Can Donkey Kicks Grow Glutes?

I remember Sarah, a client who came to me feeling utterly deflated. She’d been diligently hitting the gym for months, doing her squats, lunges, and even attempting some hip thrusts. Her goal was a stronger, more rounded set of glutes – that coveted “peachy” look – but she just wasn’t seeing the progress she craved. “I feel like I’m doing all the ‘big’ exercises,” she told me, her voice tinged with frustration, “but I’m wondering if those little isolation movements, like donkey kicks, are even worth my time. Can donkey kicks *really* grow glutes, or are they just for warm-ups?”

It’s a question I hear often, and it’s a valid one. Many folks, like Sarah, are unsure if the seemingly simpler, bodyweight-friendly exercises hold enough power to spark real muscle growth. So, let’s cut straight to the chase:

Yes, donkey kicks can absolutely contribute to glute growth, but their effectiveness significantly depends on proper execution, progressive overload, and integration into a comprehensive glute training program. They are far more than just a warm-up; with the right approach, they can be a potent tool in your quest for stronger, more developed glutes.

Allow me to elaborate. The world of glute training is vast and sometimes overwhelming, filled with a dizzying array of exercises. While compound movements like squats and deadlifts rightly get a lot of attention for building overall leg and glute strength, isolation exercises like the donkey kick play a crucial, often underestimated, role. From my own experience working with countless individuals, and through my personal fitness journey, I’ve seen firsthand how incorporating well-executed donkey kicks can make a noticeable difference, especially when other exercises fall short in providing that focused glute activation.

They offer a unique pathway to target specific glute muscles, enhance the mind-muscle connection, and provide a different kind of stimulus for growth that heavier, compound lifts might not fully deliver on their own. But like any exercise, the devil is in the details – how you perform them, how you challenge your muscles, and how they fit into your overall fitness puzzle are what truly determine their power to transform.

Unpacking the Anatomy: What Are We Actually Targeting?

To truly understand how donkey kicks work their magic, we need to take a quick peek under the hood at the anatomy of your backside. Your glutes aren’t just one big muscle; they’re a powerful group of three, each with distinct roles in hip movement and shaping the posterior:

• Gluteus Maximus: This is the largest and most superficial of the gluteal muscles, responsible for the bulk of your glute size and strength. Its primary function is hip extension (moving your leg straight back behind you, like in a donkey kick), and it also assists with external rotation and hip abduction.
• Gluteus Medius: Located beneath the gluteus maximus, on the side of your hip, the gluteus medius is crucial for hip abduction (moving your leg out to the side) and stabilizing your pelvis, especially during walking or single-leg movements.
• Gluteus Minimus: The smallest and deepest of the gluteal muscles, the gluteus minimus works in conjunction with the gluteus medius, primarily assisting in hip abduction and internal rotation.

Now, when you perform a classic donkey kick, the movement is predominantly hip extension. This action directly and powerfully engages your gluteus maximus. As you lift your leg straight back and up, squeezing at the top, you’re asking this powerhouse muscle to contract against resistance. Depending on slight variations in your form or the angle of your leg, you can also bring in some activation of the gluteus medius, especially if you incorporate a slight outward rotation or lift your knee slightly wider before kicking back.

What makes donkey kicks so valuable is their ability to isolate the glutes, particularly the maximus, with minimal involvement from the hamstrings or lower back, provided your form is dialed in. This isolation is key for developing a strong mind-muscle connection, ensuring that your glutes are truly doing the work, rather than letting other muscles take over.

The Science Behind Glute Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth)

Growing muscle, whether it’s your biceps or your glutes, boils down to a few fundamental physiological principles. When you consistently challenge a muscle beyond its current capacity, your body adapts by making that muscle bigger and stronger. This process, known as hypertrophy, is primarily driven by three factors:

1. Mechanical Tension: This is arguably the most crucial factor. It refers to the amount of force or load placed on the muscle fibers. When you lift weights or perform bodyweight exercises with resistance, your muscles experience tension. To grow, this tension needs to be progressively increased over time.
2. Muscle Damage: Intense training causes microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing; it’s a signal to your body to repair and rebuild those fibers stronger and larger than before. This is often associated with the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) you might feel a day or two after a tough workout.
3. Metabolic Stress: This refers to the accumulation of byproducts (like lactate) in the muscle during high-rep, short-rest training, often resulting in that “burning” sensation and a “pumped” feeling. While not as potent as mechanical tension for hypertrophy, it can still contribute to muscle growth, especially through cell swelling and hormonal responses.

