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Don’t underestimate the power of enhancing your workouts with a strength training add-on as simple as a resistance band. Unlike dumbbell and kettlebell routines, resistance band leg workouts put less pressure on your joints and can target small and large muscle groups simultaneously. “Resistance bands are great because you can bring them with you anywhere, and there are varying degrees to make it more challenging, or scale it back,” says Betina Gozo, Nike master trainer and creator of STRONG With Betina Gozo: Total-Body Fitness in Under 20 Minutes.
Meet the Experts: Marisa Golan, a certified personal trainer, Base Ops Fitness Coach at Fort Athletic Club, and owner of e(M)powered personal training; Betina Gozo, Nike master trainer and creator of STRONG With Betina Gozo: Total-Body Fitness in Under 20 Minutes; Jonathan Tylicki, NASM certified personal trainer and director of education for AKT, et al.
When faced with your first band, though, it can be tricky to know where to start. Below, experts share beginner-friendly resistance band workouts for leg day, plus how they work to tone and firm everything from the waist down. But first, some important education:
What are resistance bands good for?
Resistance bands force you to move with better form and produce power from the right muscles, Gozo says. If you suffer from knee pain, they’re especially handy for strengthening the muscles around the joint. When you contract a muscle wearing one, it helps distribute tension equally, limiting strain and potential injury, adds Jonathan Tylicki, NASM-certified personal trainer and director of education for AKT. Using resistance bands can elicit the same strength benefits as using machines or free weights, but with more efficiency and control. “You get constant tension in all phases of the exercise—the concentric contraction, the eccentric lengthening and isometric isolation,” he explains.
Plus, resistance bands are a great option for anyone. Beginners can benefit from the extra form support and more advanced athletes can easily increase the difficulty by adding resistance, says Marisa Golan, a certified personal trainer, Base Ops Fitness Coach at Fort Athletic Club, and owner of e(M)powered personal training.
“The external feedback of the resistance can help you adjust your stance or think about activating certain muscles to get the most out of the exercise,” Gozo agrees. “For example, if you’re someone that tends to let their knees cave in when you squat, placing a resistance band above your knees is a good reminder to drive your knees out,” she says.
How to choose the right resistance band
A resistance band is an elastic band that applies force and resistance to muscles as it is elongated, says Tylicki. They come in flat- and tube-form. They can be one piece or be looped in a circle, and may or may not have handles—each work a little differently.
Loop bands, both large and small, can work all muscle groups, says Tylicki. But large loop bands are ideal for leg workouts “because they’re easier to use for big muscle group exercises, like squats where you stand on the band and loop it over your shoulders,” he says. If you have a large loop band, you can also double it up or tie it at a point to make it smaller and use more like a mini band. “Mini bands are great for smaller range of motion exercises because they have a close loop of tension,” Tylicki adds.
Here are some bands that our experts recommend adding to your collection:
- The X Bands. For lower body movements, Golan likes to use a grippy looped resistance band so they don’t ride up. She likes X Bands for their quality, and they come in packs of multiple bands, so you can choose how much resistance you want to use.
- Women’s Best Resistance Band. Choose from light, medium, or heavy resistance with Golan’s go-to looped cloth band. This option stays in place and is great for those who don’t love the feel of rubber material.
- A mini loop band is most widely used for lower body exercises, hence the nickname “booty band,” says Tylicki. “Theraband is one of the most reputable and durable brands of resistance band, boasting a large array of resistance levels.”
Now that you’re prepared with all the band knowledge you need, here are some resistance band leg workouts to get you started—only one medium to heavy band and a yoga mat are required.
Resistance band workout moves
1
Fire Hydrants
What they target: The gluteus maximus—the largest muscle in your glutes—gets the most love when it comes to butt exercises, but doing more exercises that involve abduction—moving your legs away from the midline—can help you target the smaller muscles. This fire hydrant exercise activates the gluteus medius and minimus by moving against the resistance of the band.
How to do fire hydrants: Place a resistance band just above your knee and get into tabletop position with your hips directly over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. Engaging your glutes and outer thighs, lift your left knee out to the side without shifting your hips. Be sure to tighten your core so your upper body stays stable. Bring your left knee back to the starting position.
Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 slow reps with a 90-second rest in between sets
2
Tabletop Glute Kickbacks
What they target: This variation of kickbacks fires up your glutes while tightening your core. The challenge here will be to keep your upper body and hips square and stable. A good visualization is to imagine pushing the wall behind you with your heel. You can really feel your glutes working. While this exercise primarily works your lower body, it's important to press your hands down on the ground to keep your shoulders in place.
How to do tabletop glute kickbacks: Place a resistance band around the arches of your feet and get into tabletop position with your hips directly over your knees and shoulders over your wrists. Squeezing your glutes and core, kick your left foot directly behind you, forming a straight line from your heel to the top of your head.
