What is a sensible starting dose for leg pull back?

Start with 2 sets of 4 kicks on each leg, resetting to a seated rest between sets rather than holding the position the whole time. Before trying it, you should be comfortable holding a static reverse plank with the hips lifted and level for 20 to 30 seconds, since the kick is added on top of that same hold.

How do you make leg pull back easier or harder?

To make it easier, keep the kicking leg lower, stopping well short of vertical, so the hips have an easier time staying level. To make it harder, kick the leg closer to vertical while holding the hips dead level, or add a brief pause at the top of each kick before lowering.

What is leg pull back good for, and who should avoid it?

It is a full posterior-chain test, holding the glutes, hamstrings, and erectors isometrically in a reverse plank while one leg adds a stability and hip-flexion challenge on top. Avoid it if you have wrist or shoulder pain in extension, since the whole set loads the shoulders and wrists behind the body, or if a reverse plank alone already strains your low back.

Advanced

Leg Pull Back

The reverse-facing counterpart to the front leg pull, this move loads the entire back of the body. Holding a reverse plank keeps the glutes, hamstrings, and erectors working isometrically to keep the hips high, while kicking a leg up adds a stability and hip-flexion challenge. The shoulders and triceps support behind you, making it a genuine full-posterior-chain test.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Hamstring
Type: Balance, Pilates, Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Sit with legs extended and place the hands behind the hips, fingers pointing toward the feet.
2
Press into the hands and heels to lift the hips into a long reverse-plank line.
3
Keep the chest open and the hips high and level.
4
Inhale and kick one leg up toward the ceiling without dropping the hips.
5
Exhale and lower the leg with control back to the support line.
6
Alternate legs, holding the hip lift steady throughout, then sit down to finish.

Tips

Drive the hips up with the glutes and hamstrings before you add the kick; do not let them sag.
Keep the shoulders down and the chest lifted so you do not collapse into the neck.
Kick only as high as the pelvis can stay level; control beats height.

Variations

Common mistakes

The fingers splay out to the sides instead of pointing toward the feet, twisting the wrists under load instead of letting them track in line with the arms.
The supporting leg's knee softens and bends as the hips lift, turning the reverse-plank line into a bent-leg bridge instead of a straight one.
As the leg kicks up, momentum from a swinging hip takes over instead of a controlled lift, and the working leg overshoots before dropping back down fast.
Tipping the head back to look up at the ceiling extends the neck past the long line the chest and hips are supposed to hold.
The breath gets held through the kick, tensing the trunk right when the hips need to stay light and level.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for leg pull back?: Start with 2 sets of 4 kicks on each leg, resetting to a seated rest between sets rather than holding the position the whole time. Before trying it, you should be comfortable holding a static reverse plank with the hips lifted and level for 20 to 30 seconds, since the kick is added on top of that same hold.
How do you make leg pull back easier or harder?: To make it easier, keep the kicking leg lower, stopping well short of vertical, so the hips have an easier time staying level. To make it harder, kick the leg closer to vertical while holding the hips dead level, or add a brief pause at the top of each kick before lowering.
What is leg pull back good for, and who should avoid it?: It is a full posterior-chain test, holding the glutes, hamstrings, and erectors isometrically in a reverse plank while one leg adds a stability and hip-flexion challenge on top. Avoid it if you have wrist or shoulder pain in extension, since the whole set loads the shoulders and wrists behind the body, or if a reverse plank alone already strains your low back.

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