When it comes to strengthening and toning your legs without using weights, donkey kicks are a comfortable lower-body movement that isolates your glutes. More than just an aesthetic goal, strong glute muscles support your spine, help prevent injury, and make it easier to lift heavier weights and run faster.
But how do you do this slightly weird-sounding move, and what are the best donkey kick variations when it comes to sculpting your butt?
Like a bear crawling or a hound dog, the donkey kick gets its name from the move its namesake makes as it kicks its leg back. Do the exercise on all fours and the hinge in the hips means the movement targets the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the gluteal muscles and extends and externally rotates the hip joint, allowing you to do everyday things like climbing stairs. The gluteus medius sits below the gluteus maximus and also helps rotate the hip, but also works to stabilize the pelvis.
In addition to working the glutes, the donkey kick also targets the hip flexor muscles, which are commonly tense in people who spend a lot of time sitting – here are more of the the best exercises to do if you sit all day. You’ll also want to engage your abs to keep your body stable as you kick and your arms to support your core during the movement, so they get a workout too.
How to perform a donkey kick
Let’s start by taking a look at how to do a donkey kick with proper form:
- Start on all fours, with your knees tucked under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
- Make sure your back is flat: Think about engaging your core, to avoid any arching in your lower back.
- Engaging your core, maintain a 90-degree bend in the knee and lift your foot toward the ceiling. Make sure you don’t lift your leg too high—your lower back shouldn’t start to arch and your hips shouldn’t twist.
- Squeeze your glutes up, before returning to the starting position, but don’t drop your knee to the floor.
- This is a repeat. Complete all of your reps on one leg before switching to the other side.
The most common mistake people make when practicing the donkey kick exercise is excessive movement through the spine. Don’t focus on how high you lift your leg – the movement should be small and controlled.
5 variations of donkey kick to sculpt strong glutes:
If you’re looking to mix things up, here are some donkey kick variations to add to your next lower-body workout.
1. Resistance Band Donkey Kick
For this variation, you’ll need one of the best resistance bands:
- Place a small resistance band loop around your thighs, above your knees. Alternatively, hold one end of a long resistance band in both hands and wrap the other end around one foot.
- Begin on all fours, with your wrists stacked under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Engage your core and, maintaining the bend of the knee, kick the leg up and back, so that the knee is in line with the hip.
- Flex your foot and push it towards the ceiling – the resistance band will make it more challenging.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to starting position.
- Complete all of your reps on one leg before switching sides.
2. Weighted donkey kick
For this variation, you’ll need a light dumbbell (buy the best adjustable dumbbells here) or a set of best ankle weights:
- If you’re using a dumbbell, place a lighter dumbbell behind your knee, squeezing it with your bent leg for this exercise. If you have a set of ankle weights, strap one around each ankle.
- Begin on all fours, with your wrists stacked under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Engage your core and, maintaining the bend of the knee, kick the leg up and back, so that the knee is in line with the hip.
- Flex your foot and push it towards the ceiling – extra weight behind the knee or tied around the ankle will make it more challenging.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to starting position.
- Complete all repetitions on one leg before shifting weight to the opposite side.
3. Donkey kick with straight leg
- Again, start on all fours, with wrists stacked under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Engage your core and kick your leg forward and back, so the entire leg is in line with the hip.
- Keep a point in the toe this time and push the leg towards the ceiling – you should feel this movement up the back of the leg.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to starting position.
- Complete all repetitions on one leg before shifting weight to the opposite side.
4. Standing donkey kick
Standing donkey kicks or standing glute kickbacks are great if you’re short on floor space.
- Start by standing on the exercise mat, with your legs hip-width apart.
- Engage your core and shift your body weight to your right leg.
- Lift your left leg out and back behind you, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Lower your leg to the ground, touching your toes, before lifting your leg again.
- Complete all of your reps on one side before switching to the other.
This variation can be made more challenging by adding a resistance band or weights.
5. Donkey kick pulses
- Again, start on all fours, with wrists stacked under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Engage your core and, maintaining the bend of the knee, kick the leg up and back, so that the knee is in line with the hip.
- From here, flex your foot and push your leg up to the ceiling. Continue to rapidly pulse a few inches up and down, lifting off your buttocks, without pushing your knee up and down with your lower back.
- Lower your back to the starting position and switch to the opposite side.
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