Exercise Guide

Banded Lateral Walk

Stepping sideways in a half-squat with a band around the legs. A staple warm-up that wakes the glute medius before squatting.

BeginnerStrengthPushIsolation
Form
Banded Lateral Walk - Start position
Start
Banded Lateral Walk - Mid position
Mid
Banded Lateral Walk - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Glutes

Equipment

Bands

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Push

Mechanic

Isolation

Secondary Muscles

QuadsCore
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Loop a resistance band around both legs, just above the knees or around the ankles.

  2. 2

    Sink into a quarter squat with your feet hip-width apart and your chest up.

  3. 3

    Step sideways with the lead foot, keeping tension on the band.

  4. 4

    Follow with the trailing foot without letting your feet touch, and keep stepping.

Tips
  • Do not let the trailing foot snap in - control it, that is half the work.
  • Stay low the whole set. Standing up between steps releases the tension.
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