Amazing variations of the donkey kick exercise to try

There are several names for the donkey kick exercise, including quadruped hip extensions and bent-leg kickbacks.

Whatever you want to call it, including more donkey kicks in your exercise regimen can help you build stronger glutes and a stronger core, which can enhance both your workout and daily performance.

Donkey kicks are more effective than many other complex workouts for working the glutes. This exercise may be performed without any special equipment and is adaptable for all fitness levels.

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How to perform donkey kick exercise properly

For novices, the standard method of performing this exercise works best. Be mindful of your form, make sure your glute is performing the work and your back isn't drooping.

Donkey kick is great for releasing tight hamstrings. (Image via Unsplash/ Bruce Mars)

Here’s how to perform the donkey kick exercise:

• On all fours, assume the starting position with your neck and spine neutral, your knees hip-width apart, and your hands beneath your shoulders.
• With your core tight, start lifting your right leg while keeping the knee bent, foot flat, and hip hinge.
• Press your foot directly up towards the ceiling using your glute, then squeeze at the top. Make sure your pelvis and working hip remain pointing downward.
• Go back to the starting place.

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Variations of donkey kick exercise

When doing a donkey kick exercise, you must adopt the animal's posture and imitate its gait. The largest and bulkiest gluteal muscle, the gluteus maximus, can be effectively isolated using this technique.

Try these variations to level up your workout routine:

1) Straight-leg donkey kick with half circle

A conventional donkey kicks workout becomes slightly more challenging by adding a circle at the end of the knee and hip extension.

Here’s how to perform this version:

• On all fours, assume the starting position with your neck and spine neutral, your knees hip-width apart, and your hands beneath your shoulders.
• Start kicking your knees and feet off the ground. Use your glute to lift your leg as high as it will go while keeping your pelvis and hips parallel to the ground. Point your feet and drive your toes straight back.
• Kick your leg outward as you descend at the top, making a half circle with your toes.
• Bring your knee inward towards your chest when your foot touches the ground, pause for one second, and then extend it back out.

2) Banded donkey kicks

This technique will get slightly more difficult and the burn will become more intense with the addition of a light resistance band.

Assume donkey pose for performing donkey kicks. (Image via Pexels/ Gustavo Fring)

Here’s how to perform the banded version of the donkey kick exercise:

• With your elbows bent, grab the handles of the resistance bands and place them directly under your chin. On the opposite end of the band, hook your right foot in.
• Stretch out and up with your right leg while maintaining a straight back.
• After one rep, pull it back into your chest.

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3) Donkey kick machine exercise

The machine is also known as a butt blaster. If anything, the exercise exacerbates muscular imbalances and tight hamstrings. This is due to the fact that most of us have weak, inactive glute muscles from spending all day at the computer, and using this machine only puts more strain on our already overworked hamstrings.

Here’s how to perform it:

• Choose the proper weight stack resistance.
• Position yourself in the glute kick machine on all four legs. Your hands and knees should be positioned beneath your shoulders and hips, respectively.
• Retract your shoulder blades. Activate your core and pelvic floor. Place your right foot's complete sole on the machine's platform.
• As you exhale, extend your hips and raise your right heel towards the ceiling.
• As you breathe in, glide smoothly back to the starting position.
• Once the required number of repetitions has been completed, switch sides and perform the movement with the opposite leg.
• Make sure you move your leg, not your back, as you do so.

Experiment with the donkey kick exercise and its variations. With consistency, solid form, and hard progression, you'll appreciate the results you achieve.