Bodyweight Donkey Kick
The donkey kick is a beginner-friendly glute exercise performed on all fours, kicking one leg up toward the ceiling while keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees. It isolates the gluteus maximus with zero spinal load.
How to Perform
Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Keep your right knee bent at 90 degrees and drive your heel toward the ceiling.
Squeeze the glute hard at the top — your thigh should be parallel to the floor.
Lower with control and repeat for all reps before switching sides.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Arching the lower back to kick higher, which puts stress on the lumbar spine.
Swinging the leg with momentum instead of using a controlled glute contraction.
Not achieving full hip extension, missing peak glute activation.
Muscle Activation
Variations
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