Smith Donkey Kick
Smith Donkey Kick Exercise Description
The Smith Donkey Kick is a bent‑knee hip extension performed on a Smith machine to emphasize the gluteus maximus, with assistance from the hamstrings and lateral hip stabilizers (gluteus medius/minimus). The fixed bar path provides a consistent line of force and simple use of safety stops, allowing you to focus on controlled hip extension without worrying about bar drift. Keeping the knee flexed throughout shortens the hamstrings at the knee, helping you direct effort to the glutes while maintaining a neutral spine. You’ll work from a kneeling, hands‑supported position with the sole of the working foot under the bar, driving the bar straight up via the hip joint. Proper alignment—neutral spine, square pelvis, steady trunk—promotes efficient force transfer and reduces common compensations like lumbar overextension or hip rotation.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, Multifidus, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Smith Machine
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Smith Donkey Kick Exercise
‘- Set the Smith bar just above ankle/shin height and position the safety stops slightly below your top range; add a bar pad for comfort.
– Kneel centered under the bar on a mat; hands or forearms under shoulders, supporting knee under hip.
– Brace your trunk; maintain neutral spine and level hips; eyes toward the floor to keep the neck neutral.
– Place the mid‑foot/heel of the working leg under the bar; knee bent about 90 degrees; ankle neutral.
– Inhale to set; keep ribs stacked over pelvis and shoulder blades gently retracted/depressed.
– Drive the heel/sole straight up by extending at the hip; keep the knee angle relatively constant.
– Lift until your thigh approaches in‑line with your torso, stopping before lumbar extension or pelvic rotation.
– Lower the bar under control to the start position without bouncing on the safeties.
– Keep weight evenly distributed through your hands/forearms and the supporting knee; avoid shifting or twisting.
– Breathe continuously; avoid breath‑holding.
– Rack the bar on the safeties before repositioning to switch sides.
– Avoid: arching the low back, flaring ribs, rotating the pelvis, straightening the knee to move the bar, or using momentum.
Smith Donkey Kick Tips
‘- Set the Smith bar just above ankle/shin height and safeties slightly below your top range before starting.
– Kneel centered under the bar with hands or forearms stacked under shoulders and your supporting knee under your hip.
– Keep a neutral spine with eyes toward the floor to maintain a neutral neck.
– Place the mid-foot/heel under the bar with the knee bent about 90 degrees and ankle neutral before lifting.
– Brace your trunk with ribs stacked over pelvis and shoulder blades gently retracted and depressed.
– Drive the heel/sole straight up by extending at the hip while keeping the knee angle relatively constant.
– Stop lifting when your thigh is near in line with your torso and before your low back arches or your pelvis rotates.
– Lower the bar under control to the start position without bouncing off the safeties.
– Keep weight evenly distributed through hands/forearms and the supporting knee to avoid shifting or twisting.
– Breathe continuously during the set and avoid holding your breath.
Smith Donkey Kick Beginner Introduction
The Smith Donkey Kick is a machine‑based hip extension exercise done with a bent knee to highlight the glutes while the hamstrings and outer hip muscles assist. The body rests in a kneeling, hands‑supported stance beneath the Smith bar, with the working foot pressing into the bar from below. Because the bar travels on fixed rails with adjustable stopping points, the path of movement stays predictable, placing attention on smooth motion at the hip joint rather than on balance or bar control.
Throughout the repetition, the leg moves mainly from the hip while the knee remains bent, which reduces how much the hamstrings contribute and places more emphasis on the backside of the hips. The trunk stays steady, the back holds a natural curve, and the hips remain level, encouraging force to pass efficiently from the supporting side through the working leg. Controlled lifting and lowering, along with relaxed, continuous breathing and no bouncing off the built‑in stops, creates a deliberate, glute‑focused pattern that minimizes unwanted arching or twisting.