Donkey kicks
This is the best exercise for a toned butt
© Prostock studio / Adobe Stock
You want a tight butt à la Kim K? Sure: Squats and Co. are a good basis for this. But a real game changer for the buttocks is another exercise: the donkey kicks.
Climbing stairs, squats, lunges, these are all effective exercises for a firm and shapely butt. It’s not for nothing that we see stars like Kim Kardashian regularly doing such an intense butt workout. A very underestimated exercise, however, ensures a firm butt just as reliably – and has a few other advantages for your fitness: the donkey kicks.
Insider fitness tip: donkey kicks for a shapely butt
Like most butt exercises, donkey kicks primarily target the gluteus maximus, the gluteus maximus, the overlying gluteus medius, and the hamstrings. Because the “donkey kicks”, as they are translated into German, are performed on all fours, you also activate your arms and abdominal muscles. They also improve hip mobility – so this exercise is worth its weight in gold, especially for people who sit a lot.
Step by step: How to practice donkey kicks © artinspiring / Adobe Stock
- You start the exercise on all fours. Make sure your hands are straight under your shoulders and your knees are straight under your hips. Your back and neck are straight.
- Now activate your core and keep it active throughout the exercise to protect your lumbar spine.
- Then first lift your right leg, the knee remains bent at a 90-degree angle and the foot flexed, i.e. bent.
- Now, using your glutes, kick your foot up with power – tighten your butt – and hold it for a moment. Make sure your hips stay parallel and you don’t slide off to one side.
- Lower the knee back down to the ground, then kick up again.
- After a few reps, switch sides. To start, practice the donkey kicks at least 20 times per side and increase the number of repetitions with each workout.
Variation of donkey kicks
If you want to intensify the effect of the exercise, you can also do it with a resistance band. To do this, you wrap the band around your thighs so that lifting and kicking with the active leg require even more strength.
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Sources used: bustle.com, healthline.com