Can you kick your own butt?

January 16, 2006 7:05 PM

Can you kick your own butt?

Tonight in pilates class, we were doing this exercise where you lay flat on your stomach with your arms at your side, and you kick at the knee back toward your butt. Even though the teacher said not to, I was looking around at the other students (all women), and noticed while I could actually connect my foot to my butt, no one else came close. Am I a freak of nature? How many other people (women and men) can kick their own butt?

posted by ThePinkSuperhero to health & fitness (64 comments total)

I can't believe I just did this, but I had to know. Yes, I can kick my own butt.
posted by amro at 7:07 PM on January 16, 2006

(Oh, and I'm female, if you're keeping track.)
posted by amro at 7:10 PM on January 16, 2006

I can very easily. Because I'm a tough ass.
posted by Brittanie at 7:14 PM on January 16, 2006

No. And I think I just pulled something...
posted by youcancallmeal at 7:17 PM on January 16, 2006

yes. easy. male. 24.
posted by Nothing at 7:18 PM on January 16, 2006

I have a feeling this is a big joke designed to get everyone to try to kick their own butt, and it worked. And yes, although I should have stretched first.
posted by puke & cry at 7:18 PM on January 16, 2006

I (male) just did it while standing (on one foot, obviously). I don't think it's that unusual.
posted by bunglin jones at 7:19 PM on January 16, 2006

I can and often do, it's pretty much my best party trick. (girl)
posted by birdie birdington at 7:20 PM on January 16, 2006

No, but I have suuuuuper tight quads. I'm continally amazed at the flexibility of the people around me in yoga class, and I fear they're always looking at me thinking "Why can't that girl make her leg do X?"

So, thanks for feeding into the paranoia, there.

(Although, also, if the teacher said *not* to hit your butt, maybe the other students were specifically keeping their legs higher than you were?)
posted by occhiblu at 7:21 PM on January 16, 2006

Just tried. No, not even close. 36 yo unlimber male.
posted by Dag Maggot at 7:21 PM on January 16, 2006

My butt has been kicked. Male.
posted by saraswati at 7:21 PM on January 16, 2006

Hrmm. Yes. Both standing and lying down, and I think I nearly pulled something badly the first time. I cannot, however, hold my foot to my butt, I must swing it very hard. Even then, it doesn't make a very strong contact.

Oh, and I can do it much better with my left leg than with my right.

F/19
posted by stray at 7:43 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes. I can also punch myself in the nuts, bite my tongue, and make self-deprecating remarks. M/47
posted by TimeFactor at 7:45 PM on January 16, 2006

It works better with my right leg than my left, to my surprise, but yeah, pretty easy.
posted by furiousthought at 7:45 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes, with both legs, standing and lying on my stomach. I can kick it, I can hold it there, whatever.

I'm a 32 year old woman, and naturally fairly bendy. And naturally in need of frequent asskickings, so it's got some built-in convenience.
posted by padraigin at 7:51 PM on January 16, 2006

My wife came in the office as I was trying to kick my butt. I explained this post while on the ground. All I got was the 'stare', which is equlavent to a butt kicking.
posted by alteredcarbon at 7:56 PM on January 16, 2006

oops, equivalent
posted by alteredcarbon at 7:56 PM on January 16, 2006

I, also, can kick my own ass, although 'twasn't always the case. Definitely a factor of quad flexibility.

In fact, the ability to kick one's own ass repeatedly, at speed, is key in developing fast, powerful kicks for use on other people's asses.
posted by coriolisdave at 7:57 PM on January 16, 2006

Is it sadder to kick your own butt or sit around and discuss if you can with your roommate?

