Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Swimmer Kicks (Male): How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Swimmer kicks (male) is a bodyweight exercise targeting the glutes, with secondary emphasis on the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. It involves lying face down and performing a flutter kick motion with the legs while keeping the chest and legs elevated off the ground.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings , Quads , Calves
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the swimmer kicks (male)
Front view: muscles worked by the swimmer kicks (male). Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings, quads and calves.
Back view: muscles worked by the swimmer kicks (male). Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings, quads and calves.
Primary Secondary

How to do the swimmer kicks (male)

  1. Step 1: Lie face down on a mat with your arms extended overhead.
  2. Step 2: Engage your core and lift your chest and legs off the ground simultaneously.
  3. Step 3: Kick your legs up and down in a fluttering motion, as if you were swimming.
  4. Step 4: Continue kicking for the desired number of repetitions.
  5. Step 5: Lower your chest and legs back down to the starting position.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the swimmer kicks (male) by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Swimmer Kicks (Male) alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.