Glutes, quads, hamstrings and abductors (outer glutes and thighs) — this 30-Minute RESISTANCE BAND LEG WORKOUT hits every muscle in your lower body! These 8 leg exercises with bands build strong legs and strengthen knee joints; making this leg band workout a great addition to any home workout plan.
I will always advocate for women to pick up weights and strength train. But I also believe a well-rounded fitness routine includes VARIETY — using different equipment, training in all planes of motion and challenging your muscles in new ways.
Resistance band workouts are one of the best ways to work BOTH the large and small muscles in the lower body.
These little powerhouse resistance bands(affiliate) go by a lot of names: resistance leg bands, resistance loops, mini loops, mini loop resistance bands(affiliate), and booty bands.
Whatever you call them, resistance bands(affiliate) are a great piece of home gym equipment to activate your glutes and strengthen your hips through various lower body exercises.
Resistance Band Exercises for Legs FAQs
What Are The Benefits Of Resistance Band Leg Workouts?
Mini loop bands have been used by physical therapists for decades for a couple reasons. Resistance band exercises directly target and activate the glutes and hamstrings. Using exercise bands helps properly ‘turn on’ or activate your glute muscles. Resistance band leg workouts target smaller, stabilizing muscles that can be overpowered by larger muscle groups (which is also great for strengthening weak knees and injury prevention). Leg exercises with bands work your muscles differently than free weights. Bands make your muscles work harder as there is constant time under tension.
Can You Build Strong Legs With Resistance Bands?
Yes! In fact, resistance bands target the legs in a way weight training cannot. Weight training typically targets the larger lower body muscles like the glutes, quads, hamstrings and core, leaving out the smaller, stabilizing muscles in the lower body. These muscles are the hips (hip flexors), hip abductors (outer glutes and thighs), and obliques (side abdomen, part of core) and are critical for balance and joint stability). Resistance band leg workouts are one of the best ways to work BOTH the large and small muscles in the lower body.
30-Minute Resistance Band Leg Workout
Strengthen all of the major muscle groups in the lower body; no fancy gym equipment needed. If you travel regularly or enjoy working out at home, this resistance band leg workout is for you (great for working out in small spaces).
These 8 leg exercises with bands are a great compliment to any strength training plan, designed to:
Activate glute muscles
Strengthen weak knees and hips (especially important for runners)
Engage stabilizing muscles and core muscles
Workout Equipment:
A mini loop resistance band(affiliate). I’m using a light-to-medium resistance band in this band workout.
Important Notes About Band Placement:
Avoid placing the resistance band directly on a joint. This causes unnecessary pressure and can lead to injuries over time. Instead, place the resistance band above your knees or just above your ankles depending on the exercise.
Placing the resistance band just above the knees makes each exercise slightly easier. Placing the band below the knees (around the calf/shin) will intensify each exercise. Choose where to place the band based on your fitness level.
8 Best Resistance Band Exercises for Stronger Legs
Banded Squat And Rear Leg Lift
Targets: The glutes, quads, hamstrings, and hip abductor muscles.
A great exercise to target the stabilizing muscles around the knee, as well as strengthen glutes which are essential to every day movements.
How To Do A Staggered Squat And Rear Leg Lift
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.
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.
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.
Banded Squat Side Tap And Squat Jump
Targets: The legs, glutes (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus), 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
Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
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.
Bring your left leg back to center (under left shoulder), then explode upwards to jump off the ground.
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.
Lateral Band Walks
Targets: The outer glutes (hip abductors, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus) and quads.
How To Do Lateral Band Walks
Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
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.
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.
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.
Banded Squat Jacks
Targets: The glutes, quads, abductors (or outer glutes) and calves. A lower body burnout.
How To Do Banded Squat Jacks
Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
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.
With your chest upright and your core engaged, “jack” your feet out into a wide squat (stretching the band to feet wider than shoulders).
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.
Resistance Band Leg Extensions
Targets: The quadriceps or quads (the top of the thigh).
Leg extensions isolate and strengthen the quad muscles.
How To Do Leg Extensions With A Resistance Band
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.
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.
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.
2-Pulse Squat And Quarter Turn
Targets: The glutes, quads, outer glutes (abductor muscles) and calves.
How To Do A 2-Pulse Squat And Quarter Turn
Place the band about six inches above your ankle joint (around your calves/shins).
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.
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.
