Can donkey kicks with ankle weights and step-ups be replaced?
📌There may be reasons to prescribe this exercise, and the main one is cultural here in Brazil. Everyone does the “quadruped” exercise, whether on a machine…with ankle weights…or on the Smith machine!! It’s all over the internet and in magazines—imagine going to the gym and eliminating this exercise.
📌Another reason that might lead to this choice is, for example, a health problem that prevents someone from performing other, more effective exercises. “So, did I waste my time?” Yes… you did.
There are better exercises…MUCH BETTER ONES! Such as deep squats… Smith machine lunges, leg presses, deadlifts…etc. Remember that there are no good or bad exercises; there are professionals who know how to use them and those who don’t!
📌A note: Some physiological “truths”: muscles aren’t modeling clay, and the idea that “this” shapes them is one of the biggest myths in the gym!
The importance of exercise tempo
Ultimately, glute growth depends on tempo (the regularity of movements) as a variable, which is more important than simply increasing the “weight,” since indiscriminately increasing the load can affect range of motion and compromise proper exercise form, and in extreme cases can cause unwanted injuries.
Exercise tempo can be prescribed as 1010, 2020, 3010, etc. The first number refers to the phase moving with the weight, while the second relates to the transition phase, from concentric to eccentric.
Remember that strength training is more than simply pulling or pushing weights at random!
According to several studies, contraction times close to 60 seconds, with repetitions lasting between 4 and 6 seconds—that is, the time in seconds—are ideal for designing hypertrophy workouts. However, we have plenty of ways to vary these stimuli.
The movement tempo for donkey kicks with ankle weights is more important as a variable than simply increasing the “weight,” since indiscriminately increasing the load can affect range of motion and compromise proper exercise form, and in extreme cases can cause unwanted injuries.
