Basic To Cross Donkey Kick
Basic To Cross Donkey Kick Exercise Description
The Basic to Cross Donkey Kick is a bodyweight, quadruped hip-extension drill that teaches you to move from the hip while keeping the spine and pelvis stable. From hands-and-knees, you perform a classic donkey kick (hip extension with the knee flexed) and then bring the knee back in and slightly across the midline (“cross”) without rotating the hips. The primary driver is the gluteus maximus, with assistance from the hamstrings; the gluteus medius/minimus and deep hip rotators help control pelvic alignment. Your abdominals maintain a neutral lumbar spine while the shoulders and serratus anterior stabilize the upper body. The alternating straight-back and cross pattern adds a small change in line of pull, encouraging control in multiple planes while you resist arching the low back or shifting weight.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, Piriformis, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Basic To Cross Donkey Kick Exercise
‘- Start on hands and knees: wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, toes tucked or untucked. Set a neutral spine; ribs down; eyes to the floor.
– Press the floor away to create stable shoulders; keep your pelvis level.
– Brace lightly. Keep the working knee bent about 90 degrees, ankle neutral.
– Basic kick: move only at the hip to lift the thigh backward until it’s roughly in line with the torso. Stop before your low back arches or the pelvis tilts.
– Pause briefly with glutes engaged; keep hips square to the floor.
– Return the knee under the hip to a hover (don’t rest).
– Cross: draw the same knee slightly inward across the body toward the opposite knee/forearm, keeping the pelvis level and trunk still.
– Return to the hover under the hip, then repeat the basic kick.
– Maintain even pressure through both hands and the support knee; avoid shifting or twisting.
– Breathe steadily; exhale gently as you extend, inhale as you return.
– Avoid lifting the thigh excessively high, locking the elbows, or letting the head crane forward.
Basic To Cross Donkey Kick Tips
‘- Set up with wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, and eyes on the floor to support a neutral spine.
– Press the floor away with your hands to create stable shoulders and help keep the pelvis level.
– Keep ribs down and spine neutral; stop the kick before your low back arches or the pelvis tilts.
– Maintain the working knee at about 90 degrees with a neutral ankle throughout the movement.
– Move only at the hip as you lift the thigh back until roughly in line with the torso.
– Pause briefly at the top with the glutes engaged and hips square to the floor.
– Bring the knee back to a hover under the hip instead of resting it on the floor between reps.
– On the cross, draw the knee slightly inward toward the opposite knee/forearm while keeping the pelvis level and trunk still.
– Maintain even pressure through both hands and the support knee to avoid shifting or twisting.
– Breathe steadily, exhaling gently as you extend and inhaling as you return.
– Avoid lifting the thigh excessively high, locking the elbows, or letting the head crane forward.
Basic To Cross Donkey Kick Beginner Introduction
The Basic to Cross Donkey Kick is a bodyweight movement performed in an all-fours position that emphasizes hip action while the rest of the body stays steady. The working leg travels behind the body with a bent knee, then returns under the hip and passes slightly toward the opposite side, all while the hips remain facing the floor. This creates a smooth, controlled pattern that highlights motion at the hip joint rather than in the lower back.
The main effort comes from the glutes, with help from the back of the thigh. Muscles along the outer and deeper parts of the hip guide how the pelvis stays centered, while the abs support a natural curve in the lower spine. At the same time, the shoulders and muscles around the rib cage provide a firm base for the upper body. Switching between a straight-back path and a gently crossing path introduces subtle changes in direction that challenge balance, control, and body awareness.