Basic to Cross Donkey Kick

GlutesBody WeightIntermediate

Perform the Basic to Cross Donkey Kick to engage your glutes and core.

  1. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
  2. Kick one leg back and up, keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees.
  3. Transition by bringing the same leg across your body towards the opposite side.
  4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

How to perform the Basic to Cross Donkey Kick

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Basic to Cross Donkey Kick using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your glutes.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your glutes rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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