Scissor (Advanced)
The advanced scissor lowers both straight legs close to the floor and crosses them over each other in small, controlled sweeps while the lower back stays glued to the mat. The low leg angle multiplies the lever the abs must control, making this one of the tougher floor-based tests of deep trunk endurance. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets x 10-15 sec at your lowest controlled leg height | 90 sec - 2 min |
| Muscle | 3 sets x 20-30 sec of continuous crossing | 60-90 sec |
| Endurance | 2-3 sets x 40-60 sec at a moderate leg height | 30-45 sec |
Level — Advanced
Advanced — earn it through regular scissors first; leg height is the honest difficulty dial.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Lie on your back, press the lower back into the mat, and hover both straight legs 15 to 20 centimetres up.
- Place the hands beside the hips or under the tailbone for support.
- Cross one ankle over the other, then reverse — small, quick, controlled sweeps.
- Keep the toes long and the knees locked throughout the crossing pattern.
- The instant the lower back peels off the mat, raise the legs higher or end the set.
Breathing: Rhythmic and continuous — exhale across several crosses, inhale across the next few, never holding.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
Common questions
What makes the advanced scissor harder than regular scissors?
Leg height. Every centimetre closer to the floor lengthens the lever arm your abs must anchor against, and the crossing pattern adds a small rotational wobble the deep trunk muscles have to cancel continuously. The movement looks nearly identical; the demand on the abdominal wall roughly follows how low you dare to hold the legs with a flat back.
My lower back arches during scissors — what do I do?
Raise the legs. The arch means the abs can no longer hold the pelvis at that leg angle, so the spine has taken over — continuing there trains the wrong tissue. Hover the legs higher, shorten the sets, and slide your hands under the tailbone for feedback: the moment the back lifts off your fingers, that is your current limit.
How long should I be able to hold the advanced scissor?
A useful benchmark is 30 continuous seconds at a leg height where your lower back never leaves the mat. Reaching 45 to 60 seconds with the legs genuinely low puts you in strong company. Chase the quality markers — flat back, locked knees, even rhythm — before chasing the clock, because 20 honest seconds beat a minute of arched-back swinging.
Related exercises
Easier: Scissors
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