Exercise guide · beginner
Donkey Single Leg Kick
The donkey single leg kick is a bodyweight glute exercise performed on all fours. By kicking one heel upward with the knee bent, it isolates the gluteus maximus and is commonly used as a glute activation exercise in warm-up and lower body routines.
- Equipment
- bodyweight
- Typical range
- 8–15 reps
- Also works
- hamstrings, back
01 · Set up
Set the listed equipment in a stable position and choose a resistance you can control through the full exercise.
Take the exercise-specific starting position, brace the non-working joints, and clear the movement path.
02 · Perform
Move through the exercise-specific path without borrowing momentum from the torso or adjacent joints.
Use the largest comfortable range you can control while keeping the resistance aligned.
Return deliberately to the starting position and reset before repeating.
Coaching tips
- Keep the non-working joints still.
- Use the full controlled range.
- Own the return phase.
Common mistakes
- Moving the torso to create momentum.
- Using resistance that shortens the range.
- Letting the resistance drop on the return.
What it should feel like
Expect the glutes to do most of the work, without sharp or joint-focused pain.
Stop or modify when
Stop or shorten the range for sharp, sudden, worsening, or joint-focused pain.
Reviewed alternatives