# Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/9797/medicine-ball-kneeling-donkey-kick/ - Media ID: 9797 - Primary muscle: Glutes - Body part: Glutes - Equipment: Medicine Ball - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/9797/medicine-ball-kneeling-donkey-kick.mp4 ## Description The Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick is a glute-focused floor exercise where you hold a medicine ball in the crease behind one knee while performing donkey kicks from a hands-and-knees position. The ball is not a weight you press with your hands; instead, you trap it by flexing your working knee, and the need to keep it in place forces that knee to stay bent throughout the entire hip extension. This small detail changes the exercise noticeably, because the glute has to drive the hip upward while the hamstrings work isometrically to hold the ball against the back of the thigh. The movement is most useful for people who want to feel their glutes working without loading the spine with a barbell. Because you are on the floor supporting yourself on your hands, the lower back only has to resist rotation and sagging rather than carry external load. That makes it a practical choice for home workouts, glute activation before heavier lower body training, or as a finishing movement after squats and hip thrusts when you want extra glute work with minimal equipment. Setup matters more here than in a regular donkey kick. If the ball is too large, your knee cannot flex enough to trap it; if it is too small or too soft, it slips out easily and you lose the tension. Start on all fours with the ball tucked behind the knee of your working leg, squeeze it in place, and keep your supporting knee under your hip. The common error is arching the lower back to lift the foot higher, which shifts work away from the glute and can leave the low back sore the next day. To execute it well, brace your trunk before every rep, then press the sole of your foot toward the ceiling by extending at the hip, not by swinging the leg. The height of the foot is irrelevant; what counts is a strong squeeze at the top where your thigh ends up roughly parallel to the floor or slightly above. Lower with control so the ball stays pinned, complete your set on one side, then switch legs. Expect to feel the glute of the working leg doing most of the work, with the hamstring holding steady to secure the ball and your shoulders, arms, and trunk stabilizing you on the support side. Because the ball adds coordination demands, most people benefit from a light to medium medicine ball first and should expect some wobble in the early sessions. Stop the set if the ball starts slipping repeatedly, since chasing it usually means your form is drifting too. ## Instructions 1. Kneel on an exercise mat and place a medicine ball on the floor behind your right knee. 2. Bend your right knee to about 90 degrees and trap the ball in the crease between your hamstring and calf, squeezing it firmly. 3. Position your hands directly under your shoulders with fingers spread, and set your left knee under your left hip as your support leg. 4. Pull your belly button in and brace your trunk so your torso forms a straight line from head to supporting hip. 5. Exhale and drive your right foot up toward the ceiling by extending the hip, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees and the ball locked in place. 6. Pause for a second at the top when your thigh is level with or slightly above your torso, and squeeze the glute hard. 7. Inhale and lower the leg under control until the knee returns near the floor without letting the ball drop or the lower back arch. 8. Complete all repetitions on the right leg, then reposition the ball behind the left knee and repeat. 9. Reset your brace between reps if you feel your trunk rotating or your hips shifting toward the working side. ## Tips & Tricks - Choose a medicine ball you can actually pinch behind the knee; if it keeps sliding out, it is either too smooth, too soft, or the wrong size for your leg length. - Keep the working knee bent at roughly the same angle on every rep. Straightening the knee mid-rep releases the ball and turns the exercise into an unstable kickback. - Watch for the classic mistake of lifting the foot by arching the lower back instead of extending the hip. If your ribs flare and your waist dips toward the floor, cut the height in half. - Press the floor away with your supporting arm so your shoulder does not sink; a collapsed shoulder will make the whole torso twist as the leg rises. - Keep the ball squeezed against your hamstring rather than your calf, since the higher contact point keeps the knee angle consistent at the top of the kick. - Do not swing the leg for momentum. The pause at the top is what makes the glute do the work; bouncing turns it into a hip flexor and low back movement. - Point the sole of the working foot toward the ceiling and think about pushing the ceiling up with your heel for a stronger glute contraction. - If your wrists bother you, make loose fists or hold onto dumbbells on the floor to keep them straighter. - Slow the lowering phase to two or three seconds if you cannot feel the glute, since dropping the leg fast removes most of the tension. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which muscles does the Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick work? The gluteus maximus of the working leg is the main mover, with the hamstrings working to hold the medicine ball behind the knee. Your trunk, shoulders, and supporting arm stabilize you throughout. ### What size medicine ball should I use for the Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick? Pick a ball you can trap securely in the bend behind your knee without straining to grip it. A light to medium ball between roughly 2 and 6 kilograms is plenty, since the goal is holding it, not lifting a heavy load. ### Why hold a medicine ball behind the knee instead of doing a regular donkey kick? The ball keeps the working knee bent at a fixed angle, which makes the glute drive the hip while the hamstring holds isometrically. It also slows the movement down and makes sloppy, swinging reps much harder to do. ### Is the Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick suitable for beginners? Yes, it is a beginner-friendly floor exercise as long as you start with a light ball and a modest range of motion. If the ball keeps slipping, practice regular donkey kicks first to learn the hip extension pattern. ### My medicine ball keeps falling out during the kick. What am I doing wrong? Usually the knee is straightening at the top of the rep or the ball is tucked too low toward the calf. Keep the knee bent around 90 degrees the whole time and squeeze the ball against the hamstring. ### How can I avoid arching my lower back during this exercise? Brace your trunk before each rep and stop lifting once your thigh is about level with your torso. If your ribs flare or your waist sags toward the floor, the height is coming from the spine instead of the hip. ### What can I use instead of a medicine ball for this movement? A small soft stability ball, a rolled towel squeezed behind the knee, or an ankle weight without any ball all work as substitutes. Without a ball, simply keep the knee bent at 90 degrees and focus on the same hip extension path. ### How many reps and sets of the Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick should I do? Two to four sets of 10 to 15 reps per leg works well, either as glute activation before training or as a finishing exercise. Prioritize a strong squeeze at the top over adding more reps once form breaks down. ### Is it safe for my knees and lower back? The knee stays bent and unweighted, so the joint is not loaded in this position, and the floor-based setup keeps spinal load low. Place a mat under your supporting knee and stop if you feel pinching in the knee or stress in the low back. ### Should I do the Medicine Ball Kneeling Donkey Kick before or after heavier lower body exercises? It works best either as an activation drill before squats, deadlifts, or hip thrusts, or as a final burnout movement afterward. As a light floor exercise it should not replace the main loaded glute work in your session.