Donkey Kicks (Glute Kickbacks): How to Do It, Muscles Worked & Benefits

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Donkey kicks are done on all fours: you kick one leg back and up while keeping the knee bent. They isolate the glutes and are a favorite in home and women's lower-body routines, especially with a resistance band.

What is the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks)?

Donkey kicks are done on all fours: you kick one leg back and up while keeping the knee bent. They isolate the glutes and are a favorite in home and women's lower-body routines, especially with a resistance band.

The donkey kicks (glute kickbacks) is beginner-friendly and a compound movement. Compound exercises use several joints and muscle groups at once, so they let you move more weight, burn more energy and build functional strength in less time. You can do it at home with no or minimal equipment, which makes it easy to fit into almost any routine.

Muscles worked

The main muscles trained by the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks) are the glutes, with help from the hamstrings.

Glutes (primary)

The glutes (gluteus maximus, medius and minimus) are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. They extend and rotate the hip, power sprinting and jumping, support the lower back and shape the hips.

Hamstrings (secondary)

The hamstrings run down the back of the thigh. They bend the knee and extend the hip. Strong hamstrings protect the knees and balance out the quads.

How to do the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks): step by step

1. Kneel on the floor or an exercise mat and bend at the waist with your arms extended in front of you (perpendicular to the torso) in order to get into a kneeling push-up position but with the arms spaced at shoulder width. Your head should be looking forward and the bend of the knees should create a 90-degree angle between the hamstrings and the calves. This will be your starting position.
2. As you exhale, lift up your right leg until the hamstrings are in line with the back while maintaining the 90-degree angle bend. Contract the glutes throughout this movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second. Tip: At the end of the movement the upper leg should be parallel to the floor while the calf should be perpendicular to it.
3. Go back to the initial position as you inhale and now repeat with the left leg.
4. Continue to alternate legs until all of the recommended repetitions have been performed.

Benefits of the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks)

• Isolates the glutes
• Needs no equipment
• Good warm-up and finisher
• Low impact

Like all resistance training, the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks) also contributes to the general health benefits of strength work: stronger bones, better blood-sugar control, improved mood and a higher resting metabolism over time. The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups on two or more days per week for adults.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arching the lower back to lift the leg higher
• Swinging the leg with momentum
• Rotating the hips open
• Rushing

Most of these mistakes happen when the weight is too heavy or when you rush. Film one set from the side with your phone. It is the fastest way to spot form problems without a coach.

Form tips from a trainer

• Keep the back flat like a table
• Kick the heel toward the ceiling
• Squeeze the glute for 1 second at the top
• Add ankle weights or a band to progress

How to breathe

Breathe in as you lower the weight or your body (the easier phase) and breathe out as you push. For heavy sets, take a big breath into your belly before the rep, brace your core, and breathe out near the end of the push.

Sets and reps by fitness level

Choose a load or variation where the last 1–3 reps of each set feel hard but your form stays clean. When you can do the top of the rep range for every set, make it harder: add weight, add reps, slow the tempo or move to a harder variation. This is called progressive overload, and it is the main driver of strength and muscle gains.

Easier and harder variations

Donkey Kicks (Glute Kickbacks) for men and women

The technique of the donkey kicks (glute kickbacks) is the same for men and women. The difference is in programming. Men often aim for more upper-body size and use heavier loads with lower reps, while many women prefer more lower-body and glute volume and moderate loads with higher reps. Both approaches work. Muscle responds to effort and progressive overload regardless of gender, and women typically recover a little faster between sets.

You will find this exercise in these HelloMyTrainer programs:

• Women's Home Workout for Beginners (No Equipment)
• Women's Intermediate Home Workout (Glutes, Toning & Strength)
• Advanced Home Workout for Women (Glute Builder + HIIT)
• Women's Intermediate Gym Program (4-Day Glute & Toning Split)
• Advanced Gym Program for Women (5-Day Glute & Strength Split)

Safety tips

• Warm up for 5–10 minutes before your first working set: light cardio plus a few easy reps.
• Stop immediately if you feel sharp, stabbing or joint pain. Muscle burn is normal; pain is not.
• If you have an injury, are pregnant, or have a heart, blood-pressure or joint condition, ask your doctor or a physical therapist before doing this exercise.
• Make sure benches, chairs, steps and bars are stable and can hold your weight.

Frequently asked questions

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Exercise images: public-domain photos from the open-source Free Exercise DB project. Last reviewed: October 2026.