Donkey Kick

Video of Donkey Kick

3-POINT SET-UP:

1. Turn the high bar pointing away from the front platform

2. Hop onto the carriage in a tabletop, quadruped position facing the back platform

3. Externally rotate the hip of the prime moving leg and place the mid foot/heel on the high bar

Body Part • Direction • Action Verb:

• PUSH the carriage away from the front platform by extending the prime moving leg. RESIST the carriage in as the knee of the prime moving leg bends.

Range of Motion:

• Fully extend the prime moving leg, stopping right before knee fully locks out. Resist the carriage back in stopping as the knee aligns with the hip at a 90 degree angle.

 Kinetic Checkpoints:

HEAD:

SAME AS PLANK

SHOULDERS:

❌ Allow the shoulders to move forward and back through the range of motion

✅ Keep the shoulders squared and slightly behind your wrists, leveled and in a neutral position throughout the range of motion

HIPS:

❌ Allow the hips to move forward and back through the range of motion

❌ Tilt your pelvis forwards, arching your low back

❌ Allow the weight to shift into the hip of the stabilizing leg

❌ Externally rotate the hip of the moving leg until your inner thigh is parallel to the floor

✅ Keep your hips squared, leveled and in a neutral position throughout the range of motion

✅ Aim for approx. 45 degree angle of external rotation (think sumo squat)

✅ Externally rotate the hip of the stabilizing leg to help keep your torso parallel to carriage throughout the movement

KNEES:

❌ Let the knee drop towards the carriage

✅ Keep your knee aligned over your mid foot (behind your toes)

Talking Points:

• Albeit the focal point of donkey kicks is the prime moving leg, it is also an anti-rotational exercise with a lot of center core/oblique focus. In order to keep the torso parallel to the moving carriage through the range of motion, add a slight external rotation to the hip of the stabilizing leg.

• This is an excellent exercise for the glute medius and deep hip rotators.