Legs · Bodyweight
Kneeling Bent Leg Kickback
How to do the kneeling bent leg kickback, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keeping one knee bent at ninety degrees, drive that heel up toward the ceiling until your thigh is in line with your torso, then lower under control without letting your lower back arch.
- 1The glute of the working leg squeezing as you drive the heel up
- 2A square, stable torso with no twisting through the hips
- 3Core braced so your lower back stays flat, not arched
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back to lift the leg higher
- Rotating your hips open toward the working side
- Swinging the leg up with momentum instead of squeezing
Muscles worked
The kneeling bent leg kickback mainly works the glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and lower abs assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the kneeling bent leg kickback for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
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- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.