Legs · Cable
Cable Donkey Diagonal Kickback
How to do the cable donkey diagonal kickback, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Attach an ankle cuff to a low cable column and hinge forward onto your hands or a bench. Drive the working leg back and out on a diagonal, squeezing the glute at the top, then return under control.
- 1Glute squeezing hard at the top of the diagonal drive
- 2Hips staying square to the floor as the leg travels out
- 3Controlled return rather than letting the cable pull the leg back
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to fling the leg higher
- Rotating the hips open to cheat the range
- Using momentum instead of a deliberate squeeze
Muscles worked
The cable donkey diagonal kickback mainly works the glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, lower abs, and obliques assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the cable donkey diagonal 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
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- 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.