Setup
Attach an ankle cuff to the low pulley of a cable machine and secure it around your working ankle. Stand facing the machine, holding the frame for balance, with a slight bend in your supporting leg and your core engaged.
How to do it
- Drive your heel straight back and up, squeezing your glute hard at the top of the movement.
- Keep your working leg straight or with just a slight knee bend throughout the entire rep.
- Maintain a neutral spine by preventing your lower back from arching as you kick back.
- Control the weight as you return to the starting position without letting the weight stack touch.
- Keep your hips square to the machine and avoid rotating your torso.
Watch out for
- ✗Arching the lower back excessively to get the leg higher instead of using the glute.
- ✗Swinging the leg rapidly using momentum rather than controlled muscular contraction.
- ✗Rotating the hips and torso away from the machine, which reduces glute activation.