30-Minute Resistance Band Leg Workout

How To Do A Staggered Squat And Rear Leg Lift

1. Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet hip-width apart and slightly staggered. Left foot slightly in front of right foot; 80% of your weight in your front left heel, and 20% of your weight in your back right toe.
2. With your chest upright and your core engaged, squat until your left knee reaches a 90-degree angle. Driving your knees outward against the band as you squat.
3. Drive through your front left heel to return to standing as you squeeze your rear right glute to extend your right leg behind you.

Modification: Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier. Hold onto a chair or counter top for additional balance support as you perform the rear leg lift.

How To Do A Banded Squat Side Tap And Squat Jump

1. Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
2. Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
3. With your chest upright and your core engaged, tap your left foot out to the side, creating tension in the resistance band and engaging your outer glutes and hips. Pull the band apart with each side tap.
4. Bring your left leg back to center (under left shoulder), then explode upwards to jump off the ground.
5. Keep tension in the band throughout the exercise (you should feel this in your outer thighs and hips).

Modification: Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier. Make this a low impact exercise by performing an air squat instead of a squat jump.

How To Do Lateral Band Walks

1. Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
2. Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hips back. See how low you can stay throughout the entire movement.
3. With your chest upright and your core engaged, take two large steps to the right and then two large steps to the left. Pull the band apart with each side step.
4. Stay low (don’t stand up between steps) as you continue alternating steps side to side. Keeping constant tension on the band throughout the exercise. The deeper the squat the more you will feel this in the tops of your thighs (quads).

Modification: Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier.

How To Do Banded Squat Jacks

1. Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
2. Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hips back. Again see how low you can stay throughout the entire movement.
3. With your chest upright and your core engaged, “jack” your feet out into a wide squat (stretching the band to feet wider than shoulders).
4. Land softly in a low squat, then “jack” your feet back to a narrow squat (feet hip-width). Aim to stay as low as possible throughout the entire movement (don’t stand up between squat jacks).

Modification: Place the resistance band just above the knees to make this move easier. Make this a low impact band exercise by performing side-to-side squats instead of squat jacks.

How To Do Leg Extensions With A Resistance Band

1. Start standing feet hip-distance apart, toes facing straight ahead. Anchor the band around your right ankle and around the shoelaces of your left foot.
2. Maintain a soft bend in your standing, right leg as you float your left leg off the ground. Then use the top of your left thigh (quad muscle) to extend your left leg long in front of you. Think of kicking into the band as you squeeze your thigh.
3. Hold left leg extended for a moment, then return to the starting position with control.

Modification: Option to hold onto a chair or counter top for additional balance support as you perform the leg extension. Or perform the exercise without a resistance band and create resistance with your own bodyweight.

How To Do A 2-Pulse Squat And Quarter Turn

1. Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
2. Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hips back. See how low you can stay throughout the entire movement.
3. With your chest upright and your core engaged, pulse your hips down (2 pulses). Then explode up, rotating a quarter turn to your right in the air, landing in a loaded squat.
4. Again pulse for two, then explode up rotating a quarter turn back to your right (starting position facing center).
5. Again pulse for two, then explode up, rotating a quarter turn to your left.
6. Stay low (don’t stand up between quarter turns). Keeping constant tension on the band throughout the exercise. Again, the deeper the squat the more you will feel this in the tops of your thighs (quads).

Modification: 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.

How To Do Glute Bridges With Resistance Band Abduction

1. Place the band about six inches above your knees and lie on your back, arms straight at your sides, feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Feet should be about six inches in front of your glutes. The farther your feet are from your glutes the more you work the hamstrings (and we want to target glute activation here, so keep your feet close to your butt).
2. Engage your core and tuck your pelvis toward the ceiling. Then squeeze your glutes as you drive through your heels to lift your hips off the floor.
3. Hold at the top of the glute bridge for a moment and drive your knees out towards your pinky toes to active your outer glutes (abductors), opening the band (knees wider than hips).
4. With control return your knees back in alignment with your hips and lower your hips back towards the ground with control.
5. Then lower your hips with control back down to a hover position and repeat this movement.
6. Keep constant tension on the band throughout this movement.

How To Do Banded Glute Bridges With Abduction Pulses

1. Start at the top of a glute bridge, pelvic tucked, glutes squeezed and core engaged.
2. Pulse your thighs out towards the outside of your feet.
3. Place the band about six inches above your knees and lie on your back, feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Feet should be about six inches in front of your glutes. The farther your feet are from your glutes the more you work the hamstrings (and we want to target glute activation here, so keep your feet close to your butt).
4. Engage your core and tuck your pelvis toward the ceiling. Then squeeze your glutes as you drive through your heels to lift your hips off the floor.
5. Hold at the top of the glute bridge as you simultaneously pulse your knees out towards your pinky toes to active your outer glutes (abductors); pulsing the band open with control. Think of pulling the band apart with your knees.