Standing Leg Abductions X 30
Begin again in a standing position, with the band looped around your calves. This time, lift one foot and extend your leg out to the side, keeping it straight the entire time. Continue to extend your leg until you feel resistance from the band. Bring your foot back to its original position and repeat on the opposite leg.
Fabric/rubber Circular Booty Bands
These resistance lops are typically made from high-quality cotton and rubber to hold them in place. This way, they are comfortable as you place them on your thighs during your workouts. You can buy a set of these inexpensively. Typically, a set of four loop bands will each have varying resistance levels. This way, if they become too easy, you can try something with more resistance and track your progress!
The Ultimate Leg And Glute Resistance Band Workout
While completing regular leg exercises certainly has its benefits, accentuating these exercises with a resistance band provides even more strength and tone. Band exercises are a great addition to any strength training routine, whether youre training for a marathon or just hoping to gain muscle tone.
This resistance band leg workout is a combination of seven exercises that are meant to strengthen your legs, glutes and hips. The loop band adds extra resistance to the movement, forcing your muscles to work harder with each repetition.
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Squat Jumps With Resistance Bands
Squat jumps with resistance bands focus on propulsive power, perfect for improving fitness, jump height and muscle tone and strength.
Place a resistance band loop around your legs, just above your knees
· Stand with feet shoulder width apart, pushing out against the band · Squat down taking your weight through your heels and lowering your buttocks down and back as if you were going to sit in a chair · Then spring up, jumping in the air and land on the balls of your feet, keeping your feet shoulder width apart
Band Horizontal Wood Chop
Why: This is an excellentfunctional core exercise that rocks your abs and obliques as you twist through each rep. Take care to return slowly to the starting position rather than jolting back to get the most out of this move.
How: Anchor your band to a post, and facing sideways, grab the end of the band with both hands. With arms fully extended, pull the band across your body while rotating your torso. Return to the start position slowly under control.
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Standing Hip Extensions X 30
Begin standing straight, with your feet about hip width distance apart. Loop the band around your calves, and lift one foot to extend your leg directly behind you. Keep your leg straight, and continue to extend until you feel resistance from the band. Bring your foot back to its original position and repeat on the opposite leg.
What Else Can I Do
There are loads more leg exercises with resistance bands that we could have included, but these are the ones we have found people come back to time and again. The great thing about resistance bands is that they are so versatile and you really can use them with pretty much any exercise.
Try combining these theraband exercises for legs with our other knee strengthening exercises if you want more variation.
And if you are not sure where to start, check out our resistance band guide which tells you all about the benefits of resistance bands and the different options so you can find the right one for you.
It can also help to do stretches alongside these theraband exercises for legs – check out the leg stretches section to find out more.
Page Last Updated: 11/03/21
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Who Should Do Resistance Band Leg Exercises
Resistance band leg exercises are a great option for at home lifters or people who are looking to add some new training stimulus to their lower body training.
Note: The main limitations of resistance band training is that it can be difficult to place enough mechanical loading and stress on the muscles, especially the stronger and more powerful you are.
If you are one of those individuals, it may be best to use these exercises later in a workout after doing more compound exercises with heavier loads.
Below were going to discuss the best leg exercises using resistance bands. If you want these exercises programmed into a workout, then download the Fitbod app and select resistance bands as your main piece of equipment.
Download the Fitbod app today and get 3 free workouts!
How To Get Better At Resistance Band Exercises
Want to make your resistance band workouts even more potent? Follow these tweaks and tips to get the absolute most out of every move:
High Reps
Since the load is lighter, high reps are key. “Resistance bands are best suited to high-rep sets in which you accumulate a lot of time under tension,” says Hanrahan. “The technical name for this is ‘metabolic stress’, also known as ‘the pump’, and it’s a key mechanism to drive muscle growth.”
Short Recovery
To reap the most from your workout, keep rest to a minimum. “High-rep sets are best paired with short, incomplete recoveries 60 to 90 seconds works well,” says Hanrahan. “Take more time to rest for bigger muscle groups and less time for smaller muscle groups.”
Controlled Tempo
Make sure you maintain the tension on the band throughout the full range of the rep, rather than letting it snap back into place at the end. “To keep continuous tension on the muscles, move with control and avoid any unwanted momentum that can slacken the bands and take tension away from the target muscles,” says Hanrahan.
Focus on form
In other words, make every single rep count. “Think about that mind-to-muscle connection to ensure you are getting the most out of the workout,” says Lankester. “Focus on form and control over every single rep, take it slow.” Slowing down the eccentric phase of the lift, when your muscles are working the hardest, can really make a difference, she adds.
Isometric Holds
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Banded Squat Side Tap + Squat Jump
Targets: The legs, glutes , quads, hips and calves. Build lower body strength while also raising your heart rate to burn calories.
How to do a Banded Squat Side Tap and Squat Jump:
How to modify Banded Squat Jumps:
- Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier.