Reps: 10 to 20 reps on each side
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3
Glute Bridge Pulses
What they target: Glute bridges are an excellent way to strengthen the pelvic floor and open up the hips. When you place a resistance band just above your knees, as shown here, you’re also engaging your outer thigh muscles to drive your knees out. And, because it’s a pulsing move, “it keeps your glutes under constant tension as it’s consistently working,” says Maurice Williams, NASM-certified personal trainer.
How to do glute bridge pulses: Place a resistance band on your thighs, just above your knees. Lie face up with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms by your sides. Tightening your glutes and pelvic muscles, press your hips up toward the ceiling and pulse your hips up and down, never letting your butt touch the ground. Be careful not to lift your hips too high to prevent overarching the low back.
Reps: 15 to 20 reps. For a more challenging variation, make it a single-leg glute bridge by lifting one leg off the ground.
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Glute Bridge With Alternating Leg Raise
What they target: Your lower abs and stability get tested with this glute bridge exercise. Lifting one leg at a time with a resistance band around your thighs offsets your balance and makes your glutes work harder to keep them lifted off the ground.
How to do a glute bridge with alternating leg raises: Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lie face up on a yoga mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tightening your glutes and pelvic muscles, press your hips up toward the ceiling. While keeping your hips lifted and driving your knees out against the resistance of the band, kick your left foot out in front of you and place it back down to the ground. Press your right foot firmly on the ground to help keep your body stable. Then kick your right foot out and place it back down to the ground, pressing your left foot firmly on the ground.
Reps: Alternate sides for 15 to 20 reps
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5
Clamshell
What they target: Working your inner and outer thigh muscles, as well as the gluteus medias, Williams says, the clamshell exercise forces you to move with control and focus on proper form.
How to do clamshells: Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lie on your right side on a yoga mat and bend your knees. Rest your head on your right hand or on your right forearm, and place your left hand on your left hip. Working against the band, squeeze your glutes and thigh muscles to press your left thigh out as wide as you can. Pause for a moment at the top and then slowly bring your left thigh back to the starting position. This is one rep. Make sure to widen your thighs so the band stretches as high as you can before lowering your knee back down.
Reps: 10 reps on each side
6
Resistance Band Squats
What they target: Williams says these are a great glute, quad, and hamstring exercise, depending on where the band is placed.
How to do resistance band squats: Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms out in front of you. Tightening your glutes and core, sit into a squat, pushing your butt back and down. Work against the resistance of the band to drive your knees out. Keeping your weight in your heels, firmly press them down on the ground to stand back up. Remember to engage your core to keep your chest lifted as well. This is one rep.
Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 slow reps with a 90-second rest in between sets
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7
Resistance Band Leg Lifts
What they target: Again, hip abduction is a great way to target the smaller muscles in your glutes. With this exercise, you’re also actively working on your thighs. Want to make sure you're using the right muscles? Put your hands on your hips to feel the muscles working, Gozo says.
How to do resistance band leg lifts: Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Tightening your glutes and thighs and balancing your weight on the right leg, lift your left leg out to the side, tightening the band as much as you can without shifting your hips. Moving with control, bring your left foot back to the starting position without letting your foot hit the ground.
Reps: 10 reps on each side
8
Glute Kickbacks
What they target: If you’re sick of doing squats, these standing glute kickbacks are a great way to fire up your posterior. Williams says they also work your hamstrings.
How to do glute kickbacks: Before you kick your foot behind you, be sure to tighten your glutes and press the opposite foot firmly on the ground to help you balance. Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Tightening your glutes and tucking your pelvis in, kick your left leg out behind you until the band is tight. Pause at the top before bringing your left foot back to the starting position.
Reps: 10 reps on each side
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9
Lateral Band Walk
What it targets: While it might look simple, your inner and outer thighs, as well as your small glute muscles, will feel the burn with this resistance band exercise.
How to do a lateral band walk: Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-distance apart with a slight bend in the knees. Engaging your outer thighs and slightly hinging at the hips, step your left foot to the side so your feet are now shoulder-distance apart. Then step your right foot to the left, bringing your feet hip-distance apart and keeping the band tight. Here, you want to step your feet out and in wide enough so that the band stays taut throughout the entire time.
Reps: Alternate stepping your feet out and in for about 10 reps on each side
10
Diagonal Band Walk
What it targets: Improve your hip mobility by mixing up the directions in your band walks. Williams says this one targets the gluteus maximus, gluteus medias, and gluteus minimus.
How to do a diagonal band walk: Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-distance apart with a slight bend in the knees. With a slight hinge at the hips, take a wide step up to the right side with your right foot while keeping the band tight around your ankles, then take a wide step up to the left side with your left foot. Just like the exercise above, the key here is to keep the band taut the entire time.
Reps: Continue for a few reps before reversing your steps to walk yourself back to where you started
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How to incorporate resistance band workouts into your fitness routine
Resistance bands are an easy, inexpensive way to intensify your fitness routine, Williams says. “I recommend blending them into the core section of a workout or using them as a warm-up for a lower body-focused workout,” she adds.
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