Ab Skips

Ab Skips are a dynamic, plyometric core exercise that combines a skipping rhythm with high knee drives to target the lower abdominals and hip flexors. This bodyweight movement improves coordination and cardiovascular endurance while building functional core strength.

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium categorizes this as a dynamic plyometric exercise and scans your 7-day workout history to ensure your hip flexors have sufficiently recovered from recent heavy leg training. Because the load is fixed to your body weight, the system relies on your RPE and repetition trends to detect when you need higher volume to maintain an effective stimulus. If your recovery score indicates high systemic fatigue, Iridium may swap this explosive movement for a lower-impact core stability exercise.

Form Cues

Do
  • Drive your knee explosively toward your chest using your lower abs
  • Land softly on the balls of your feet
  • Keep your chest tall and shoulders relaxed
  • Swing your arms in opposition to your legs for rhythm
  • Maintain a consistent, bouncy cadence
Don't
  • Don't lean backward to get your knee higher
  • Don't land flat-footed or heavily on your heels
  • Don't round your upper back or hunch forward
  • Don't let your core disengage between skips

Common Mistakes

  • Leaning back excessively
  • Heavy, high-impact landing
  • Passive core engagement
  • Lack of arm coordination
  • Holding breath

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets the rectus abdominis and hip flexors, which must fire rapidly to drive the knees upward against gravity. The movement also heavily recruits the calves and quadriceps for propulsion and landing absorption, while the obliques stabilize the torso during the unilateral leg action.

Primary

General Core

Secondary

Hip Flexors

Get Personalized Coaching for Ab Skips

Don't guess your way through weights or workouts. Download Iridium for automatic, AI-powered coaching that adapts to your recovery and goals.