If you're curious...while we haven't actually tried in a while, both of us have been successful in the past and are fairly confident we'd be able to do it if we wanted.
posted by nadawi at 8:05 PM on January 16, 2006

Affirmative. But I can't make contact with any velocity.
posted by danb at 8:07 PM on January 16, 2006

2500 years ago, Spartan women earned the nickname "thigh flashers" from their Athenian cohorts for doing this a form of excercise. About half way down this page, under the section
'Spartan "thigh flashers," you can get the whole story.
posted by paulsc at 8:08 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes, no prob -- in fact, I can rest my foot on my ass. M/22
posted by fourstar at 8:10 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes, easily. Thanks for the laugh.
posted by smich at 8:11 PM on January 16, 2006

Only with my heel, but with enough practice, probably with my toes.
posted by furtive at 8:26 PM on January 16, 2006

Nope. 27m. My leg muscles are pretty big, though. That's my excuse. I'm also really unflexible and inflexible. I can't bend down and touch my toes either.
posted by 6550 at 8:29 PM on January 16, 2006

Yep, standing up and lying down. Male/23
posted by dead_ at 8:35 PM on January 16, 2006

HAY EVERYONE A/S/L?

21m. Both legs are ass-kick compatible. I generally do that to other people, but this was a nice exception. Thanks.
posted by dihutenosa at 8:38 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes. Thin but very inflexible M/25.
posted by Ryvar at 8:41 PM on January 16, 2006

easily, but I've been doing yoga for the better part of a decade.
22, female.
posted by ruevian at 8:41 PM on January 16, 2006

Easily, although I'm very flexible. 20, male
posted by charmston at 9:01 PM on January 16, 2006

yes, male, 32.
posted by exlotuseater at 9:12 PM on January 16, 2006

yes, chic, 23, w/knee injury
posted by idiotfactory at 9:18 PM on January 16, 2006

No, I measured my heel at 9-1/2" away from my ass as the closest I can get. My calf comes up against the muscle on the back of my leg (hamstring?) and the muscles won't compress. I'm feeling very, very sad now. 22, male, college rugby player - my legs get a lot of work. I can't believe I actually got a ruler out for this.
posted by Derive the Hamiltonian of... at 9:27 PM on January 16, 2006

22/male...I cant kick my own butt and i think i just pulled something...
posted by deeman at 9:28 PM on January 16, 2006

I'm a pretty flexible 40yo male sometime yogi who can't do it because my calf and thigh muscles meet before my heel hits my gluteus.
posted by nicwolff at 9:28 PM on January 16, 2006

no, 48, but i used to be able to do that ... i guess my buddy jack daniels will have to help
posted by pyramid termite at 9:29 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes. Both legs. 31/M. I also just kicked myself in the nuts because they are so large and hang so low.
posted by emelenjr at 9:29 PM on January 16, 2006

yep can kick my own butt. i can do it in that pilates move as well. as an aside, being 5'2", i know others that cant stand from a sitting position on the floor (i can go from indian style to standing without using my hands) and always attributed certain acts of flexibility to my shorter stature.
posted by c at 9:30 PM on January 16, 2006

further tales from the household of nadawi...

the roommate (22/f) verified, in the kitchen by herself, that she can kick her own ass while jumping.

a close friend (30/m) came over and he can't kick his ass from a standing position, but he can if he jumps, kicking both hells up. this also causes his shoe to fly off and make us all afraid for a minute that he shattered the window. he, in fact, only knocked over a tin of pennies.

after this display the aformentioned roomie tested in a room full that she can in fact kick her ass from a standing postion, but it's harder with her left foot.

this thread+buzz=happy nadawi
posted by nadawi at 9:48 PM on January 16, 2006

I just got back from swimming (and am new at it) so I won't try right now, but when I was a sprinter in high school, the last thing I'd do before a race as I was walking to the blocks was to jump up in the air and kick my own butt. I did it before basketball games, too. I found it helped me limber up quite a bit.

I now claim to have invented the move, but (don't tell anyone) I aped it from sprinters on TV.
posted by synecdoche at 9:59 PM on January 16, 2006

i can go from indian style to standing without using my hands

c: I thought I was weird or something. I do that, too. I'm 6'1", but I have a martial arts background.
posted by exlotuseater at 10:14 PM on January 16, 2006

FunnY! I could when I was a kid cuz it was a contest amongst ourselves to kick our own butts. I haven't tried lately but if you're willing to wait... Nope, can't do it anymore. I hope no-one saw that.
posted by Mr T at 10:26 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes. 25M. Right can connect to both "cheeks." Left only to the left. All in the name of Science!
posted by ktrey at 11:02 PM on January 16, 2006

Yes, no problem at all. I'm a 24 year-old male. The only damage was to my dignity.
posted by number9dream at 11:13 PM on January 16, 2006

Yup, self-ass-kicking is enabled. Male, 32.

