Cable Kickback

What is the Cable Kickback?

The cable kickback is a single-leg glute isolation performed with an ankle strap on a low pulley. Standing on the working leg, you extend the other leg straight back against the cable and return under control. With no other joint sharing the load, it’s a focused way to hit one glute at a time against constant tension.

Muscles worked

Primary: Glutes

The glute of the working leg is isolated, contracting to extend the hip and drive the leg back against the cable, with the strongest squeeze at full extension.

How to perform the Cable Kickback

1. Attach an ankle strap to a low cable pulley and fasten it around one ankle.
2. Face the machine and hold the frame, hinging slightly forward with a braced core.
3. Drive the working leg straight back by extending at the hip, keeping the knee only slightly bent.
4. Because this is a small-range isolation move, squeeze the glute at the end range rather than swinging far.
5. Pause at full hip extension where the glute is fully contracted.
6. Return the leg forward under control against the cable without letting it crash back.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

An isolation movement built on a single joint action: the hip extends as the leg travels backward, while the knee stays fixed so the glute does the work alone. The cable holds tension through the whole range, and the arc is short. Extend to a hard contraction behind the body, then return without swinging.

Form cues

• •Hinge forward slightly and brace your torso so the rep comes from the hip, not from arching the lower back.
• •Extend the leg straight back and squeeze the glute at the top rather than kicking high with momentum.
• •Return the leg slowly under control, keeping tension on the cable instead of letting the stack slam down.

Common mistakes

• •Arching the lower back to fling the leg higher instead of extending from the hip.
• •Using a big swinging range when the glute contraction happens in the last few degrees.
• •Rotating the torso and hip open to cheat the leg further back.
• •Letting the weight stack yank the leg forward rather than resisting the return.

Variations & alternatives

• •Cable pull-through: a bilateral cable hip extension for heavier posterior-chain loading.
• •Single-leg hip thrust: another unilateral glute movement with a longer range and heavier load potential.
• •Hip abduction machine: an isolation that trains the glutes’ other job, moving the leg out to the side.

Barbell Hip Thrust

Glutes · Barbell

Single-Leg Hip Thrust

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Machine Hip Thrust

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Banded Hip Thrust

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Glute Bridge

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Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

As an isolation move, the kickback lives in the 12–20 rep range as an accessory or finisher after compound glute work. Chase a strong contraction and controlled negatives rather than heavy weight, since the single joint tolerates volume better than load.

Frequently asked questions