Conditioning
Butt Kicks
Butt kicks are a running-in-place drill that alternates lifting your heels toward your glutes. They work your hamstrings and calves while raising your heart rate.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 30 sec
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, elbows bent at your sides.
- Lift one heel toward your glutes by bending your knee.
- Switch feet with a small hop, bringing the opposite heel up as the first foot lands.
- Continue alternating heel lifts for your planned time.
- Slow to a march to finish the interval.
- Come to a stop with both feet on the floor.
Form cues
- Keep your ribs over your hips
- Let your arms swing naturally
- Keep foot contacts quiet
Common mistakes
- Turning the drill into high kneesKeep your thighs mostly vertical rather than driving your knees forward.
- Forcing heel-to-glute contactLift each heel only as far as you comfortably can without forcing the knee bend.
- Rushing beyond your coordinationUse a pace that lets you maintain an even left-right rhythm.
Safety
Repeated hopping can strain your calves or irritate your Achilles tendons, especially if you increase speed or duration abruptly. Fatigue can also make landings less controlled.
- Use a level, nonslip surface with clear space around you.
- Warm up with easy walking before adding hops.
- Start with short intervals before increasing duration or speed.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain or cannot control your landings.
If you have knee, ankle, or Achilles pain, use alternating standing heel curls without hopping or ask a physiotherapist for guidance.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
No equipment needed.
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 20–30 seconds
- Rest
- 30 sec
Begin at an easy pace rather than treating each interval as a sprint.