The way our bodies work is significantly influenced by the glutes. They aid in exercises like power squats and deadlifts as well as activities like walking and jogging.
While navigating the activities of daily living, maintaining strong glutes also serves a protective function for knee and low back problems. And having defined glutes can have an aesthetic appeal.
Exercises like glute kickbacks are good for developing the strength and definition of the lower body. Here is all the information you need to add this effective accessory exercise to your workout regimen.
What are Glute Kickbacks?
Instead of being a compound movement like squats, glute kickbacks are an exercise that targets just the glutes. In other words, rather than involving several different muscle groups, this activity emphasises the glutes.
On days when they are working their lower bodies, bodybuilders and powerlifters frequently use this accessory exercise to target the glutes. Still, including this action in your cross-training programme will help athletes of all backgrounds.
Glute kickbacks can be performed using only your bodyweight, a resistance band, or a machine. You are generally on all fours on the floor or standing with one leg in a cable machine. You kick one leg back to full extension while bracing your core muscles.
What Muscles Do Glute Kickbacks Work?
The following muscles are engaged during cable kickbacks:
- The Gluteus Maximus
- The Gluteus Minimus
- The Gluteus Medius
There is a misconception that the only exercises that will strengthen your glutes are squats and lunges. This is accurate, however it’s crucial to realise that exercises like squats and lunges engage a variety of muscles, not only the glutes.
You may isolate and concentrate the resistance on the muscles with cable glute kickbacks.
Through isolation, this promotes complete development and muscle recruitment. The same way you may perform a tricep rope press down, consider doing this.
Bench presses, incline presses, and dips can help you develop your triceps while simultaneously working your deltoids and pecs. You can isolate the triceps with a rope press-down and cable glute kickbacks.
The Benefits of Glute Kickbacks
1. Glute Isolation
You may specifically target and isolate the glute muscles with the cable glute kickback exercise. Given that most workouts do not let you isolate the glutes, this is extremely unusual when it comes to training them.
2. Increased Strength
The glute cable kickback aims to increase glute strength. Strong glutes and a powerful lower body can help you with your other heavy lifts and lessen the chance of injuries brought on by imbalance.
Isolated flaws can cause the stronger muscles to take over the lift, as we’ve already explained. Isolated weaknesses can also prevent us from reaching our full ability for heavy lifts in addition to increasing the danger of injury.
You can grow a larger squat, deadlift, and glute bridge if your glutes are stronger.
3. Improves Balance
The cable glute kickback exercise calls for a lot of stability and balance because of the kicking motion. As a result, this workout will improve your balance and coordination.
4. Greater Butt
The movement used in this glute workout is great for butt contouring. The cable glute kickback will greatly increase your strength, particularly via the lower body, as it tones your derriere. Your entire core, including the erector spinae of the lower back, will benefit from having powerful glutes.
How to Perform Cabe Kickbacks
The same muscles are worked by cable glute kickbacks and bodyweight kickbacks. However, as opposed to kneeling push-ups, these are executed while standing. You’ll need a low-pulley cable machine with an ankle cuff for this variation.
How to Perform:
- A single cable pulley machine’s pulley should be adjusted such that it is at ankle height. The cable end is now ready for an ankle cuff.
- Standing in front of the machine with your left foot facing it, fasten the ankle cuff to it. Bend at the waist so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle, holding onto the machine frame for balance.
- As much as you are able, pivot from the hip to bring your left leg up and back.
- In the top position, tighten your glutes, then slowly return to the beginning position.
- Before switching to the other side, complete all of your reps on the first side.
You don’t want the momentum to take over and deprive the glutes of the benefit of the movement, so perform this exercise slowly and under control. With only a tiny bend at the knee, your non-exercise leg should be securely placed. The knee of the leg that is being moved should not bend at all.
Cable Glute Kickback Common Mistakes to avoid
- Kicking Back Too Much: Despite the fact that this exercise is dubbed a kickback, we should actually be moving the leg in an arc-like motion as opposed to kicking it. Overkill kicking emphasises the quads more than the glutes, which are our main target muscle.
- Using Motion: When performing this exercise, one typical error people make is moving too quickly, which adds velocity to the movement and results in improper form. You can prevent this by moving more slowly.
- Excessive Movement of the Upper Body: Brace your upper body against the cable machine while performing the exercise, and concentrate on moving the weight with your glutes. You can prevent yourself from using momentum to transfer the weight by slowing down the workout. Drop the weight if you can’t complete a slow, controlled rep.
- Standing Up Straight: Another typical mistake made when performing the cable glute kickback is failing to stand up straight. Your range of motion is limited while you are vertically positioned, making it more challenging to target the glutes during this exercise. Instead, to achieve a wider range of motion, lean over and hinge at the waist!
Cable Glute Kickback Variations
1. Glute Pushdown Machine
The cable glute kickback and the glute pushdown machine both use a similar exercise motion. Use your core and glutes to bring the leg pad down and back after adjusting it to fit in the crook of your knee.
Firmly contract your glutes, then slowly resume your original position. Repeat by switching legs!
2. Switches
A glute kickback variation called the cable switch places special emphasis on the growth of the gluteus medius and minimus. The conventional cable glute kickback configuration is used. However, turn your foot 90 degrees to the right or left as you extend your leg back.
At the peak of the rep, tighten your glutes, then slowly return to the beginning position. Make sure to change legs and do it again!
Glute Kickback Alternatives
Numerous glute exercises provide advantages comparable to kickbacks. Donkey kicks, which are executed identically to kickbacks but with the knee bent at a 90-degree angle, are the most popular variety.
Hip thrusts and glute bridges, done with weights or a little resistance band, are reliable substitute workouts that support the development of strong muscles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Cable Kickbacks Grow Glutes?
As long as you are using a heavy enough resistance and gradually increasing the weight that you are using, the cable glute kickback can indeed help you build your glutes.
Given that the glutes may be the strongest muscle group in the body, using a lot of weight is necessary to put adequate stress on them to stimulate new muscular growth.
Should I Perform Glute Exercises Daily?
No, you shouldn’t perform glute exercises daily. The glutes require recovery time in order to strengthen themselves, just like any other muscle.
Conclusion
Consider including glute kickback movements once or twice a week in your workout programme now that you are aware of their advantages.
These glute exercises can increase gluteal muscle activation, boost the power and strength of your lower body, and help you develop a bodacious figure.
Thanks!