Exercise · form guide
Glute Kickback (Cable)
- Primary muscle
- Gluteus Maximus (isolation)
- Equipment
- Cable + Ankle Strap
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Tempo
1-1-2-1
Stop when you feel your lower back take over. This is glute-only.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Slight forward lean
- Drive heel back and up
- Squeeze 1 second at peak
- Slow controlled return
Common mistakes
- Hyperextending lumbar to lift higher
- Rotating hips
Injury notes
Great APT (anterior pelvic tilt) corrective.
Progression
Volume first. Add 1–2.5kg when 15 reps land easy.
Indian gym reality
Cable stations in most tier-2 and tier-3 Indian gyms sit at the back with one shared pulley — expect a queue during peak hours (7–9 am and 6–9 pm). Bring supersets or plan this lift for off-peak windows.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Loop a resistance band around a fixed pole or rack — mimics the constant-tension profile of a cable.
Home & hostel version
Pull-ups from a doorway bar (₹500 on Amazon) are the single best home back exercise. Add a resistance band assist if you can't hit 5 clean reps.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Glute Kickback (Cable) work?
Primarily Gluteus Maximus (isolation). Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Glute Kickback (Cable) per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
My Indian gym doesn't have this machine — what do I do?
See the "If your gym doesn't have this equipment" section above — every variant listed is a legitimate substitute, not a compromise.
How often should I do Glute Kickback (Cable)?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
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