Legs · Bodyweight
Spin Back Kick
How to do the spin back kick, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
From a fighting stance, pivot and spin your body away from the target while looking over your shoulder to spot it. Drive the rear heel straight back into the target with a thrusting motion, then return the leg and recover your stance.
- 1Glute and hamstring thrusting the heel straight back
- 2Core rotating to line up the strike
- 3A spotting glance over the shoulder before the kick
Common mistakes
- Spinning blind without spotting the target
- Leaning too far forward and losing balance
- Dropping your hands as you turn
Muscles worked
The spin back kick mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, with the lower abs, obliques, quads, calves, lower back, upper abs, and hip flexors assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the spin back kick 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.