How to do Walking Front Kicks
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Walking Front Kicks
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Walking Front Kicks are a dynamic, compound exercise that primarily targets the hip flexors, quads, and hamstrings. By incorporating a walking motion, you also engage your core for stability and improve your balance and coordination. This exercise is excellent for enhancing flexibility and warming up the lower body muscles, making it a great addition to any warm-up routine or dynamic stretching session.
- Stand with a slight bend in your knees and your feet at about hip-width apart.
- Raise your arms out to your sides so that they are parallel to the floor and and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
- Keep your core engaged, back straight, and gaze forward to maintain proper form and posture throughout the movement.
- Step forward, and kick your leg up in front of you.
- Hold this stretch by keeping your leg extended out in front of you with a slight bend in your knee.
- You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and may feel some light stretching in your glutes.
- Allow your leg to drop back towards the floor.
- Plant your foot on the ground, and repeat with the opposite side.
- Alternate sides until you’ve completed the exercise.
Alternatives & Variations to Walking Front Kicks
1. Leg Swing
12.7 mSCORESWAPPED 828 TIMESLeg Swing is an effective dynamic stretch that primarily targets the hip flexors and hamstrings. This compound exercise involves swinging your leg forward and backward, or side to side, maintaining controlled movement as you progress through the range. It’s an excellent warm-up exercise to improve mobility, flexibility, and coordination, making it easier to prepare for more intense lower body workouts.
2. Hip Hinge
13.7 mSCORESWAPPED 563 TIMESHip Hinge is a fundamental movement pattern that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. This is a compound exercise that emphasizes proper form and mechanics which are critical for many other strength training exercises like Deadlifts and Good Mornings. This movement helps improve hip mobility and stability, and is a vital component for building a strong and resilient posterior chain.
3. Walkout
14.7 mSCORESWAPPED 169 TIMESWalkouts are a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your core, shoulders, and hamstrings. The exercise involves standing with your feet hip-width apart, bending over to touch the ground, walking your hands forward until you're in a push-up position, and then walking back to the standing position. This is a great exercise for improving strength, stability, and range of motion in your core and upper body.
4. PVC Good Morning
2.2 mSCORESWAPPED 137 TIMESPVC Good Morning is a bodyweight variation on the more standard Good Morning. Like other Good Morning variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. The use of a PVC pipe helps to ensure proper form by giving you a lightweight guide. This variation is excellent for beginners learning the movement, and for warming up more advanced lifters without adding significant weight.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- PVC Pipe
5. Airplane
12.8 mSCORESWAPPED 89 TIMESAirplane is a bodyweight balance exercise that primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. By standing on one leg and extending your arms and opposite leg out, this exercise adds significant instability, helping to improve balance and muscle coordination. This is a great exercise for enhancing proprioception and functional strength, especially in stabilizing muscles.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
6. Inchworm
11 mSCORESWAPPED 84 TIMESInchworm is a compound, bodyweight exercise that targets your shoulders, chest, arms, and core. The movement involves bending at the waist, walking your hands out into a plank position, performing a push-up, and then walking your feet back towards your hands. This exercise helps improve upper body strength, core stability, and flexibility, making it an effective dynamic warm-up or conditioning movement.
7. Bear Crawl
6.1 mSCORESWAPPED 83 TIMESBear Crawl is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the core, shoulders, and legs. By moving on all fours, you engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously while also enhancing coordination and stability. This exercise adds an element of cardio, making it a great way to build endurance and functional strength, with practical benefits for overall body control and movement.
8. Lunge to Hamstring Stretch
5.2 mSCORESWAPPED 63 TIMESLunge to Hamstring Stretch is a dynamic movement that combines a standard Lunge with a Hamstring Stretch. This compound exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. By transitioning from a forward lunge into a hamstring stretch, you enhance flexibility while also promoting strength and stability. It's an excellent addition to warm-up routines to improve mobility and prepare your lower body for more intense exercises.
9. Single-Leg Cycles
12.5 mSCORESWAPPED 57 TIMESSingle-Leg Cycles is a core-centric, bodyweight exercise that targets the abdominals and hip flexors. By pedaling your legs in a cycling motion, you maintain continuous tension in these muscle groups. Performing the exercise one leg at a time can help improve coordination and balance, as well as ensure balanced muscle development by addressing any potential imbalances between sides.
10. Seated Forward Bend
12.2 mSCORESWAPPED 46 TIMESSeated Forward Bend is a flexibility and mobility exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings and lower back. By sitting with your legs extended and bending forward to reach your toes, you effectively stretch the posterior chain. This exercise helps improve your range of motion and can aid in relieving tension in the lower back. It's a great addition to your cooldown routine to enhance flexibility.