If you are building out hamstrings training, the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) is a beginner-level option that uses bodyweight. Mechanically, the target muscles contribute to the movement — the reason this exercise carries over to overall performance in this pattern. What separates this variation from other hamstrings work is that it is emphasising a lateral movement path — a detail that changes which fibres take the load and how much stability the movement demands. The 'Bent Leg Side Kick' designation is not cosmetic — it tells you the specific setup and line of pull that separates this from its close relatives. Support comes from the glutes, hamstrings, and calves; the glutes in particular help extend and externally rotate the hip, which is why fatigue there often shows up before the hamstrings is fully worked. Training this with bodyweight needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere, though it is harder to load progressively once you outgrow it. Most lifters place the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) in the early portion of a hamstrings session. The pattern is accessible enough to learn in a single session, which makes it a sound entry point before progressing to heavier or more complex variations.
Muscles Worked
The Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) is primarily a legs exercise, but it is never only the legs doing the work.
Legs
75%
Glutes
42%
Hamstrings
32%
Calves
22%
Legs (primary) — These fibres contribute to the movement, and they carry the majority of the load in this movement.
Glutes (secondary) — Assists by helping to extend and externally rotate the hip, contributing to hip power, posture and lower-back protection.
Hamstrings (secondary) — Assists by helping to bend the knee and extend the hip, contributing to hip power, sprinting and knee joint balance.
Calves (secondary) — Assists by helping to point the foot downward at the ankle, contributing to ankle stiffness, walking and jumping mechanics.
Benefits of the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)
Reinforces the quadriceps, glutes and trunk stabilisers as a coordinated unit rather than as isolated parts.
Uses bodyweight, which needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere.
Builds strength in the hamstrings through a squat pattern, which carries over directly to bending and straightening the knees and hips together.
How to Perform the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)
1
Kneel with your hips stacked over your knees and your ribs down, holding your bodyweight.
2
Break at the hips and knees together, keeping your weight through the midfoot.
3
Descend to a depth you can control with a neutral spine.
4
Through the whole Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling), keep the effort in the hamstrings — if you lose that connection, stop and reset.
5
Drive back up through the floor, keeping the hamstrings working the whole way.
6
Reset your position between reps if it drifts, rather than working through a bad setup.
Your Goal General Fitness
Sets
2–3
Reps
10–15
Rest
60s
Breathing Technique
The general rule for the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) is simple: inhale and brace at the top, exhale through the ascent. For heavier sets, take a breath in at the start position, brace as though bracing for a punch, and hold that pressure through the hardest part of the rep before exhaling. If your breathing falls apart, it is usually the first sign the set has gone past useful.
Tips for Proper Form
Keep the range of motion consistent across every rep so you can compare sessions honestly.
Set your position before the first rep rather than correcting it mid-set.
Track the knees in line with the toes and keep the mid-foot loaded.
Control the lowering phase — most of the hamstrings stimulus comes from resisting the weight, not lifting it.
Keep the a lateral movement path deliberate rather than letting momentum carry it.
Take a big breath at the top and brace before you descend — that intra-abdominal pressure is what protects your spine under load.
Log your Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) numbers each session. The hamstrings responds to gradual, tracked increases far more reliably than to hard sessions you can't repeat.
Because there's no external load to hide behind, form is the only variable. Regress the movement before you let it get sloppy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rising hips-first, which turns the squat into a good morning.
Do this insteadLead with your chest and drive hips and shoulders up at the same rate.
Treating the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) as a warm-up movement and never progressing it.
Do this insteadGive it real working sets — the hamstrings needs a genuine stimulus, not a token effort.
Rushing reps because there's no weight to slow you down.
Do this insteadUse a deliberate tempo; without external load, time under tension is your main lever on the hamstrings.
Variations by Experience Level
Beginner
Reduce the load and perform the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) for higher repetitions, focusing entirely on position rather than weight. Treat the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) as skill practice at this stage — the hamstrings adapts plenty from clean reps.
Intermediate
Add a one- to two-second pause at the hardest position of each repetition. Alternate harder and easier Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) sessions rather than pushing every one.
Advanced
Add a drop set on the last working set to extend the stimulus beyond your normal stopping point. Small, tracked increases on the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) beat occasional maximal efforts.
Safety Considerations
Stop the set when technique degrades — a Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) rep that no longer looks like your first one is not building anything.
Warm up with lighter sets of the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) before your first working set.
The most common way the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) goes wrong is knees collapsing inward under fatigue.
Who Should Avoid This Exercise
The Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) suits most healthy trainees, but it is not appropriate for everyone.
Anyone with an acute lower-back injury or disc irritation, until cleared to load the spine again.
Anyone experiencing sharp, localised or radiating pain during the movement — that is a signal to stop, not to push through.
This is general educational information, not medical advice. If you are managing an injury or medical condition, check with a qualified professional before adding this exercise to your programme.
What muscles does the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) work?
It primarily trains the legs, with the glutes, hamstrings, and calves assisting. The pattern is classified as squat, so the quadriceps, glutes and trunk stabilisers share the workload.
Is the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) suitable for beginners?
Yes. It is rated beginner-level, and the pattern can usually be learned in a single session with light resistance.
How many sets and reps should I do?
A practical starting point is 3 sets of 6-8, resting 2-3 min between sets, roughly 2x per week. Adjust from there based on how you recover.
What equipment do I need for the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)?
You need bodyweight. This needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere, though it is harder to load progressively once you outgrow it.
How do I breathe during the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)?
As a general rule, inhale and brace at the top, exhale through the ascent. Avoid holding your breath for the entire set.
What is the most common mistake with the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)?
Knees collapsing inward under fatigue. The simplest correction is to track the knees in line with the toes and keep the mid-foot loaded.
What can I do instead of the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)?
Good substitutes that train the same hamstrings pattern include Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Dumbbell, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, and Hammer Strength Iso-lateral Leg Curl Single Leg. Pick whichever matches the equipment you have available.
How often should I do the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)?
About 2x per week suits most people. Recovery, not frequency, is what limits progress.
About Training Your Hamstrings
Within hamstrings training, the Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling) is the bodyweight variation to reach for when you want a squat pattern you can repeat consistently.
The hamstrings run down the back of the thigh and perform two jobs: bending the knee and extending the hip. Strong hamstrings balance the quads, protect the knee, and are essential for sprinting and powerful hip extension.
Train them with two movement types. Knee-flexion work — lying and seated leg curls — targets the hamstrings directly, while hip-hinge movements like the Romanian deadlift, good morning, and Nordic curl load them through a powerful stretch. Combining both builds fuller, more resilient hamstrings than curls alone.
On hinges, push the hips back with a flat back and feel the stretch rather than rounding the spine. A slow lowering phase dramatically increases the training effect.