A resistance band is basically a band which is made of elastic that comes into play during strength training resistance band exercises. They are very commonly used in physical therapy to enable slow rebuilding of strength. Resistance band exercises for legs and glutes are some of the best ways to tone that area.
By including a resistance band into your exercise routine, you force your muscles to contract and this leads to an increase in your muscle and bone strength.
This muscle contraction makes resistance band exercises for legs and glutes especially beneficial.
Unless the ‘Johnny Bravo’ look is something that you want to rock, then working out your legs and butt is important.
This will help you maintain an overall balanced and an even body shape and tone.
There are lots of easy resistance band exercises for legs and glutes that can be done anywhere and will give you great looking and toned legs.
To get an effective leg and butt workout, these resistance band exercises for legs and glutes are great for long-lasting results.
10 Best Resistance Band Exercises for Legs and Glutes
1. Banded Squats
This resistance band exercise for legs is great for working your hip abductor, gluteus medius, and quadriceps.
It will tone and strengthen those muscles as well as increase the mobility of your hips.
How to do banded squats
- Place the resistance band a little above your knee with your feet shoulder-width distance apart.
- With your hands at the back of your head, squat as low as you can and slowly raise yourself back up.
- This exercise will also activate the joints and muscles responsible for the movements.
- That way, your functional pattern of movement will improve.
- You will do this exercise for 10 to 15 reps and for 3 sets.
2. Standing Hip Abduction
If you want to improve your hip mobility, this is the exercise for you.
It strengthens your thigh muscles as well.
Not just those, your core will also benefit in balance and stability.
How to do standing hip abduction
- This resistance band exercise for legs and glutes requires you to place your resistance band somewhere around your ankle.
- Stand up straight by a sturdy object such as a chair.
- Now raise your leg away from your body as far as you can.
- Maintain the extended position for a few seconds and then slowly return to the starting point.
- This completes one rep.
- Do this for 10 to 1 reps for each leg and complete 4 sets (2 sets per leg).
3. Seated Hip Abduction
This is a resistance band exercise for glutes that will also target the muscles in your outer thighs.
Other leg muscles will also benefit but those two are the main ones.
How to do seated hip abduction
- This exercise is similar to the standing hip abduction but this time, you’d be seated, as the name suggests.
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the floor.
- Now with the resistance band around both legs at the knees, pull your legs apart.
- When you have gone as far as you can, slowly bring your knees back to the starting position.
- Doing this exercise should look like you are doing a butterfly with your legs.
- Complete 10 reps of this for 3 sets.
4. Standing Glute Squeeze Resistance Band
This resistance band exercise for legs and glutes will activate all 3 gluteus muscles which will enhance their motion and make them work properly.
Note that it only activates, it will not make the glutes bigger.
However, there are lots of other exercises that can help you with bigger glutes.
How to do standing glute squeeze
- Anchor your resistance and to a low position and with your foot in the loop.
- Standing with or without a chair for support, kick your leg back till you feel the tension in your glute.
- Slowly return your leg to the starting position to complete one repetition.
- You will do 8 to 12 reps of this exercise for 3 sets.
5. Prone Leg Curl
This is a fairly easy resistance band workout will do a lot of good for your calf muscles. Your entire leg and glutes will also benefit from this routine.
How to do a prone leg curl
- Lie face down on the floor with of your legs attached to one end of your resistance band.
- The other end should be attached to something sturdy that won’t budge or just free your leg
- Bend your knee pulling your heel toward your buttocks.
- Slowly return it to the floor to complete the rep.
- When you are done with one leg, switch the resistance bar to the other leg and do the same.
- You should do 10 to 15 reps for each leg for 4 sets.
6. Clamshell Exercise
This exercise will work mainly on your outer thighs and glutes and minimally on your hips. It will strengthen the muscles and activate them for smooth functional movement.
How to do band clamshell
- The clamshell resistance band exercise requires you to place a loop or mini band around your legs just above your knees.
- Lie down on your side and place your hips and knees bent at a 45 degrees angle.
- Your legs should be stacked and your feet one above the other at the ankle.
- Raise your upper knee as high as it can go without moving your pelvis and keep your abdominal muscles tight.