So, how do donkey kicks fit into this scientific framework? When performed correctly and progressively, donkey kicks can effectively elicit all three of these mechanisms:

• Mechanical Tension: Even bodyweight donkey kicks create tension, especially at the peak contraction. When you add ankle weights, resistance bands, or use a cable machine, you significantly increase this tension, forcing your glutes to work harder against a greater load.
• Muscle Damage: If you perform donkey kicks with a good range of motion, controlled tempo, and sufficient volume, you’re bound to create some micro-tears, particularly if you’re new to the movement or progressively overloading. The feeling of glute soreness after a solid donkey kick session is a good indicator of this.
• Metabolic Stress: Doing higher repetitions with donkey kicks, especially with short rest periods, can certainly generate a significant glute “pump” and burning sensation, contributing to metabolic stress. This is particularly effective as a finishing exercise in a glute workout.

The key takeaway here is that donkey kicks, while often perceived as “light,” are capable of providing the necessary stimuli for muscle growth when applied strategically.

Mastering the Donkey Kick: Form, Function, and Flaws

This is where the rubber meets the road. An exercise is only as good as its execution. You can do a thousand donkey kicks, but if your form is off, you’ll be missing out on glute activation and potentially straining other areas, like your lower back. My personal experience, and what I preach to my clients, is that quality trumps quantity every single time.

Detailed Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Donkey Kick

Let’s break down the classic donkey kick, ensuring every muscle fiber in your glutes gets the memo.

1. Starting Position (All-Fours):
   • Begin on your hands and knees on a mat.
   • Position your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, with a slight bend in your elbows to avoid locking them out.
   • Your knees should be directly under your hips, hip-width apart.
   • Maintain a neutral spine – imagine a straight line from the crown of your head to your tailbone. Avoid arching or rounding your back. Your gaze should be slightly forward or down to keep your neck aligned.
2. Core Engagement is Key:
   • Before you even move, brace your core. Think about pulling your belly button towards your spine without changing your back position. This stabilizes your torso and prevents your lower back from taking over the movement.
   • Keep your hips square to the floor throughout the exercise. Imagine balancing a glass of water on your lower back – you don’t want it to spill.
3. The Hip Extension Movement:
   • Keeping your working knee bent at a 90-degree angle (or close to it), slowly lift one leg straight back and up towards the ceiling.
   • The movement should initiate from your glutes, not your lower back. Focus on squeezing your glute as you lift.
   • Imagine you’re trying to press the sole of your foot against the ceiling.
   • Only lift your leg as high as you can without arching your lower back or shifting your hips. The range of motion will vary for everyone, but typically your thigh should come roughly parallel to the floor, or slightly above, as long as your back remains stable.
4. Peak Contraction:
   • At the top of the movement, hold briefly for a count of one or two seconds. This is where you really want to feel that intense squeeze in your glute. This pause maximizes time under tension and improves the mind-muscle connection.
5. Controlled Return:
   • Slowly and with control, lower your leg back to the starting position. Don’t just let it drop.
   • Resist the urge to touch your knee down to the mat immediately. Instead, stop just before your knee touches the ground, maintaining tension in the glute before starting the next repetition. This keeps constant tension on the muscle.
6. Breathing:
   • Inhale as you prepare for the lift (leg down).
   • Exhale as you lift your leg and squeeze at the top.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As I’ve guided countless clients through this exercise, I’ve noticed a few recurring errors that can significantly diminish its effectiveness or even lead to discomfort:

• Arching the Lower Back: This is the most common mistake. When you lift your leg too high, or you haven’t engaged your core, your lower back will compensate by arching excessively. This shifts the work away from your glutes and can cause lower back pain. Always prioritize a stable, neutral spine over a higher leg lift.
• Using Momentum: Swinging your leg up quickly turns the exercise into a momentum-driven movement rather than a controlled muscle contraction. This reduces the time under tension and the targeted stimulus for your glutes. Slow and steady wins the glute race.
• Not Engaging the Glute: Sometimes, people go through the motions without truly “feeling” their glute work. This often happens if the mind-muscle connection isn’t strong. Actively think about squeezing your glute throughout the entire range of motion, especially at the top.
• Insufficient Range of Motion: Conversely, not lifting your leg high enough can mean you’re not fully engaging the gluteus maximus. Find that sweet spot where you get a good squeeze without compromising your back.
• Too Fast Tempo: Rushing through reps is a sure-fire way to reduce effectiveness. Aim for a controlled tempo – perhaps a 2-second lift, 1-2 second hold, and 2-3 second lower.
• Shifting Hips or Shoulders: Keep your hips square to the ground and your shoulders stable. If you find your body tilting or rotating to get the leg higher, it means your glutes aren’t strong enough for that range of motion yet, or you’re compensating.

