Donkey Kicks Bodyweight is a glutes-focused exercise built around a squat pattern and performed with bodyweight. The muscular job here is to contribute to the movement, and that translates directly into overall performance in this pattern. It sits in the calisthenics category, so the emphasis falls on movement quality and repeatable output. Note the 'Donkey Kicks' component of the name: it specifies how this variation differs from otherwise similar glutes movements. 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 glutes 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. Programme it alongside your other glutes work rather than as a standalone. 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight
Uses bodyweight, which needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere.
Reinforces the quadriceps, glutes and trunk stabilisers as a coordinated unit rather than as isolated parts.
Builds strength in the glutes through a squat pattern, which carries over directly to bending and straightening the knees and hips together.
How to Perform the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight
1
Set your starting position and brace your core before the first rep.
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
Check yourself midway through the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight: your bodyweight should be moving at a steady speed, not accelerating.
5
Drive back up through the floor, keeping the glutes 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight 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. Getting this right stabilises your trunk and keeps blood pressure in a sensible range.
Tips for Proper Form
Keep the range of motion consistent across every rep so you can compare sessions honestly.
Track the knees in line with the toes and keep the mid-foot loaded.
Set your position before the first rep rather than correcting it mid-set.
Control the lowering phase — most of the glutes stimulus comes from resisting the weight, not lifting it.
Drive through your midfoot, not your toes — that keeps tension in the glutes instead of shifting it forward.
A useful check on the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight: if you can't pause for a full second at the hardest point of the rep, the difficulty is beyond what the glutes can currently control.
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
Letting the knees collapse inward as you stand up.
Do this insteadPush your knees out over your toes on the way up — cue it deliberately until it's automatic.
Letting the hamstrings and calves take over the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight.
Do this insteadIf you feel it everywhere except the glutes, reset your position and ease off the difficulty.
Adding reps indefinitely instead of increasing difficulty.
Do this insteadChange leverage or slow the tempo to keep overloading the glutes.
Variations by Experience Level
Beginner
Perform the movement slowly with a light load until the pattern feels automatic. Stay at this level until every Donkey Kicks Bodyweight rep looks the same as the first.
Intermediate
Add a one- to two-second pause at the hardest position of each repetition. Track your Donkey Kicks Bodyweight numbers so you can see whether the glutes is actually progressing.
Advanced
Slow the lowering phase to three or four seconds to accumulate tension without adding weight. Use the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight as your accessory once your main glutes lift is done for the day.
Safety Considerations
Warm up with lighter sets of the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight before your first working set.
Stop the set when technique degrades — a Donkey Kicks Bodyweight rep that no longer looks like your first one is not building anything.
The most common way the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight goes wrong is knees collapsing inward under fatigue.
Who Should Avoid This Exercise
The Donkey Kicks Bodyweight 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight 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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight?
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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight?
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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight?
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 Donkey Kicks Bodyweight?
Good substitutes that train the same glutes pattern include Dumbbell Feet Elevated Single Leg Glute Bridge, Resistance Band Standing Hip Abduction, and Resistance Band Glute Bridge Version2. Pick whichever matches the equipment you have available.
How often should I do the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight?
About 2x per week suits most people. Recovery, not frequency, is what limits progress.
About Training Your Glutes
Where the Donkey Kicks Bodyweight earns its place is repeatability — bodyweight makes the setup easy to reproduce, which is what lets you actually progress the glutes.
The glutes — primarily the gluteus maximus, with the medius and minimus on the side of the hip — are the strongest muscles in the body and the engine of hip extension. Well-developed glutes drive performance in squats, deadlifts, and sprints, and support the lower back and hips.
Hip thrusts and glute bridges load the glutes through their strongest range and are the most direct builders. Squats, lunges, and Romanian deadlifts add size through deep hip flexion, while abduction work and kickbacks target the upper and side glutes for shape and hip stability.
Focus on driving through the heels and squeezing the glutes hard at the top of each rep rather than arching the lower back.