Single-Leg Cable Kickback
Trains the Glutes.
- Equipment
- A cable station
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Attach an ankle strap to a low cable and fasten it around one ankle.
- Face the machine, stand on the other leg, and hold the frame lightly for balance.
- Lean forward slightly from the hips with the stomach braced and the standing knee soft.
- Drive the strapped leg back and up, keeping the knee nearly straight, until the glute is fully squeezed.
- Hold briefly at the top, then return the leg under control without letting the stack rest.
- Repeat, then swap the strap to the other ankle.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to get the leg higher. The leg goes as far as the hip allows; extra height from the spine is not glute work.
- Swinging the leg. The movement is slow enough that the glute is doing it; a swing uses momentum and the cable snaps back.
- Bending the knee. A bent knee turns this into a hamstring curl; the leg stays nearly straight so the hip does the work.
- Hanging off the frame. A light touch for balance; if the arms are taking weight, the standing leg and trunk are not doing their job.