Cable Glute Kickback

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Fix an ankle strap to the lowest setting of a cable column and fasten it above the ankle of the working leg. Face the stack and hold the frame for balance.
2. 2Starting position. Stand on the free leg with a soft knee, the trunk slightly inclined and held as one unit. The working leg starts in front of the body with the cable already under tension.
3. 3Concentric phase. Move the working leg backwards by extending the hip. The knee angle stays roughly constant and the pelvis stays level — the leg travels, the pelvis does not rotate to send it further.
4. 4End position. Stop where hip extension ends. Additional range beyond that point comes from the low back, not from the hip, and is not part of the repetition.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Return the leg forward under control until tension is highest again, without letting the stack touch down between repetitions.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Brace lightly and breathe evenly. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching.
7. 7Valid repetition. Count one repetition when the hip reaches its controlled extension range with a level pelvis and the leg returns without swinging.

Common mistakes

• Arching the back to go further

  Fix: Keep the ribs down; when the back starts to move, the repetition is already over.

• Swinging the leg

  Fix: Slow both directions until the stack is silent.

• Loading too heavy

  Fix: This is a single-hip movement with a long lever — the useful load is smaller than it looks.

• Letting the stack rest between repetitions

  Fix: Stop the return just short of touchdown so tension stays on the hip.

Safety

• Fasten the ankle strap above the ankle joint and check it before every set; a strap that slips during the repetition is the main hazard here.
• Known low-back or hip symptoms require an individually tolerated range and load; this is not a rehabilitation prescription.
• Hold the frame for balance, not to pull yourself into more range.
• A level pelvis defines the range. If it cannot be kept level, the load is too high for the current range.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionSingle-leg Glute Bridge— Train single-hip extension lying down, where balance is not part of the task.
• alternativeCable Pull-through— Load hip extension on both legs at once when a heavier stimulus is the goal.
• progressionSingle-leg Dumbbell RDL— Take the same single-hip pattern into a free-weight hinge with a balance demand.