- Make this a low impact exercise by performing a squat instead of a squat jump.
Resistance Band Stationary Lunge
If you dont find lunges without weights challenging, use bands to force the hamstrings, quads, and glutes to work harder.
How to perform
Assume a split stance and step on the band with the front leg. Grab both ends of the band with each hand and then stretch the band up to shoulder-height. Bend the front knee to 90 degrees as you simultaneously lower the rear knee until it almost touches the floor. Slowly rise until both legs are straight and then lunge again.
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Bonus Exercises You Can Do With Resistance Bands
If youre looking to mix things up, add these additional exercises to your leg and butt workout. These movements are fairly simple and are great choices for beginners, especially if youve never used a resistance band in your workout before. Including these in a resistance band workout will help you achieve toned legs at any age.
- Leg extension: Sit on the edge of a chair. Your back should be straight and keep your feet flat. Take one end of your band and place it either beneath the leg of the chair or one of your feet. On the other foot, loop the resistance band around your ankle. With your foot flexed, slightly lift your thigh as straighten your leg. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions on each side.
These exercises are really fun and great to do at the gym, home, or when traveling. If youre new to exercising, this is a great way to start! Or, you can incorporate a few minutes of a mini band workout into your regular exercise routine to act as a warm-up or for accessory work.
Make sure to couple these exercises with a high protein diet that is also low in saturated fats. Making sure you eat enough protein is key to helping you build muscle . Good luck and happy booty building!
Shannon Dallas Hall
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Pulse Squat + Quarter Turn
Targets: The glutes, quads, outer glutes and calves.
How to do Pulse Squat and Quarter Turn:
How to modify Quarter Turn Squat with Resistance Band:
- Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier.
- Make this a low impact band exercise by performing 2 pulse squats, taking out the jump and quarter turn.
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Do Resistance Bands Work For Glutes
‘Resistance bandsand especially resistance bands for glutesare a great tool for providing resistance through the full range of motion of an exercise, as well as helping to activate key stabiliser muscles in the hips and shoulders,’ says Lee Mullins, personal trainer and founder of the Workshop Gymnasium.
The best bit about using resistance bands for glutes is that they come in different weights usually, extra-light, light, medium, heavy and extra heavy. This range means you can increase or decrease the resistance as your workout requires.
Workout : Using A Small Resistance Band Only
If you only have a small resistance band, then this is the workout for you. Youll be using the resistance band looped above your knees to work your glutes harder during the exercises.
If you do have a longer band, you can tie it above the knee joint for this workout, although this can be a little fiddly!
Knee-banded squats: 10-20 reps
Squats are a great exercise as they work your entire leg, especially your thighs. Adding the band will give extra work to your glute muscles.
Loop the band around your legs just above your knees, and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Point your toes out slightly. Bend your knees and hips at the same time, and push your knees out against the band so that your knees track directly over your feet.
As you squat down, keep your chest up, and your eyes looking straight forward. Squat as low as you can while pushing your knees out against the band, and stand up to complete the squat.
Clamshells: 10-20 reps per leg
Clamshells focus on the gluteus medius muscle, which is strongly involved in knee position and strength.
Keeping the band around your knees, lie on your left side with your hips bent to around 45 degrees, and your knees bent to 90 degrees. Support yourself using your left arm, and place your right arm on top of your right hip. Keeping your feet together, lift your right knee towards the ceiling to pull the band apart.
Knee-banded hip thrusts: 10 – 20 reps
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Mini Loop Donkey Kick
Tip
To use a long loop, swap the donkey kick for a glute kickback: Wrap one end around your right foot and anchor the other under your right hand. Extend your leg straight back with your foot flexed.
More Resistance Band Exercises
Stretching is one of the most essential aspects of a healthy fitness routine. Its also one of the most overlooked. Instead of thinking of this activity as a separate entity, consider stretching as a continuation of your exercise routine. By making stretching tips a part of your workout, you wont neglect the attention your muscles and joints require to perform effectively.
Whether using stretching as a way to wake up, get your mind in the game, or recover from strenuous activity, your body will reap its short-term and long-term benefits. In the moment, stretching is a great way to warm up the body and prevent yourself from overextension and injury. In the long run, stretching daily can help loosen your tendons and muscles, and ultimately help you maintain a full range of motion later in life.
Taking these ideas into consideration, follow these 7 simple tips for stretching to add stretches back into your workout vocabulary.
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Walking High Knees X 30
Once again, this exercise begins in a standing position with your feet about hip width distance apart. This time, loop the band around your thighs. Raise one knee up, bending your leg as if you were about to take a step forward. Lift your knee until your thigh becomes parallel to the floor, and then step forward with this leg, planting your foot on the floor.
Lift your back foot from the floor as if you were taking another step and bring your knee up high in front of you again. Continue with this walking movement, alternating legs.
