Single Leg Glute Kickback (Bodyweight)
The Single Leg Glute Kickback is a bodyweight floor exercise that targets the gluteus maximus through unilateral hip extension. It is an excellent accessory movement for developing glute strength and stability while teaching the core to resist rotation and arching.
Since this is a high-repetition bodyweight movement, the AI monitors your RPE and fatigue levels to ensure you are maintaining enough intensity for muscle growth. By tracking your lower back recovery and pain history, the app can detect if you are compensating with your lumbar spine and suggest volume adjustments or regressions to protect your back. Additionally, integration with your health data allows the AI to modify rep targets based on your daily recovery scores and sleep quality.
Form Cues
- Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders
- Brace your core to keep your back completely flat
- Squeeze your glute to drive your heel toward the ceiling
- Keep your hips square to the floor throughout the rep
- Lower the leg slowly to control the eccentric phase
- Don't arch your lower back to lift the leg higher
- Don't use momentum to swing the leg upward
- Don't rotate your hips open to the side
- Don't let your elbows bend or weight shift excessively
Common Mistakes
- Hyperextending the lumbar spine
- Opening the hips sideways
- Using momentum instead of muscle
- Insufficient range of motion
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the gluteus maximus to build shape and strength in the posterior chain without loading the spine. It also engages the hamstrings as secondary movers and relies heavily on the core and obliques to maintain a neutral spine and pelvic stability during the movement.
Primary
Secondary
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