Intermediate

Curtsy Cable Kickback

The curtsy cable kickback drives the working leg from behind the stance leg out on a diagonal instead of straight back, shifting emphasis toward the upper gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius. That angle trains the hip through extension and abduction together, which helps round out the shape and stability of the hip. It is a precise finisher when you want to target the side and top of the glute.

Equipment
Cables
Body part
Glutes
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Hinge, Hip Abduction
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius
Secondary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
Tertiary
Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Cuff a low cable to your working ankle and face the stack.

  2. 2

    Hold the frame for support and set a slight hinge in the torso.

  3. 3

    Sweep the working leg down and across behind your stance leg.

  4. 4

    From there, drive it back and outward on a diagonal until the glute contracts.

  5. 5

    Squeeze at the end range, then return across the body under control.

  6. 6

    Finish the reps on one leg before switching sides.

Tips

  • Keep the hips square to the stack so the glute does the crossing motion.
  • Think of drawing a diagonal line up and out to the corner behind you.
  • Avoid twisting the low back; let the hip produce the whole path.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The working leg drives straight back instead of tracing the diagonal path back and outward, turning the exercise into a standard cable kickback instead of the curtsy version.
  • The knee of the working leg bends and straightens throughout the rep, turning hip extension into a kicking motion instead of a controlled squeeze from the glute.
  • Leaning heavily onto the support frame lets the arms and shoulders absorb the effort that the standing hip and glute should be providing for balance.
  • The stance leg's knee wanders past the toes as the working leg crosses behind it, since the diagonal path shifts weight in a direction most kickback variations never ask for.
  • The return trip across the body happens fast to reset for the next rep, cutting out a controlled phase that loads the glute nearly as much as the outward drive does.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the curtsy cable kickback should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg with a light cable stack, focusing on tracing the same diagonal path every rep before adding weight. Increase the stack in small jumps once the hips stay square through the full set.
What can you do instead of the curtsy cable kickback without a cable machine?
A light band anchored low and looped around the ankle reproduces the same diagonal resistance. Without any equipment at all, a bodyweight curtsy lunge trains a similar cross-body hip pattern, though it works the leg through a squat rather than an isolated hip extension.
What is the curtsy cable kickback good for, and when should you use a straight kickback instead?
The cross-body diagonal targets the upper glute and the gluteus medius together, which makes it a useful finisher for anyone wanting more hip-shape and side-stability work than a standard kickback provides. Use a straight kickback instead if you are chasing pure hip-extension strength, since the diagonal angle here trades some straight-line power for the added abduction component.

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