Bear Plank Kickback
Master the Bear Plank Kickback to sculpt your glutes, stabilize your core, and build full-body control.
Description
A bear plank kickback is a bodyweight exercise that targets the abs, glutes, and shoulders. The person starts in a bear plank position and then kicks one leg back while maintaining the plank position.
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How to Do Bear Plank Kickback
- 1Setup
Begin on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Lift your knees about an inch off the ground, maintaining a flat back.
- 2Setup
Engage your core tightly, drawing your navel towards your spine, and ensure your gaze is down between your hands to keep a neutral neck.
- 3
Keeping your hips level and core braced, extend one leg straight back behind you, squeezing your glute at the top of the movement.
- 4
Slowly and with control, return the extended leg to the starting bear plank position without letting your knee touch the ground. Alternate legs or complete all reps on one side before switching.
Tips
- Focus on initiating the kickback from your glute, not by arching your lower back or using momentum.
- Keep your hips square to the ground throughout the movement; avoid rotating your pelvis as you extend your leg.
- Breathe steadily: inhale as you prepare, and exhale as you extend your leg, maintaining consistent core tension.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement to maximize muscle engagement and prevent momentum from taking over.
Common Mistakes
- ×Arching the lower back during the kickback strains the spine; fix this by actively bracing your core and limiting the height of your leg extension.
- ×Rotating the hips to lift the leg higher reduces glute activation; fix this by keeping both hip bones pointing towards the floor.
- ×Letting the knee drop to the floor between reps disengages the core; fix this by maintaining the hovering bear plank position throughout the set.
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