Checklist for Perfect Donkey Kick Form

• ✅ Hands directly under shoulders, knees under hips.
• ✅ Core braced, belly button pulled in.
• ✅ Neutral spine maintained throughout.
• ✅ Hips square to the floor.
• ✅ Knee bent at 90 degrees (or desired angle).
• ✅ Movement initiated by squeezing the glute.
• ✅ Leg lifted only as high as your back remains stable.
• ✅ Brief, powerful squeeze at the top.
• ✅ Slow, controlled lower back to just above the floor.
• ✅ No momentum, no excessive swinging.

Scaling Up: Progressive Overload for Glute Gains

Now, here’s the crucial part: if you want your glutes to *grow*, you can’t just do the same bodyweight donkey kicks indefinitely. Your muscles need to be continually challenged. This principle is called progressive overload, and it’s the bedrock of muscle growth. It means gradually increasing the stress placed on your body during training.

For donkey kicks, progressive overload can take many forms, moving beyond just adding more repetitions, which eventually yields diminishing returns. My recommendation to clients is always to first master the bodyweight form, then gradually introduce these methods:

1. Adding Ankle Weights: This is perhaps the most straightforward way to add resistance. Start with lighter weights (1-2 lbs) and gradually increase as your strength improves. Ankle weights provide direct resistance throughout the entire range of motion.
2. Using Resistance Bands: Loop bands are fantastic for donkey kicks. You can place a small loop band around your thighs, just above your knees, or around your ankles. The band provides increasing tension as you extend your leg, making the peak contraction even harder. This is a personal favorite method of mine for ensuring peak glute engagement.
3. Increasing Time Under Tension (TUT): Instead of speeding through reps, try slowing down the movement. For example, use a 3-second concentric (lift) phase, a 2-second isometric hold at the top, and a 3-second eccentric (lower) phase. This keeps your glutes working harder for longer during each rep, leading to greater muscle damage and metabolic stress.
4. Increasing Repetitions While Maintaining Form: While not the *only* way, once you’ve mastered proper form with a given resistance, you can increase your rep count. However, there’s a point where simply adding more reps becomes less effective for hypertrophy and more for endurance. Aim for rep ranges typically associated with hypertrophy (8-15 reps per set) with sufficient resistance.
5. Decreasing Rest Periods: Shortening the rest time between sets can increase metabolic stress and cardiovascular demand, contributing to a “pump” and a different kind of challenge for your glutes.
6. Incorporating Weighted Variations:
   • Cable Donkey Kicks: If your gym has a cable machine, attach an ankle strap and perform donkey kicks. The cable provides consistent tension throughout the entire range of motion, which is incredibly effective for glute growth. This is arguably the gold standard for weighted donkey kicks due to the constant tension.
   • Smith Machine Donkey Kicks: While less common, you can position yourself under a Smith machine bar, placing the sole of your foot against the bar. This allows you to push against a fixed, weighted resistance. Care must be taken to maintain core stability and avoid lower back strain.
7. Unilateral Training Focus: If you find one glute is weaker, dedicate extra sets or reps to that side to help address imbalances.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to *do* more, but to *feel* more in your glutes. Always prioritize perfect form over adding weight or reps too quickly. A controlled, mindful movement with less weight will always be more effective for glute growth than a sloppy, heavy one.

Donkey Kick Variations: Targeting Different Angles and Intensities

One of the beauties of the donkey kick is its versatility. Slight tweaks in your execution can shift the emphasis, allowing you to hit your glutes from slightly different angles and keep your training fresh and challenging. Here are some of my go-to variations:

