Who here has ever tried a glute kickback? 🙋 I’m sure every single woman who is even somewhat remotely into fitness has tried at some point in their lives a glute kickback or straight leg kickback. These exercises are some of the most popular exercises I see done by women at the gym. However, they are also some of the most common exercises I see done incorrectly at the gym. I cringe every time I see a woman swinging her leg up as high and fast as she can without realizing how much strain she is putting on her arched back.
Years of Fitness Influencers showing these exercises the wrong way, because it is more flattering, makes their butt look good (the shade lol) or they just don’t know the proper form themselves, have taught millions of women incorrect form. Yes, the right way might not grab the attention of your gym crush but in the long run, your glutes and your back will be thanking you. This movement is not about getting your leg up as high as possible, it’s about slowing down and really feeling the contraction of your glute.
The wrong way to do glute kickbacks and straight leg kickbacks are 1.) Not as effective and 2.) Can lead to injury. The wrong way is not as effective because it involves using momentum to swing your leg up and down. The correct way to do any type of kickback is to use your muscles to control the movement and focus on the contraction of the glute. The wrong way to do these exercises can lead to back problems. Excessively arching your back while swinging your leg up puts a lot of pressure and strain on your lower spine, which over time can lead to serious back issues.
Here are some basic instructions, do’s, and don’ts for glute kickbacks and straight leg kickbacks. For a video demonstrating the wrong way (my back still hurts from this lol) and the right way to do each exercise check out my Instagram or TikTok post.
Glute Kickbacks: Do This Not That
| Do This | Not That |
| Keep your back straight and your core tight. | Arch your back and not engage your core |
| Have a slow controlled movement with a pause to contract at the top of the movement. | Swing your leg and use momentum to complete the movement |
| Keep your head in a neutral position so your neck is in line with the rest of your spine. You should be looking down not up. | Look up |
| Flex your foot. The sole of your foot should be facing the ceiling at the top of the movement. | Point your toe |
| Keep your hips parallel to the ground. | Lift one hip up (or having one hip significantly higher than the other hip). |
Glute Kickbacks: Instructions
1. Get on all fours, without arching your back, keeping your head in a neutral position and core muscles engaged.
2. Keeping your knee and ankle flexed, kick one leg back and up. This movement should be done by moving your hip not your knee. The sole of your foot should be facing the ceiling at the top of the exercise.
3. Contract your glute at the top and hold for a second. Make sure you are not swinging the leg up or down. This is an exercise about using your strength and muscles to control the movement, not momentum. Really focus on a slow and controlled movement especially on the way down.
4. Return to the starting position without resting your knee on the ground. Do 12 to 20 repetitions, then switch sides. Do three to four sets.
Bonus points: Add some resistance with ankle weights. Or if you don’t have any ankle weights, just use a dumbbell by placing it behind your knee and tighten by squeezing your calf to your hamstring to keep the weight in place.
Straight Leg Kickbacks
What about the sister to the glute kickback the straight leg kickback? The straight leg kickback is a very similar exercise to the glute kickback but instead of a bent leg, your leg is straight the entire time. Because of these similarities between these two exercises, the straight leg kickback is also often done incorrectly with similar common mistakes done in both exercises.
Straight Leg Kickbacks: Do This Not That
| Do This | Not That |
| Keep your leg straight and your core tight | Bend your leg |
| Have a slow controlled movement with a pause to contract at the top of the movement | Swing your leg and use momentum to complete the movement |
| Keep your head in a neutral position so your neck is in line with the rest of your spine. You should be looking down not up. | Look up |
| Keep your back straight and your core tight | Arch your back and not engage your core |
| Keep your hips parallel to the ground | Lift one hip up (or having one hip significantly higher than the other hip) |
Straight Leg Kickbacks: Instructions
1. Start in the same position as the glute kickback, on all fours, without arching your back, keeping your head in a neutral position and core muscles engaged.
2. Keeping your leg straight kick one leg back and up. This movement should be done by moving your hip not your knee. Your thigh should be parallel to the floor. (If you are very flexible you can get your leg higher but only while maintaining form, not arching your back and/or swinging your leg).
3. Contract your glute at the top and hold for a second.
4. Return to the starting position without resting your foot on the ground. Do 12 to 20 repetitions, then switch sides. Do three to four sets.
Bonus points: Again adding weight can increase the difficulty and effectiveness of this exercise. Dumbbells do not work for this particular exercise but ankle weights work perfectly!
The majority of these tips like: don’t arch your back, keep your core engaged, head in a neutral position, and don’t swing your leg, can be applied to any kickback. Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section and don’t forget to check out my Instagram post for a video demonstration of each exercise.
