How to do donkey kicks and grow your glutes

If you want to strengthen and tone your legs without weights, the donkey kick is a useful lower body move that isolates the gluteal muscles. Far beyond just an aesthetic purpose, strong gluteal muscles support the spine, prevent injury, and make it easier to lift heavier weights and run faster.

But how do you do this move that sounds a bit odd, and what’s the best variation of the donkey kick to work your butt?

Like the bear’s crawl and the bird’s dog, the donkey kick is named for the action of kicking the foot backwards. This exercise is performed on all fours and the hip hinges target the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the buttocks and extends and externally rotates the hip joint, allowing it to perform everyday tasks such as climbing stairs. The gluteus medius lies below the gluteus maximus and not only helps rotate the hip joint but also stabilizes the pelvis.

The donkey kick not only works your glutes, but it also targets the tight hip flexors of those who spend a lot of time sitting. More muscles are here. best exercises for sitting all day. It’s also a workout, as you need to engage your abs to stabilize your body when kicking, and use your arms to hold your core during the movement.

How to do a donkey kick

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Let’s start by looking at how to do a donkey kick with proper form.

Get on all fours with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
Make sure your back is flat. Think about strengthening your core to keep your lower back from arching.
Strengthen your core and lift your legs toward the ceiling, keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees. Be careful not to raise your legs too high. The lower back should not be arched or twisted.
Engage your upper glutes before returning to the starting position, but don’t let your knees return to the floor.
That’s one rep. Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching to the other leg.

The most common mistake people make when practicing the donkey kick exercise is overmoving the spine. Don’t focus on how high you lift your leg. Movements should be small and controlled.

Image of a woman doing a donkey kick for a resistance band

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

5 Donkey Kick Variations for Strong Glute Muscles:

If you want to mix and match, here are some variations of the donkey kick you can add to your next lower body workout.

1. Resistance Band Donkey Kick

Elo of a woman doing a donkey kick for a resistance band

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

This variation requires either: best resistance bands:

Place a small loop resistance band on your thigh above your knee. Alternatively, hold one end of a long resistance band in either hand and wrap the other end around one leg.
Get on all fours and place your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Squeeze your core and kick your leg back, keeping your knee bent, until your knee is in line with your hip.
Bend your legs and push them up toward the ceiling. Resistance bands make this even more difficult.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.

2. Weighted Donkey Kick

Male iro doing a weighted donkey kick

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

For this variation you will need lightweight dumbbells ( best adjustable dumbbells here) or a set of best ankle weights:

If you are using dumbbells, place a light dumbbell behind your knee and grip the dumbbell with your legs bent. If you have a set of ankle weights, strap one to each ankle.
Get on all fours and place your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Squeeze your core and kick your leg back, keeping your knee bent, until your knee is in line with your hip.
Bend your legs and push them up toward the ceiling. Extra weight behind your knees or pinned to your ankles makes this more difficult.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching your weight to the other side.

3. Straight leg donkey kick

Female iro doing a straight leg donkey kick

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Again, on all fours, place your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Engage your core and kick your legs back and forth until they are in line with your hips.
Now place the point on your toes and pulse your feet toward the ceiling. You should feel this movement in the back of your leg.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching your weight to the other side.

4. Standing Donkey Kick

Elo of a woman doing butt kickback while standing

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Standing donkey kicks or standing glute kickbacks are great when you’re short on floor space.

Start by standing on an exercise mat with your feet hip-width apart.
Squeeze your core and shift your weight to your right leg.
Raise your left leg out and back, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Lower your foot to the ground, tap your toe, and then lift your foot up again.
Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other side.

This variation can be made more difficult by adding resistance bands or weights.

5. Donkey Kick Pulse

How to do a donkey kick

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Again, on all fours, place your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Squeeze your core and kick your leg back, keeping your knee bent, until your knee is in line with your hip.
From here, bend your leg and pulse it toward the ceiling. Instead of pushing your knees up and down with your hips, keep moving a few inches up and down quickly as you lift from your glutes.
Lower your hips to the starting position and switch to the other side.

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