Double Leg Kick: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Double Leg Kick is a mat Pilates exercise performed lying face down with the hands clasped behind the back at the sacrum, kicking both heels toward the glutes three times, then extending the legs while simultaneously lifting the chest and pulling the clasped hands away from the back. The head turning to alternate sides each rep is what threads the hamstring curl and the upper-body extension into one continuous sequence.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A Yoga Mat underneath is an optional comfort choice for cushioning the hips and ribs against a hard floor.
Why It Matters
The heel kicks and the upper-back extension both ask for range, and linking them rep after rep takes staying power and body control. A muscle at the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) drives the heel-to-glute kicks, and the lower back muscles (erector spinae) and the largest glute muscle (gluteus maximus) power the chest lift and extension that follows. The main chest muscle (pectoralis major) opens as the clasped hands pull away from the back, and the rear of the shoulder (deltoid, posterior) along with the muscles between the shoulder blades (rhomboids) work together to draw the arms back and up.
When to Do It
Double Leg Kick works well in the prone portion of a Pilates mat session, usually placed among the other back-extension exercises. Building it into two or three sessions a week gives the combined kick-and-extension pattern enough repetition to feel natural.
Anyone with a current lower back or neck issue should get individual guidance before adding this exercise, since the spinal extension at the end of each rep places demand on the lumbar spine.
Getting Ready
A few gentle heel-to-glute kicks without the extension warm up the hamstrings before the full sequence begins. A few rounds of a small chest lift, hands clasped behind the back, preview the extension the kicks will lead into.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Lie face down, hands clasped behind the back at the sacrum, head turned to one side.
2. The kick. Kick both heels toward the glutes three quick times in a row.
3. The extension. Extend the legs and simultaneously lift the chest, pulling the clasped hands away from the back.
4. The alternate. Lower back down, turn the head to the other side and repeat the sequence.
How Many, How Often
Double Leg Kick is dosed by reps, with each kick-and-extension sequence counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to combining the kick with the extension | 2 sets of 3 to 4 reps, keeping the extension smaller |
| Intermediate | The sequence flows with a fuller extension | 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps |
| Advanced | Comfortable with a full kick and a strong extension | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps |
The chest lift being driven by the back extensors, not by yanking the clasped hands, matters more here than how high the chest rises, since the arms are meant to add a stretch on top of the lift, not create it.
Modifications and Variations
As an easier version, Double Leg Kick — Hands on Lower Back rests the hands on the lower back through the extension, leaving out the arm pull and reducing the shoulder demand while the kick-and-extension pattern is still being learned.
As a harder version, Double Leg Kick — Slow Extension slows the extension phase down considerably, asking the back extensors to control the lift under sustained tension.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Kicking the heels with a loose, uncontrolled bounce. Letting the kicks turn into a quick, bouncy flick, rather than three deliberate pulses, reduces the hamstring work the movement is meant to provide. Each kick should feel purposeful, with speed as a side effect and not the goal.
Pulling hard on the clasped hands to gain height. Yanking the arms away from the back to force the chest higher shifts the work away from the back extensors that are supposed to drive the lift. The arm pull should add a gentle shoulder stretch on top of a lift the back has already produced.
Forgetting to alternate the head direction each rep. Turning the head the same way every time, without switching sides, leaves one side of the neck undertrained relative to the other. Alternating the head consistently keeps the exercise balanced across both sides.
After Your Set
Sitting back into a stretch with the hips toward the heels and the arms extended forward releases the lower back after a set built around repeated extension. A gentle cross-body shoulder stretch on each arm eases out the muscles that pulled the clasped hands away from the back.
Going Deeper
This exercise usually works well as a combined hamstring and thoracic extension challenge, since threading a heel kick directly into a back-driven chest lift asks for more sequencing than either movement alone would demand. Pulling the arms away from the back can produce a taller-looking lift than the back extensors are creating, so it’s tempting to let the arms take over. Keeping the lift driven from the back, with the arm pull added only once the chest is already rising, builds strength that muscling through with the arms never does.
Someone new to this exercise generally manages the combined sequence with a smaller extension within a few sessions, then works toward a fuller kick and extension over two to three weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- Heel kicks that stay sharp and deliberate
- A chest lift driven visibly from the back, not from an arm pull
- A head that alternates sides consistently from rep to rep
- An extension range that grows while the sequence stays controlled
A lift driven by the back with sharp, controlled kicks matters more than how high the chest rises.
Muscles Worked
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, driving the three heel-to-glute beats)
- Erector Spinae (the lower back muscles, powering the chest lift and extension)
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, powering the chest lift and extension)
- Pectoralis Major (the main chest muscle, opening as the clasped hands pull away from the back)
- Posterior Deltoid (the rear of the shoulder, drawing the arms back and up)
- Rhomboids (the muscles between the shoulder blades, drawing the arms back and up)
FAQ
Why does the head need to turn to alternate sides? Alternating the head direction each rep spreads the neck’s rotation evenly across both sides, keeping either side from carrying repeated load on its own. It’s a small detail that adds up over a full set.
Is it normal to feel the stretch more in the shoulders than the hamstrings? Both areas should feel some work, but which one feels more dominant can vary by person depending on where flexibility is already more limited. The heel kicks and the arm-pull extension are both part of the exercise.
Is some hamstring or upper back fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, fatigue through the hamstrings and upper back after several reps is expected. Sharp pain concentrated in the lower back or neck is a different matter, worth easing off for and mentioning to a doctor or physical therapist if it continues.
Is resting the hands on the lower back acceptable in place of the arm pull? Yes, resting the hands on the lower back is a reasonable way to reduce the shoulder demand while the pattern is still developing, and Double Leg Kick — Hands on Lower Back is built that way.
How often should Double Leg Kick be practiced? Two to three times a week, as part of the prone portion of a broader mat session, is enough repetition to build this combined pattern.
Related to Double Leg Kick — Hands on Lower Back as the easier version with the hands resting on the lower back and Double Leg Kick — Slow Extension as the harder version with a slowed-down extension phase.