The kneeling kick back, also known as a donkey kick, is a bodyweight glute isolation exercise performed on hands and knees, extending one bent leg back and up against gravity to build glute strength and hip control. It isolates the gluteus maximus through hip extension while the hands and opposite knee stay planted for stability, making it a common glute-activation and hypertrophy movement. Because it requires no equipment and limited range of motion, it is well suited to beginners and to warm-up sequences before heavier lower-body lifts.
Muscles Targeted
- Primary: Gluteus maximus
- Secondary: Hamstrings, erector spinae (as stabilizers)
- Tertiary: Core (transverse abdominis, obliques, for pelvic stability)
Starting Position
Get into a quadruped position on a mat with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your spine neutral and your core lightly braced. Lift one knee slightly off the ground, keeping it bent at roughly 90 degrees, so your foot points up and back - this is your starting position for each rep.
Execution Steps
- Brace your core and keep your hips square to the floor before moving
- Squeeze your glute and drive your bent knee back and up, keeping the 90-degree angle at the knee throughout
- Extend your hip until your thigh is roughly in line with your torso, without arching your lower back to gain extra height
- Pause briefly at the top, feeling a strong contraction in the glute of the working leg
- Lower the knee back down under control, stopping just short of touching the floor
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch to the other leg
Form Cues
- Keep hips square to the ground: Avoid letting the pelvis rotate open as the leg lifts
- Drive from the glute, not the lower back: The movement should stop well before your spine needs to arch
- Maintain the 90-degree knee bend: This keeps tension focused on the glute rather than the hamstring
- Move with control: Avoid using momentum to kick the leg upward
- Keep your neck neutral: Look down at the mat rather than craning your neck up
Common Mistakes
- Arching the lower back to lift higher: Shifts stress from the glute to the lumbar spine and raises injury risk. Stop the kick at the point where your hips start to rotate.
- Rotating the hips open: Reduces glute isolation and signals the range of motion has exceeded hip mobility. Keep the pelvis square throughout.
- Using momentum instead of control: Swinging the leg reduces muscle tension and effectiveness. Slow the tempo on both the lift and the lower.
- Letting the hamstring dominate: Straightening the knee during the kick shifts work to the hamstring. Keep the knee bent at 90 degrees.
- Rushing through reps: Fast, bouncy reps reduce time under tension. Pause and squeeze at the top of each rep.
Variations
- Resistance band kick back: Looping a band around the thighs or ankles adds resistance for more advanced trainees
- Straight-leg (donkey) kick back: Extending the knee fully targets the glute through a longer lever arm
- Ankle weight kick back: Adds external load without needing a cable or band setup
- Standing cable kick back: A standing, cable-loaded version that allows for progressive overload
- Fire hydrant: A complementary hip abduction movement from the same quadruped position, targeting the gluteus medius
Tips for Progression
- Add a resistance band around the thighs just above the knees for extra tension
- Add ankle weights once bodyweight reps feel too easy
- Increase reps toward 15-20 per leg before adding external resistance
- Slow the eccentric (lowering) phase to 2-3 seconds to increase time under tension
- Progress to a standing cable kickback for a station that allows heavier, progressive loading
Training Notes
Use kneeling kick backs 2-3 times per week as a glute activation exercise before compound lower-body lifts, or as a finisher for 12-15 reps per leg across 2-3 sets with 30-45 seconds of rest. Because the range of motion is small and the load is light, it pairs well in a circuit with other glute and hip exercises like glute bridges and fire hydrants.