Weighted Donkey Kicks | Illustrated Exercise Guide

Primary muscles: Glutes
Secondary muscles: Thighs, hips, abs
Equipment: Dumbbells

WEIGHTED DONKEY KICKS INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get down on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, and place a dumbbell behind your right knee.
2. Flex your right foot, lift your right leg up, keeping the knee bent at a 90 degree angle, and squeeze the glutes.
3. Return to the starting position, repeat, and switch legs.

PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN

Engage your core and keep your back, head and neck flat and neutral at all times. Breathe out as you lift your leg and squeeze the glutes, and inhale as you bring your knee back to the starting position.

EXERCISE BENEFITS

The weighted donkey kicks works the glutes and helps to lift and firm your backside. This exercise also tightens the abs, strengthens the hips and sculpts your thighs.

DEMONSTRATION

SETS AND REPS

Do 2 or 3, 30 second to 1 minute sets on each side. For a bigger burn, flex your foot and, at the top of each move, slowly pulse the foot toward the ceiling for 5 seconds.

CALORIES BURNED

To calculate the number of calories burned doing weighted donkey kicks, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:

RELATED LOWER BODY EXERCISES

Try these other lower body exercises to strengthen, sculpt and tone your thighs, hips, legs and glutes:
Surrender
Standing open the gate
Lunge back kick
Booty squeeze