing it properly, your upper abs are engaged because your shoulders and head are off the floor, and the movement of going up and down activates the lower abs, too,” he says. (The move is similar to a scissor kick, if you’re familiar with that exercise, but Horton puts his own spin on it.)

Ready to try it? Work it into your regular routine or try the full eight-week boot camp (available for $40 on beachbody.com).

Abs Exercise: Flutter Kicks

Graphic by Valerie Fischel

• Lie on your back with your palms flat on the ground and placed under your butt.
• Lift your shoulders and upper torso off the ground and lift your legs so they’re hovering above the ground a few inches.
• Begin to flutter kick your feet up (as shown), like you’re walking up to the sky. After four counts, your legs should be up, so your body’s in an L-shape. That’s 1 rep.
• Reverse the movement and flutter kick your feet down for four counts so your feet are hovering a few inches off the floor. That’s another rep.
• Do 22 reps (just like in 22-Minute Hard Corps).

Hard Corps…hard cores. 

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