Kick out Sit
- Target muscle
- Hamstrings, Quadriceps
- Synergist muscles
- Adductor Magnus, Soleus
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Thighs
- Type
- Strength
The Kick out Sit is a bodyweight floor exercise rooted in calisthenics and floor gymnastics that builds hamstring and quadriceps strength while developing hip mobility. Starting from a seated position, you shift your weight onto your hands and extend both legs outward simultaneously. The adductor magnus and soleus assist throughout the movement, making it an effective lower-body conditioning drill with no equipment required.
How to do the Kick out Sit
- 1Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and your hands placed just behind your hips with fingers pointing forward or slightly outward.
- 2Engage your core and press firmly through your palms to lift your hips slightly off the floor, shifting your weight onto your hands and feet.
- 3In one controlled motion, press your hips higher off the ground and kick both legs straight out in front of you, letting your heels travel forward until they reach the floor.
- 4Finish with your legs together and extended, weight shared between your hands and heels, and your body in a straight line from heels to shoulders — hips level, not sagging.
- 5Hold the extended position for a brief moment, feeling the tension through your hamstrings and quadriceps.
- 6Reverse the movement with control by bending your knees and drawing your heels back under your hips, keeping your hips lifted.
- 7Lower your hips to the floor to return to the seated start position and complete one repetition.
Form tips
- Press through your fingertips, not just your palms, to distribute the load across your wrists and maintain a stable base as you kick out.
- Initiate the kick by driving through your heels rather than lifting from the knee — this recruits the hamstrings more effectively at the start of the extension.
- Keep your core braced throughout the entire movement; a loose midsection will cause your hips to sag and reduce the demand on the quadriceps during the kick.
- Use a smooth, coordinated timing between the hip lift and the leg extension — the two actions should happen together rather than sequentially so the hips stay high through the whole extension.
- If wrist discomfort limits you, try making fists or using push-up handles to keep the wrist in a neutral position during the weight-bearing phase.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips drop during the kick-out, which reduces hamstring and quadriceps engagement and places excessive compression on the wrists.
- Kicking one leg at a time rather than both simultaneously, which changes the movement pattern and removes the bilateral coordination demand the exercise is designed to develop.
- Using momentum from swinging the torso forward instead of pressing through the hands to lift the hips, which shifts the load away from the legs and reduces the training stimulus.
- Allowing the elbows to bend during the support phase, which destabilizes the base and can cause the hips to collapse before the legs are fully extended.
- Rushing through the return phase and dropping back to the floor instead of lowering with control, which eliminates the eccentric training benefit and increases the risk of wrist impact.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Kick out Sit work?
The Kick out Sit primarily targets the hamstrings and quadriceps. The adductor magnus assists with hip control during the extension, and the soleus is active during the weight-bearing and leg extension phase.
Is the Kick out Sit good for beginners?
It is moderately accessible for beginners with reasonable wrist and hip mobility. Start slowly, focus on pressing through the hands to lift the hips cleanly, and use a mat for wrist comfort. Mastering the timing between the hip lift and leg kick is the main learning curve.
How is the Kick out Sit different from an L-sit?
An L-sit holds the legs extended in the air with no foot support, in a static position. The Kick out Sit is dynamic — you kick the legs out until the heels reach the floor, then draw them back in, repeatedly. The L-sit demands prolonged isometric strength, whereas the Kick out Sit trains the extension and the controlled return.
Can I do the Kick out Sit every day?
Because it uses only body weight and the movement is relatively low impact, it can be included in daily mobility or calisthenics warm-ups. However, if you are training it for strength at higher volumes, allow at least one rest day between sessions to let the hamstrings and quadriceps recover.
What exercises pair well with the Kick out Sit?
The Kick out Sit pairs well with other bodyweight floor movements that develop hip mobility and leg strength, such as deep squats, lunges, and hip flexor stretches. Including it as part of a calisthenics warm-up or active recovery circuit helps reinforce the hip and leg coordination it develops.
