The kneeling glute kickback is a highly effective isolation exercise for strengthening and toning your glutes, helping to build a stronger and more shapely posterior.
How to do it
Kneel on the floor or an exercise mat with your arms extended down and your hands on the floor. Keep your back flat and parallel to the ground.
Movement: Keeping your knee bent, thrust one leg upward in a controlled motion. Extend your hip, contracting your glute muscles as you push your heel upwards. Focus on squeezing your glute at the top of the movement. Return your lifted leg to the starting position and repeat for the required reps, then switch legs.
Progression: Place a small dumbbell behind the knee of the leg you’re lifting to increase the resistance.
Form tips:
- Ensure you kick straight up with your heel to fully activate your glute muscles.
- Keep the foot of the leg you’re lifting flexed throughout the movement.
- Ensure the movement comes from your hip and glute, not from your lower back. Avoid excessive arching of the spine.
Targeted muscles
The kneeling glute kickback primarily targets the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle of the buttocks, making it highly effective for building and shaping the posterior. Several other muscles act as crucial stabilisers and synergists in the exercise to support the movement. These include the adductor magnus, which assists in hip extension, along with the erector spinae and obliques, which work to maintain core stability and prevent excessive movement in the torso. Additionally, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, located on the sides of the hips, play a significant role in stabilising the pelvis and assisting with hip abduction during the kickback motion.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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