Again pulse for two, then explode up rotating a quarter turn back to your right (starting position facing center).
Again pulse for two, then explode up, rotating a quarter turn to your left.
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.
Banded Glute Bridge With Abduction
Targets: The glutes, hamstring and hip abductor muscles.
If you have a knee injury or knee pain while squatting or lunging, glute bridges are a great exercise to substitute for squats and lunges.
How To Do Glute Bridges With Resistance Band Abduction
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).
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.
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).
With control return your knees back in alignment with your hips and lower your hips back towards the ground with control.
Then lower your hips with control back down to a hover position and repeat this movement.
Keep constant tension on the band throughout this movement.
Banded Glute Bridge With Abduction Pulses
Targets: The glutes, hamstring and hip-abductor muscles.
How To Do Banded Glute Bridges With Abduction Pulses
Start at the top of a glute bridge, pelvic tucked, glutes squeezed and core engaged.
Pulse your thighs out towards the outside of your feet.
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).
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.
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.
Pin this Resistance Band Leg Workout: 8 Best Leg Exercises with Bands
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14 comments
Any advice for Pelvic Floor Disorder regarding these workouts. I find new exercise intimidating.
Hi, Shana! I personally started with core recovery before getting into additional workouts (and then targeting low impact strength training). If you search “diastasis recti” on our site, you’ll find several core recovery options that may help. I also highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist if that is an option for you! -Lindsey
I love your workouts! I always laugh when you talk about postpartum mamas… I am 334 months postpartum, even after that many years I have gotten so much stronger from your workouts. Thank you!
Janine! I’m so glad you are enjoying the workouts! And I’m sure you can relate to all those PP comments! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
thank you so much for this. My insurance cut my PT and I still have so much more to go and you’ve included everything and more that my PT was doing with me. Im not able to use resistant bands just yet but im excited to have a challenge to work towards.
So glad you liked this one Carly! I’m sorry about your insurance + PT, but glad you’re seeking alternating solutions and still putting in the work! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
This was an awesome combination of moves with a resistance band! I loved every minute of it and have repeated it 4 other times!
Shannon! So glad you enjoyed this resistance band workout! Keep up the good work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Great workout and tips! And those tights! 😍 Where are they from?
So glad you liked this resistance band leg workout Brittany! Way to get it done. And yes, the leggings are an older pair of Adidas leggings (from like 2 years ago)….
Loved this 30 min. Resistance band workout. Love all your workouts. It really helps me to get every su day the plan for the week.
Thanks!!
Ana so glad you loved this resistance band leg workout! Thanks for giving it a try and keep up the great work! -Lindsey
Great tips with awesome product reviews. Thank you so much for your kind information.
So glad you find this resistance band workout helpful!
Any advice for Pelvic Floor Disorder regarding these workouts. I find new exercise intimidating.
Hi, Shana! I personally started with core recovery before getting into additional workouts (and then targeting low impact strength training). If you search “diastasis recti” on our site, you’ll find several core recovery options that may help. I also highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist if that is an option for you! -Lindsey
I love your workouts! I always laugh when you talk about postpartum mamas… I am 334 months postpartum, even after that many years I have gotten so much stronger from your workouts. Thank you!
Janine! I’m so glad you are enjoying the workouts! And I’m sure you can relate to all those PP comments! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
thank you so much for this. My insurance cut my PT and I still have so much more to go and you’ve included everything and more that my PT was doing with me. Im not able to use resistant bands just yet but im excited to have a challenge to work towards.
So glad you liked this one Carly! I’m sorry about your insurance + PT, but glad you’re seeking alternating solutions and still putting in the work! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
This was an awesome combination of moves with a resistance band! I loved every minute of it and have repeated it 4 other times!
Shannon! So glad you enjoyed this resistance band workout! Keep up the good work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Great workout and tips! And those tights! 😍 Where are they from?
So glad you liked this resistance band leg workout Brittany! Way to get it done. And yes, the leggings are an older pair of Adidas leggings (from like 2 years ago)….
Loved this 30 min. Resistance band workout. Love all your workouts. It really helps me to get every su day the plan for the week.
Thanks!!
Ana so glad you loved this resistance band leg workout! Thanks for giving it a try and keep up the great work! -Lindsey
Great tips with awesome product reviews. Thank you so much for your kind information.
So glad you find this resistance band workout helpful!