IntermediateIsolationGym

Cable Kickbacks: Smooth Load, Clear Squeeze

A cable keeps tension on the glute through the kickback. The torso stays quiet so the hip, not the lower back, creates the motion.

Cable kickback front and side views: start, kick out or kick back, and return at the cable machine — Cable Kickback movement illustrations

The prescription

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 10–15 reps each side
Rest: 45 sec
Time: About 10 min

Equipment. Cable machine, Ankle strap

Muscles. gluteus maximus. Also hamstrings, core

Starting position

Attach an ankle strap to a low cable.
Face the stack and hold the frame. The working leg starts slightly behind you with a soft knee.

How to move

Brace and keep a small bend in the working knee.
Sweep the heel back and slightly up until the hip is extended.
Pause without arching the lower back, then return slowly so the stack does not slam.
Complete one side before you switch.

Common mistakes

Swinging the whole body to move a stack that is too heavy.
Bending the knee so much that the hamstring cramps and the glute never finishes.
Turning the foot out and rolling the hip open just to go higher.

Variations

Banded kickback
Quadruped hip extension

Progressions

Increase the load only when the torso stays still.

Regressions

Banded kickback
Donkey kick

Safety

Stop if you feel sharp pain, joint pinch, or symptoms that are not ordinary muscle effort.
This is general technique education, not a personal clearance to train through an injury.
Keep a hand on the machine. This is not a balance test.

All Cheeked Up publishes general fitness education. It is not medical advice, physical therapy, or a promise that your body will change. Stop any exercise that causes pain and talk with a qualified professional about injuries, pregnancy, or health conditions before you train.

Related exercises

Programs that use it

Gear that helps

Equipment

AffiliateEquipment

Ankle Strap

A cuff that clips to a cable or a band so kickbacks do not depend on a loop sliding off your shoe.

About $22