Side Kick-Through Exercise – How to do it right, which muscles it involves, and variations

The Side Kick-Through is a bodyweight exercise you can do pretty much anywhere and anytime, and it involves your entire body, so all the major muscle groups get worked. In that way, it’s a good alternative to a burpee.

This video gives a good explanation of how to do a Side Kick-Through:

Key Points:

• Starting position:
  • Place your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart, directly underneath your shoulders
  • Feet on the floor, also about shoulder-width apart
  • Knees hovering above the ground (not touching the ground), lining up approximately with your belly button
  • back straight
• Movement starts:
  • Turn your left foot so that it starts to point outward, and that it’s carrying the weight of your body on its heel. Simultaenously, lift up your left hand and bring it to your chest.
  • Lift up your right foot and move it under your body, while lifting up the opposing hand and tilting your body to accommodate the movement. Extend the leg you lifted up until it’s straight, and pull the elbow of the opposing arm back all the way.
  • The outward movement is completed until both toes essentially point into the same direction.

Here’s another great video demonstrating a Side Kick-Through:

In the following video Jeff Cavaliere also demonstrates how to do a Side Kick Through, you can skip to the video to 1:40 (1 minute 40 seconds into the video).

The important point he makes here is to really do this workout with speed and intensity to get maximum benefits in minimum time. However, if this is the first time you’re doing Side Kick Throughs, just take it easy first and build the muscle memory until you can perform the movement in proper form.

Benefits of Doing Side Kick Throughs

• Side kick throughs help strengthen the shoulders, core, and glutes.
• They help improve balance and coordination.

Tips For Getting Started With Side Kick Throughs

At first, just do the movement in slow motion, and take it easy. Just go through the motion a couple of times in a really relaxed and easy going manner, before you do the actual workout (which should be done with speed and intensity).

Why?

Because it requires quite some coordination to get this movement right, and by simply doing the movement a couple of times in an easy-going manner, you will help your body and your muscles to “remember” how it’s done. It’s just one way to help your body internalize the moves involved.