10 Best Double Leg Butt Kick Alternatives for Home and Gym

The Double Leg Butt Kick is done standing. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Prowler Sprint. Five harder versions, among them the Linear 3-part Start Technique and the High Knee Against Wall, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Double Leg Butt Kick

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Double Leg Butt Kick

The steps for the Double Leg Butt Kick itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Hamstrings, with abductors, adductors, calves, glutes, hamstrings · Bodyweight · Beginner · Isolation

  1. Begin standing with your knees slightly bent.
  2. Quickly squat a short distance, flexing the hips and knees, and immediately extend to jump for maximum vertical height.
  3. As you go up, tuck your heels by flexing the knees, attempting to touch the buttocks.
  4. Finish the motion by landing with the knees only partially bent, using your legs to absorb the impact.

The 10 Best Double Leg Butt Kick Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Double Leg Butt Kick on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Prowler Sprint

    1. Prowler Sprint

    75% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the hamstrings.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Place your sled on an appropriate surface, loaded to a suitable weight. The sled should provide enough resistance to require effort, but not so heavy that you are significantly slowed down.
    2. You may use the upright or the low handles for this exercise. Place your hands on the handles with your arms extended, leaning into the implement.
    3. With good posture, drive through the ground with alternating, short steps. Move as fast as you can for a short distance.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Double Leg Butt Kick
  3. High Knee Against WallPlay demonstration

    Progression

    3. High Knee Against Wall

    74% match

    Cardio · Beginner · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the heart and lungs rather than the hamstrings.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Stand facing a wall with your feet hip-width apart.
    2. Place your hands on the wall for support.
    3. Engage your core and lift your right knee up towards your chest, while keeping your left foot on the ground.
    4. Quickly switch legs, bringing your left knee up towards your chest and lowering your right foot back down.
    5. Continue alternating legs in a running motion, bringing your knees up as high as possible.
    6. Maintain a fast pace and keep your upper body stable throughout the exercise.
    7. Repeat for the desired duration or number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: your heart and lungs, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick

  4. Progression

    4. Wheel Run

    74% match

    Cardio · Intermediate · Compound

  6. Single-cone Sprint Drill

    6. Single-cone Sprint Drill

    73% match

    Quadriceps · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it works the quadriceps rather than the hamstrings.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. This drill teaches quick foot action. You need a single cone. Begin standing next to the cone with one arm back and one arm forward.
    2. Chop the feet as quickly as possible, blocking with the arms. Circle the cone, keep your knees up, with violent foot action.
    3. Rest after three trips around the cone.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Double Leg Butt Kick
  7. Bench Sprint

    7. Bench Sprint

    71% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it works the glutes rather than the hamstrings.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Stand on the ground with one foot resting on a bench or box with your heel close to the edge.
    2. Push off with your foot on top of the bench, extending through the hip and knee.
    3. Land with the opposite foot on top of the box, returning your other foot back to the start position.
    4. Continue alternating from one foot to another to complete the set.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, not hamstrings
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Double Leg Butt Kick
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Double Leg Butt Kick

How to Choose the Right Double Leg Butt Kick Substitute

Select a substitute based on your goal, pain history, and available equipment. For strength and hypertrophy prioritize eccentrically loaded moves like Nordic curls or slow single‑leg RDLs with controlled descents; cue: lower on a 3–4 second tempo. For knee sensitivity pick supine glute bridges or prone hamstring curls to activate the hamstrings with less knee compression; cue: press through the heels and squeeze the hamstrings at peak contraction. For sport transfer favor unilateral hip hinges to improve force transfer and pelvic stability, then progress range of motion or reduce assistance as control improves.

Double Leg Butt Kick FAQ

What muscles does Double Leg Butt Kick work?

The Double Leg Butt Kick primarily targets the hamstrings by driving rapid knee flexion and training eccentric control; it also engages the glutes for hip extension and the calves for ankle stabilization. Cue: pull the heels toward the glutes while keeping a neutral spine to focus hamstring activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Double Leg Butt Kick?

Yes, you can build hamstring muscle with other focused, progressive exercises that increase eccentric load and time under tension. Use movements like Nordic curls, single‑leg RDLs, and slow‑tempo glute bridges while increasing reps, range of motion, or reducing assistance; cue: control the descent and squeeze the hamstrings at the top of each rep.

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