How to do a Glute Kickback Machine

Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About Glute Kickback Machine

Sets Logged
1,369,834
Popularity Rank
77th
Difficulty
Beginner
Glutes Strength
99 mSCORE 2nd
Equipment Required
  • Photo of Glute Kickback Machine
    Glute Kickback Machine

Target muscles worked

Primary Muscles
Glutes
Secondary Muscles
Hamstrings

Instructions for Proper Form

Glute Kickback Machine is a variation on the more standard Single Leg Kickback. Unlike the standard variation, this exercise uses a machine to add resistance to the movement rather than just bodyweight. This gives you a bit more control over your resistance, and can be more easily scaled to your current capabilities. Additionally, the use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This lets you focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.

  1. Position yourself with your chest against the padding, and both hands on the handles.
  2. Balance on one leg using the handles for support, and place your opposite foot on the pedal.
  3. Engage your glutes to extend your leg out behind you.
  4. Hold this position for a moment at the end of the movement.
  5. Slowly return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your glutes.
  6. Switch sides, and repeat.

Tips & FAQs

  • Leaning Into the Weight

    While it's perfectly fine to lean forward slightly on this exercise, try to avoid using your bodyweight to push down on the cables to perform the exercise. Keep your core engaged and limit the movement to your triceps.

  • Glute Kickback Machine is also known as:

    • Kick Back Machine
    • Leg Kick Back Machine
    • Single Leg Kick Back Machine
    • Glute Kick Back Machine

Common Form Mistakes

  • Overusing Machines

    Machines are great pieces of equipment, however they do hinder your ability to develop smaller stabilizing muscles. Try to work in other variations that require you to stabilize the movement as well.

Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

Average Glute Kickback Machine standards by male, female, weight, age and height

Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.

  • beginner
    8
    reps
    40
    lbs
    1 Rep Max
    50
    lbs
  • intermediate
    8
    reps
    50
    lbs
    65
    lbs
  • advanced
    8
    reps
    55
    lbs
    70
    lbs

Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

How is this calculated?

Alternative Exercises to Glute Kickback Machine

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  2. 2. Barbell Hip Thrust

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  3. 3. Cable Pull Through

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  4. 4. Hip Thrust

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    Hip Thrust is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. This is a great beginner exercise that can help you learn and develop your glute drive, which is helpful for a number of different exercises and general movements. It’s a simple and easy to perform exercise that can help you develop strength.

  5. 5. Single Leg Kickback

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    86.2 mSCORESWAPPED 8,218 TIMES

    Single Leg Kickback is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. The exercise requires you to engage your glutes, and kick your leg back and up with your knees bent. Targeting each side independently is a great way to identify discrepancies in mobility and strength between sides.

  6. 6. Dumbbell Glute Bridge

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    69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 6,279 TIMES

    This exercise is a weighted variation of the more common Glute Bridge. Like other Glute Bridge variations, this exercise primarily targets your glutes. By placing a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this exercise. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Glute Bridge a bit more challenging.

  7. 7. Dumbbell Hip Thrust

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    This exercise is a weighted variation on the more standard Hit Thrust. By holding a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this usually bodyweight exercise. This is a great variation for adding a bit more difficulty to your Hip Thrusts.

  8. 8. Single Leg Glute Bridge

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    This exercise is a variation on the more common Glute Bridge. Like Glute Bridge, this is a bodyweight exercise that targets your glutes. By performing the exercise one side at a time, you can ensure that you aren’t compensating for any discrepancies between sides. In addition, by performing this exercise with one leg at a time, you add more instability to the movement, which can help improve muscle activation.

  9. 9. Single Leg Hip Thrust

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    Single Leg Hip Thrust is a variation on the more standard Hip Thrust. Like other Hip Thrusts, this compound exercise primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. By performing the exercise one leg at a time, you add more instability to the movement, which can help improve muscle activation and address strength discrepancies between sides. This variation provides a greater focus on single-leg strength and balance.

  10. 10. Step Up

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    Step Ups are a compound, bodyweight exercise that target your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. This exercise can be a bit more forgiving than other similar exercises, by allowing you to remain in a standing position, while still engaging the muscles in your leg. By targeting each side individually, you can ensure that you aren’t compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides.