Here are 5 resistance band exercises that will help you build strong legs and glutes! While these exercises are great for home workouts, they can also be done at the gym, or when you are traveling.
#1) Long Lever Copenhagen Plank Lift-Offs + Band Resisted Isometric Psoas March
This exercise strengthens the adductors and hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Fully extend your leg and place your ankle and foot on a stable elevated surface.
- Get into a side plank position from your forearm and ankle/foot. Your shoulder should be above your elbow.
- If this fully extended position bothers your knee/any other part of your body, opt for the bent knee variation (your knee should be bent to 90 degrees, and your knee, lower leg and foot should be on the surface).
- On the side closest to the floor, bring your knee and thigh in towards your body. For the duration of the exercise, keep your knee and thigh relatively close to your body. Do not allow your leg to get pulled away from your body.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now use your adductors and press your body away from the surface and towards the ceiling. Pause in the top position for 1-2 seconds, then return to the starting position with complete control.
- The movement during the lowering will be relatively minimal. Do not perform the “lowering” by sinking into your shoulder (see point below).
- For the duration of the exercise, push away from the floor/towards the ceiling and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
#2) Single Leg Foot Elevated Glute Bridges + Pause + ISO Banded Psoas March
This exercise strengthens the glutes and hip flexors, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Make sure you can do this exercise proficiently with bodyweight only before you add any resistance (for the glute bridge component).
Coaching Tips:
- Place a band around your feet.
- Lie on the floor, and elevate the back of your foot on a bench, chair, or another stable surface. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- In the starting position, your knee should be bent to roughly 90 degrees.
- On the working side, place your foot so it is roughly in line with your outer hip. Don’t cheat by placing your foot so it is well inside your hips. Many people do this to compensate!
- On the other side, bring your knee and thigh in towards your body.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your knee and thigh relatively close to your body. Do not allow your leg to get pulled forward.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug.
- Extend your hips by pressing through the back of your foot and using your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage. In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knee.
- In the top position, pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Return to the starting position with control.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.
#3) Band Resisted Negative Zercher Squats
This exercise strengthens the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band under the mid/back portion of your feet, and rest the band in the crease of your elbows. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Keep your forearms parallel, and pointing up towards the ceiling. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Adopt your preferred foot width and positioning. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Form a tripod foot base. Your weight should be on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now perform a squat and take 3-5 seconds and lower yourself down to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you are performing the squats, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your legs. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- Press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps.
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#4) Single Leg Band Resisted Isometric Deadlift + Band Resisted Hip Circles
This deceptively tough exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles, the muscles in the lower leg and foot, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Put your forefoot on a slider/towel. This side should serve purely as a kickstand of support.
- Loop a small resistance band around your ankles (or knees), rest a long resistance band under the mid to back portion of your foot, and hold the band in both hands. There should be a significant amount of resistance in this long band.
- On the planted side, maintain a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Get into a RDL position by hinging/pushing your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- While remaining in the hip hinge position, perform relatively circular slides with the side that is on the towel/slider.
- The challenging part…aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.
- For the duration of the exercise, on the planted side, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your posterior chain muscles (on the planted side).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Band Resisted Staggered Stance Deadlifts/RDLs
This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles.
Coaching Tips:
- Adopt a staggered stance. Figure out what stride length works and feels best for you.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Hold a long band in either hand, and place the band under the mid to back portion of your front foot. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise, and the resistance should be even on both sides.
- On the foot of the front/working leg, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Be on the forefoot of your back foot. Your front leg should be performing most of the work, and the back leg should serve as a kickstand of support.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing oranges in your armpits.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position. Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side.
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