The funny thing is, I've always thought of myself as pretty inflexible, as sitting full-lotus (cross-legged, both feet on opposite thighs) is an act of torture after about ten seconds.

Ass kicked, selfesteem boosted!
posted by Drastic at 12:22 AM on January 17, 2006

We used to have to run around the field kicking our own asses during soccer practice.
posted by joshuaconner at 12:25 AM on January 17, 2006

Indeed I can kick my own ass. 26 f
posted by By The Grace of God at 12:57 AM on January 17, 2006

I often kick my own butt while reading/doing a crossword. *shrugs*
posted by Radio7 at 12:59 AM on January 17, 2006

I just kicked my butt. I did not faint.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:07 AM on January 17, 2006

In my yoga class this morning, we were on hands and knees. We extended a leg out in the air behind us, and the instructor told us to bend our leg and, and I quote, "kick your butt".

I could not, due to a recent hip injury that's made me a bit inflexible. The others in class had no trouble, and some were kicking themselves rather hard.
posted by ewagoner at 5:45 AM on January 17, 2006

No, but like nicwolff, it's because my legs get in my way. I can do it if I use my hands.

However, I can also stand from sitting Indian style and my shoulders are superflexible. So there.
posted by dame at 6:09 AM on January 17, 2006

I'm a 37 year old male and I can kick my own butt.
posted by substrate at 6:11 AM on January 17, 2006

Yup, easily. Male, 25.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:12 AM on January 17, 2006

Yes, though my calves get in the way like dame and nicwolff mentioned. If I put a bit of kicky effort into it I can do it easily, both standing and lying down. 23, female.
posted by cmyk at 6:32 AM on January 17, 2006

Success! Male, 26. (Full disclosure: Despite the fact that I have a sedentary job and exercise maybe an average amount, I have really flexible legs. I can touch the ground with my knees in a butterfly stretch.)
posted by Plutor at 6:34 AM on January 17, 2006

Er, of course I can. Male, 28.

To liven up the excercise, I also discovered that if you kick your left cheek with your right foot and vice versa, then your right cheek with your right foot and vice versa, you end up with a maneuver akin to River Dancing with your knees on backwards.
posted by jack_mo at 8:07 AM on January 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

I used to be able to do this easily. I just tried now, though, and I can't. But I'm about 20 pounds heavier than I was last time I tried, so this may have something to do with it. Male, 26.
posted by fidelity at 8:09 AM on January 17, 2006

I can do the butt-kicking thing, what plutor referred to, and apparently also standing from cross-legged w/ no hands (have never tried that one before). Of course, I attribute this to my mother's Ehler-Danlos, so YMMV.
posted by artifarce at 8:26 AM on January 17, 2006

m/28, can't (6'2", 190lb). I walk 2+ miles per day, I wonder if that matters? Can't even touch it by flinging my foot in that direction as if to kick it.
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:36 AM on January 17, 2006

I can. Both legs, too. 31, M.

I can also stand from a cross-legged sitting position without putting my hands on the floor - I do need to press on my knees though. Does that count?

I can also do that thing marching band leaders do, where they bend over backwards to touch the top of the hat to the ground. I do not have a marching band hat but if I did I could touch it, and then stand up again. Don't try this one at work though, there's a good chance that you will lose your balance and land on your noggin.

Oddly enough I am not nearly as flexible in the other direction, thanks to a disc injury. I used to be able to put my palms flat on the floor but now am unable to even touch my toes.
posted by caution live frogs at 10:25 AM on January 17, 2006

it hurts my knees :(
posted by suni at 3:04 PM on January 17, 2006

Yes, easy. Female, 36.
posted by scody at 3:35 PM on January 17, 2006

No! Female, 28, runner and soccer player. I thought I would be able to do it.
posted by emd3737 at 6:57 PM on January 17, 2006

Female, 19, easily. Might be a case of recent flexibility training, though.
posted by cynthia_rose at 1:49 PM on January 20, 2006