• Standard Bent-Knee Donkey Kick: This is the classic movement we detailed above. Your knee stays bent at roughly 90 degrees, and your foot pushes towards the ceiling. This variation is fantastic for directly targeting the gluteus maximus, emphasizing hip extension and the “squeeze” at the top.
• Straight-Leg Donkey Kick (Glute Kickback): Instead of keeping your knee bent, you straighten your leg behind you and lift it with a straight knee. While this variation can involve the hamstrings more, it still powerfully engages the gluteus maximus, particularly the lower fibers. Ensure you still focus on glute activation and avoid letting your lower back arch. This feels more like a direct “kick back” action.
• Cable Donkey Kick: As mentioned under progressive overload, this is a game-changer. By attaching an ankle cuff to a low cable pulley, you get consistent tension throughout the movement. The constant pull of the cable forces your glutes to work harder on both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. This is my absolute favorite for progressive overload and building serious glute density.
• Band Donkey Kick: Using a mini-band looped around your ankles or just above your knees adds resistance, especially as you reach the top of the movement. The band’s increasing tension provides a potent stimulus for the glutes, often leading to a significant burn. This is great for both warm-ups and as a primary glute-building exercise.
• Donkey Kick with Abduction Element (Diagonal Donkey Kick): To bring in more of the gluteus medius, instead of kicking your leg straight back, try kicking it slightly out to the side (diagonally) as you extend it upwards. This subtle change adds an abduction component, helping to build that side glute shelf and improve hip stability. Remember to keep your hips as square as possible.
• Donkey Kick with Pulse: Once you reach the top of your donkey kick, instead of holding, perform 2-3 small, controlled pulses at that peak contraction before slowly lowering. This significantly increases time under tension and metabolic stress, leading to an intense burn and enhanced hypertrophy. I often recommend this as a finishing move to completely exhaust the glutes.

Experiment with these variations to see which ones you “feel” most in your glutes and which best fit your current strength level and available equipment. Integrating a mix of these can provide a well-rounded glute stimulus.

Integrating Donkey Kicks into Your Glute-Building Regimen

For donkey kicks to truly contribute to glute growth, they need to be more than just an afterthought. They should be purposefully integrated into your training. From my experience, they serve multiple valuable roles in a comprehensive glute program:

1. As a Warm-Up or Glute Activation Exercise

Before diving into heavy compound lifts like squats or deadlifts, it’s crucial to “wake up” your glutes. Many people are quad-dominant or let their hamstrings and lower back take over during compound movements. A few sets of light, controlled donkey kicks (perhaps 10-15 reps per side) with just bodyweight or a light resistance band can establish that vital mind-muscle connection, ensuring your glutes are primed and ready to fire effectively during your main lifts. This helps ensure your glutes actually participate in the heavy lifting, rather than just being along for the ride.

2. As an Accessory or Isolation Exercise

This is where donkey kicks really shine for hypertrophy. After your main compound lifts (which build overall strength and mass), donkey kicks can be used to specifically isolate and further fatigue the glutes. This is particularly effective if you feel your glutes aren’t being fully worked by your squats or lunges alone. Performing them with progressive overload (ankle weights, bands, cables) in the 8-15 rep range for 3-4 sets will be ideal for muscle growth.

3. As a Finishing Exercise (Burnout Sets)

Towards the end of your glute workout, when your muscles are already fatigued, a few sets of high-repetition donkey kicks (15-25+ reps) with a moderate resistance or even just bodyweight can create an intense “burn” and pump. This metabolic stress contributes to hypertrophy and ensures your glutes are completely exhausted, signaling to your body that they need to grow stronger. This is a great way to squeeze out every last bit of potential from your glute workout.

Sample Glute Workout Incorporating Donkey Kicks

Here’s an example of how you might structure a workout to maximize glute growth, with donkey kicks strategically placed:

1. Warm-Up & Glute Activation (10-15 minutes):
   • Light Cardio (5 minutes)
   • Bodyweight Donkey Kicks (15 reps per side, 2 sets)
   • Band Glute Bridges (15 reps, 2 sets)
2. Compound Movement (Main Strength Builder):
   • Barbell Hip Thrusts or Barbell Squats (3-4 sets of 6-10 reps)
3. Accessory/Isolation Exercises (Targeted Hypertrophy):
   • Cable Donkey Kicks (3 sets of 10-15 reps per side) – Focus on heavy, controlled movement.
   • Romanian Deadlifts or Glute-Focused Leg Press (3 sets of 8-12 reps)
4. Finisher (Metabolic Stress & Burnout):
   • Resistance Band Donkey Kicks with Pulse (2 sets of 15-20 reps per side) – High reps, short rest.
   • Step-Ups or Walking Lunges (2 sets of 12-15 reps per leg)
5. Cool-Down & Stretching (5-10 minutes):
   • Focus on hip flexor, glute, and hamstring stretches.