- Raising your knee and slowly lowering it back to the initial position completes one rep.
- You will do 10 to 15 reps of this exercise for 3 sets.
7. Lateral Band Walk
This is great strength training for your abductors. This exercise will also do a good job helping your legs and glutes making functional movements even easier.
How to do lateral band walk
- Place a mini or loop band around your ankles or your knees and stand in a quarter squat pose with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Be sure to keep your chest and head up.
- Use your right foot to step right and follow with your left foot while keeping the resistance band tight.
- Do this to move a few steps to the right and repeat the movement to the left.
- Moving one leg and then following it up with the other completes one rep.
- You will do 10 to 15 reps to one side to complete one set.
- You should to 3 sets of this exercise.
8. Donkey Kick Resistance Band Exercise
Your glutes and hip flexors are in for a nice workout with this exercise. Your abdominal muscles too will get some secondary effects from this routine.
So, you might want to take this particular exercise seriously and do it more often.
How to do donkey kicks
- Start on all fours with the resistance band looped around both your feet across your soles on one end.
- The other end of the resistance band should be hinged between your thumb and index finger.
- Now slowly extend and straighten your leg upward and outward.
- When your knee is locked or you reach the maximum tension of the resistance band, slowly return your leg to the starting position.
- This sequence completes one rep.
- You should do 10 to 15 reps per set for each leg and you will do 4 reps being 2 reps for each leg.
9. Fire Hydrant Exercise
If you want your glutes to be in an amazing form and have that sought after full roundness, this is the drill for you.
It will also bring stability to your hips and make movements easier.
How to do the fire hydrant
- You will begin with a mini resistance band placed just above your knees.
- Now get on all fours and this will be your starting position.
- Lift one knee to the side as high as you can.
- For best results, reach a 90-degree angle.
- Hold this position for a few seconds and then slowly lower your knee back to the starting pose.
- This completes one rep.
10. Resistance Band Lunges
This is a great exercise for your thighs and your glutes. It will tone and strengthen the muscles in those areas.
Other muscles that will benefit from this drill are the quads, hamstrings, and abs muscles.
How to do resistance band lunges
- For this exercise, you will need a resistance band with handles.
- Stand upright with one foot in front of the other.
- The front foot will be on top of the resistance band while you firmly grip the handles.
- Bend both knees as you lower your body.
- Make sure that the knee of the front foot is directly above your ankle.
- The knee of the back foot should reach a few inches above the floor.
- Now raise yourself back to the starting position to complete one rep.
- You will do 10 to 15 reps of this for one leg. You will do 4 sets of this drill.
Benefits of Using Resistance Band During Exercise
Some benefits of using resistance band during exercise are that the resistance band can be used with your existing exercises.
- It is a suitcase and pocket-friendly which means that it is a relatively cheap exercise tool.
- You can take it with you whenever you hit the road so you won’t have the excuse of not being able to work out. It also does not even require too much space.
- Resistance band exercises for legs and glutes are routines you can do almost anywhere such as indoors, parks, backyards, you name it.
Remember!
Not all resistance bands are the same. Some come with attachments that let you use them in different ways.
Resistance bands are often color coded.
What are the Different Colors of Resistance Bands?
- Yellow means extra light resistance and red stands for light resistance.
- The green resistance bands represent medium resistance while blue is heavy.
- The green and blue resistance bands are best suited to work the chest, back, and leg muscles.
- The red ones are often used for biceps and triceps while the blue ones are used for shoulders and shins.
The color coding and how they are used are not set in stone though. Depending on your fitness level, you can use the red ones to train your chest and back.
Some really strong people can as well use the green bands to train their shoulders.
So, it really comes down to what works for you.
Where to Buy Resistance Bands?
Are you fired up and want to get into resistance band exercises for legs and glutes?
Amazon has a nice collection of resistance band that can be used for leg and glutes exercises or even full body exercises.
If you need where to buy a resistance band, go to Amazon and check out their large collection of various types of resistance bands
Summing it All Up
These are just some easy resistance band exercises for legs and glutes that you can incorporate into your existing routine.
It will help you to achieve and maintain the toned legs and butt you have always dreamed of.