Glute Kickback Machine
Standing kickback machine that loads single leg hip extension with the torso supported against a pad.
How to do it
- Set the pad and footplate positions to match your height.
- Face the machine and hold the handles with your torso against the pad.
- Place one foot on the plate or settle the knee into the pad.
- Brace your abs and keep your hips square to the frame.
- Drive the leg back by squeezing the glute, stopping before the lower back arches.
- Return under control to the start, finish the set, then swap legs.
Key technique cue
Stop when the thigh stops moving back — after that your lower back is doing the extending.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pushing past the point where the hip stops moving, so the lower back extends instead.
- ✕ Letting the hips rotate open, which adds range without adding glute work.
- ✕ Bouncing off the stack at the bottom, which removes tension between reps.
- ✕ Leaning heavily on the handles, which lets the arms take load off the working leg.
Benefits
- ✓ Machine support removes the balance demand, so the glute can be trained close to failure.
- ✓ The fixed path keeps the movement at the hip rather than the lower back.
- ✓ Simple to teach, which suits beginners and large group programming.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Glute Kickback Machine
- Cable Bench Straight Leg Kickback
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Step 2
About the exercise
The glute kickback machine fixes your torso against a pad and gives the working leg a footplate or knee pad to drive back into. Because the frame handles balance, you can push closer to failure than a free standing kickback allows, and the gluteus maximus stays the prime mover with the hamstrings assisting. The upper body stays still and the range comes from the hip alone. Hip extension driven against a pad ranks with the highest gluteus maximus activation patterns tested, and the frame holds that joint action to a single path. It suits glute specialization blocks and low-skill accessory work for beginners.
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