By using donkey kicks in these different capacities, you ensure your glutes receive a varied and consistent stimulus for growth, complementing the overall strength and mass built by your heavier compound lifts.

The Bigger Picture: Nutrition, Recovery, and Consistency

It’s vital to remember that no single exercise, no matter how perfect its form or how strategically placed, works in isolation. For any muscle group to truly grow and develop, including your glutes, you need to pay attention to the foundational pillars of fitness:

• Nutrition: You simply cannot build muscle out of thin air. Your body needs adequate fuel. Specifically, aiming for a slight caloric surplus (eating a bit more than you burn) provides the energy for muscle repair and growth. Furthermore, sufficient protein intake is non-negotiable – it provides the amino acids, the building blocks your muscles need to rebuild and get bigger. Aim for around 0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Don’t neglect healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, either, as they provide sustained energy and support hormonal balance.
• Recovery: Muscle growth doesn’t happen in the gym; it happens *after* the gym, during recovery. This means prioritizing quality sleep (7-9 hours for most adults) and allowing your muscles adequate rest between training sessions. Overtraining can be counterproductive, leading to stagnation and even injury. Listen to your body and schedule rest days or active recovery days as needed.
• Consistency: Real, lasting results take time and consistent effort. Showing up, performing your exercises with intention, and sticking to your nutrition and recovery plan week after week, month after month, is what truly yields transformations. There are no shortcuts or magic pills; just consistent, hard work. Be patient with the process, celebrate small victories, and trust that your efforts will pay off.

Donkey kicks are a fantastic tool, but they are just one tool in a much larger toolbox. Neglecting these other crucial elements will severely limit your ability to grow your glutes, regardless of how perfectly you perform your exercises.

Addressing Common Misconceptions and Debates

With any popular exercise, there are always myths and debates swirling around. Let’s tackle some of the common ones I’ve encountered regarding donkey kicks:

“Are donkey kicks effective without weights?”

Absolutely, especially for beginners or for activation purposes. When performed with strict form, a full range of motion, and a strong mind-muscle connection, bodyweight donkey kicks can create sufficient tension and metabolic stress to stimulate glute growth. For those new to glute training, they’re an excellent way to learn how to activate the glutes without being overwhelmed by external load. As you get stronger, however, you’ll definitely want to add resistance (bands, ankle weights, cables) to continue progressing and encouraging further hypertrophy.

“Can donkey kicks replace heavy squats or deadlifts?”

In short, no. Donkey kicks are primarily an isolation exercise, excellent for directly targeting and shaping the glutes. Squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts, on the other hand, are compound movements that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, allow you to lift significantly heavier loads, and build overall strength, power, and muscle mass in your lower body and core. While donkey kicks are crucial for comprehensive glute development, they serve a different purpose than these big lifts. Think of them as complementary, not interchangeable. A well-rounded glute program will include both compound movements for overall strength and isolation exercises like donkey kicks for targeted development.

“Do donkey kicks only target the ‘upper glute’?”

This is a common misconception. The gluteus maximus is a large muscle, and while different exercises or variations might emphasize certain fibers slightly more, a standard donkey kick primarily works the entire gluteus maximus, which makes up the bulk of your glute mass. With variations that incorporate a slight abduction (diagonal kick), you can also engage the gluteus medius more effectively, contributing to that “shelf” appearance on the sides of your hips. So, while they are excellent for the “peak” of the glute, they don’t exclusively hit one small section. They contribute to overall glute development.

My Expert Take: Why Donkey Kicks Deserve a Spot in Your Routine

Having worked with numerous individuals, from fitness novices to seasoned athletes, and through my own dedicated training, I’ve come to a firm conclusion: donkey kicks are an exceptionally valuable, often underutilized, exercise for glute development. They aren’t just for Instagram models or gym beginners; they’re a legitimate, effective tool for anyone serious about growing stronger, more defined glutes.

