How to do butt kicks properly: heel under the glutes, thigh vertical, short ground contact. With progression, common errors and an honest look at the benefit.
What do butt kicks actually do for your running? The honest answer: they are a coordination drill, not a miracle cure. While running you pull the heel alternately right under your glutes, which "simulates" a higher turnover of the running motion [1]. It trains the part of your stride you barely notice when jogging: getting the foot up after push-off.
Important up front: I found no solid study on the effect of this single drill on race times or injury rates. What the research does support is the background of why you would practise short, quick steps: raising your step rate by 5 to 10 % at the same speed shortens the stride and takes load off hip and knee [2][3]. Butt kicks are the dry-land rehearsal for that. And it is the simplest drill in the running ABC, so it is a good place to start the chain.
How hard is it, really? You learn the movement in one session. It becomes clean and relaxed after a few weeks of regular repetition.
Stand tall, eyes ahead, arms relaxed and bent. Pull one heel toward your glutes, put it down, then switch. The thigh stays vertical, the knee points down, not forward [1]. Milestone: 10 repetitions per side without tipping into a hollow back.
Walk forward and pull the heel to the glutes with every step. Keep the pace slow. You are practising the heel's path and an upright posture. Milestone: 20 metres without leaning your upper body back.
Now running comes in. The heel is pulled directly under the glutes, with short, quick steps [1]. Put the foot back down under your body, not in front of you. Your arms swing loosely in opposition. The speed stays low, the step rate goes up. Milestone: 20 to 30 metres in an even rhythm with a quiet landing.
In the "rear heel kick" version you pull the heel further toward the buttock at an easy jog. The thigh keeps its vertical position and does not tip forward. This increases the range of motion and challenges your trunk, which has to stay stable [1]. Milestone: You can bring the heel to the buttock without the thigh drifting forward.
Plan 2 to 3 passes over 20 to 30 metres and walk or jog back easily. The whole technique block takes 10 to 20 minutes, and you do not add too many drills at once [4]. Butt kicks fit well after ankle work and before high knees. Milestone: You include it twice a week in your warm-up and feel looser afterwards, not tired.
In butt kicks the hamstrings work actively. When you later increase your step rate, a modelling study found that the load on the hamstring muscles in late swing goes up [3]. The calf also takes more work from the quick spring. Practice standard: start slowly, do not do the drill when exhausted, and stop if the back of your thigh pulls or stings.
If you have a fresh muscle strain or Achilles tendon problems, leave the drill out. This guide explains and motivates, but it does not replace supervised training or a diagnosis.
Use butt kicks as a frequency check, not as a strength exercise. After the drill, jog 100 metres easily and notice how much "lighter" and shorter your steps feel. That feeling is your target for everyday running. How to raise your step rate deliberately is covered in the guide on step rate (cadence), and the other drills are in the guide "Running ABC for better technique".
Butt kicks train quickly bringing the foot up and a high step rate with short strides [1]. There is no proven direct effect of this single drill on your time. The benefit lies in coordination and in preparing for shorter, quicker steps [2].
Usually 2 to 3 passes over 20 to 30 metres in the warm-up are enough, followed by easy walking or jogging back [4]. The whole technique block takes 10 to 20 minutes. Twice a week is a sensible practical rhythm for beginners.
In the heel-under version you pull the heel right under the glutes and simulate a high step rate. In the rear version the heel goes further toward the buttock, the thigh stays vertical and the trunk has to stabilise more [1].
Usually before, while you are rested, because that is when you learn new movements best. Occasionally technique can also come at the end of a session so you learn to stay clean when tired [4].
High Knees: Knee Up, Foot Under the Body