Double Leg Butt Kick
The double leg butt kick is a small jump where both heels snap up toward your glutes at the same time, then you land and go again. It's a plyometric move driven mainly by the quadriceps, with the hamstrings doing the quick heel-snap and the calves and glutes assisting the jump. Good for warming up the legs, for short cardio bursts, and for anyone who wants a jumping drill with a shorter, quicker range than a full star jump.
Why it works
The quick heel-to-glute snap trains your hamstrings to contract fast, a skill that plain squats and lunges, done slowly, rarely touch. Layer a small jump underneath that snap and your quads and calves get a rapid loading cycle too, all inside a rep that takes barely half a second. Because the range is short, you can repeat it quickly, which is exactly what makes it double as a cardio drill: fast reps, low technical demand, heart rate climbing within seconds.
Set up
- Clear a small patch of floor with nothing at knee height around you.
- Wear shoes with some cushion, or use a firm mat.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, arms relaxed at your sides.
How to do it
- Hop lightly off the floor with both feet.
- As you're airborne, snap both heels up toward your glutes at once.
- Let your feet drop back down naturally as your heels release from the snap.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent.
- Absorb the landing before the next hop begins.
- Keep a quick, steady rhythm rather than pausing between reps.
Form cues
- Snap the heels, don't just bounce.
- Land quiet, knees soft.
- Keep the jump small and fast, not high.
- Chest tall the whole time.
Breathing: Keep breathing in a steady rhythm through the nose or mouth; don't hold your breath across a set of quick reps.
Common mistakes
Turning it into a slow high-knee march instead of a quick snap.
Fix: Speed up the tempo; the heel snap should feel closer to a flick than a controlled lift.
Landing flat-footed with a loud stomp.
Fix: Land on the balls of your feet and bend your knees on impact; quiet landings protect your joints and let you go faster.
Leaning the torso forward to help the heels come up.
Fix: Keep your chest tall; the snap comes from the hamstrings, not from bending at the waist.
Doing long sets until the snap disappears and it becomes a shuffle.
Fix: Keep sets short, 20 to 30 seconds, and rest before form drops; a crisp short set trains more than a sloppy long one.
How to program it
- Use it in intervals: 20 to 30 seconds of quick reps, then rest as long as you worked, for 4 to 6 rounds.
- As a warm-up, 15 to 20 seconds wakes up the hamstrings and calves before running or lower-body training.
- Keep it early in a session, since tired legs make the snap sloppy and turn the drill into a shuffle.
- Pairs well with squats or lunges in the same session for a complete leg-focused circuit.
Safety notes
- This is a repetitive, moderate-impact drill; if your knees or ankles dislike quick jumping, the bodyweight squat covers similar ground more gently.
- Keep the surface even and grippy so a quick foot placement doesn't slip.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- plyometrics
Frequently asked questions
What muscles do double leg butt kicks work?
Mainly the hamstrings, which do the fast heel snap, with the quadriceps and calves driving the small jump and the glutes assisting. It's a quick, low-range plyometric move rather than a strength builder.
How long should I do butt kicks for?
Short bursts work best: 20 to 30 seconds of quick reps, resting at least as long, for 4 to 6 rounds. Stop early if the snap turns into a shuffle.
Butt kicks vs high knees: what's the difference?
High knees drive the knee up toward the chest, emphasizing the hip flexors and quads. Butt kicks snap the heel toward the glute, emphasizing the hamstrings. Many warm-ups use both back to back to cover the front and back of the leg.
Are butt kicks good cardio?
In short intervals, yes: the fast tempo raises your heart rate quickly. They work well mixed into a circuit rather than as a long standalone cardio session.