Here’s why, in my professional opinion, they deserve more respect and a consistent spot in your training regimen:

• Unparalleled Glute Isolation: Few exercises allow for such direct and focused isolation of the gluteus maximus with minimal involvement from the hamstrings or lower back (when performed correctly). This makes them fantastic for building that crucial mind-muscle connection. If you struggle to “feel” your glutes during squats, donkey kicks can teach you how to activate them.
• Versatility and Scalability: From bodyweight activation to heavily weighted cable variations, donkey kicks can be adapted to any fitness level and any training goal. This makes them a long-term staple in a glute-building program.
• Low Impact: They are a relatively low-impact exercise, making them gentler on your joints compared to heavy squats or lunges. This makes them suitable for individuals with certain knee or back issues, or as a recovery-friendly glute workout.
• Enhanced Mind-Muscle Connection: Because they are an isolation movement, donkey kicks force you to concentrate on contracting the glute. This improved neurological connection is invaluable and can transfer over to better glute activation in your compound lifts.
• Addressing Imbalances: As a unilateral exercise (working one leg at a time), donkey kicks are excellent for identifying and correcting muscular imbalances between your left and right glutes.

My advice? Don’t dismiss the donkey kick. Instead, embrace it. Learn to perform it with impeccable form, progressively challenge yourself with added resistance and variations, and integrate it intelligently into your overall glute-building strategy. You might just find, like many of my clients, that this seemingly simple movement holds the key to unlocking the glute growth you’ve been chasing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many reps and sets should I do for glute growth?

For muscle growth (hypertrophy), a common recommendation is to perform 3-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions per side. The key here isn’t just the number, but that these reps should be challenging, especially towards the end of each set. You should feel your glutes working intensely. If you can easily do 15 reps with perfect form, it’s time to increase the resistance (add ankle weights, use a band, or switch to cable donkey kicks). For activation or warm-ups, you might do higher reps (15-20+) with lighter resistance or bodyweight.

Remember that the goal is to reach muscular fatigue within that rep range. If you’re doing cable donkey kicks, for instance, you might find that 8-12 reps per side with a heavier weight is more effective than 15-20 reps with a lighter weight. Always prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring each rep is controlled and purposeful, feeling the squeeze in your glute.

How often should I do donkey kicks?

The frequency depends on your overall training split and recovery capacity. For optimal glute growth, many experts suggest training your glutes 2-3 times per week. If donkey kicks are a primary glute-building exercise in your routine, you can include them in each of those sessions.

If you’re using them as an activation exercise before other lower body workouts, you can do them almost daily as part of your warm-up. However, if you’re performing them with heavy resistance for hypertrophy, ensure you allow 24-48 hours of recovery between intense sessions to let your muscles repair and grow. Listen to your body; if your glutes are still sore, give them another day to recover before hitting them hard again.

Can donkey kicks help with glute imbalances?

Absolutely, donkey kicks are excellent for addressing glute imbalances. Because they are a unilateral exercise, meaning you work one leg at a time, they force each glute to work independently. This prevents your stronger side from compensating for your weaker side, a common issue in bilateral exercises like squats.

If you notice one glute is weaker or less developed, you can perform extra sets or reps on that side to help it catch up. For example, if your left glute is weaker, you might do 3 sets of 12 reps on the right side and 4 sets of 12 reps on the left side until the imbalance starts to diminish. This focused work helps to build strength and size where it’s most needed, leading to a more balanced and symmetrical physique.

What if I feel it in my lower back?

Feeling donkey kicks in your lower back is a very common issue and almost always a sign of improper form. It indicates that your lower back muscles are compensating because your glutes aren’t doing enough of the work, or your core isn’t sufficiently braced.

Here’s how to fix it: First, focus intensely on bracing your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine and keeping your hips perfectly square to the floor. Second, do not lift your leg too high. Only lift your leg as far as you can while maintaining a neutral, stable spine. The movement should originate from the glute, not an arch in your back. Try reducing the range of motion and the weight/resistance, focusing purely on feeling the glute squeeze. Slow down the movement dramatically and concentrate on the mind-muscle connection. Often, a slight adjustment in hip position or a more deliberate core brace can make all the difference, sending that glorious burn straight to your glutes where it belongs.

Are donkey kicks good for beginners?

Yes, donkey kicks are an excellent exercise for beginners! They are relatively easy to learn, have a low risk of injury when performed correctly, and are fantastic for establishing the crucial mind-muscle connection with the glutes. For many beginners, learning to activate their glutes is a significant hurdle, and donkey kicks provide a direct pathway to feeling those muscles work.

Starting with bodyweight donkey kicks allows beginners to master the form and sensation of glute contraction before introducing external resistance. Once they’ve built a foundational level of glute strength and coordination, they can gradually progress by adding resistance bands or light ankle weights, ensuring continuous challenge and growth. They serve as a foundational exercise that can grow with the individual’s strength and experience.