Cable exercise

Cable Kickback form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The cable kickback is a standing hip extension performed with an ankle cuff attached to a low pulley, isolating the gluteus maximus with smooth, constant tension from a stretched position through full lockout. Lifters use it as a hypertrophy accessory to add glute volume after compound lifts, since the cable's resistance curve keeps the muscle loaded at the squeeze where bands and free weights often go slack.

Cable Kickback illustration

How to do Cable Kickback

  1. 1Attach an ankle cuff to a low pulley, strap it to one ankle, and face the machine holding the frame for support.
  2. 2Hinge slightly forward at the hips, brace your core, and shift your weight onto the non-working leg.
  3. 3Exhale and drive the cuffed leg straight back and slightly up, squeezing the glute at full hip extension.
  4. 4Keep your lower back neutral; if your spine arches to gain height, shorten the range.
  5. 5Inhale as you let the leg return forward under control until you feel a stretch in the glute, then repeat before switching sides.

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Track Cable Kickback in Plates

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