11 Great Resistance Band Glute Exercises (With Free PDF!) (2024)

Resistance bands are my favorite exercise tool to activate and strengthen the glutes.

They’re low-impact and easy on the joints and the lumbar spine.

If working out with weights causes lower back pain or puts pressure on your hips, here are 11 of my favorite resistance band glute exercises you can use instead.

Benefits Of Resistance Bands

Inexpensive

Resistance bands are inexpensive, and they usually come in a pack of varying resistance.

As you gain more strength, you can just switch to a higher resistance band.

Joint And Back Friendly

Resistance loop bands have become my favorite tool for years now.

My clients use them all the time as a tool to help fix muscular imbalances and fully activate the glutes.

In addition, many people love to work out and challenge their glutes and legs without lifting weights.

If you have lower back or hip pain, it can be challenging to pick up weights.

The added load and tension can trigger the pain and make you feel scared to workout.

Piriformis syndrome is a common injury that affects the glute area and causes intense deep gluteal pain. And high impact workouts can quickly trigger piriformis pain.

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Piriformis syndrome won’t go away? This recovery program includes everything that’s helped me fix this pain and continue to live pain-free for many years without flare-ups.

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Resistance bands provide resistance and challenge your body without loading your joints or lower back.

Help Fix Exercise Form And Posture

Resistance bands can help you perform certain exercises with proper form, such as the squat exercise.

Having a resistance band activates the glutes and will help you avoid turning your knees inwards.

In addition, you’ll be engaging your glutes throughout the exercises vs. placing most of the load on your knees or lower back.

Activate The glutes

Resistance bands are the best tool to activate and engage the glutes.

I use them all the time as part of my low-impact warm-ups.

Properly engaging and activating the glutes before your leg workouts is a must. Please don’t skip this step.

And with these resistance band glute and leg exercises below, you’ll have many options to choose from to warm up and engage your glutes.

11 Resistance Loop Band Glute And Leg Exercises

If you can’t watch the full exercise routine, scroll below the video to view the exercise images.

Resistance Loop Band Exercises Video Tutorial

I use fabric resistance bands you can get here.

Side To Side Walks

• Loop a resistance band around your thighs.
• Stand with your feet facing straight.
• Keep your back straight.
• Engage your glutes and core.
• Walk to each side to work the gluteus medius.
• Avoid externally rotating your feet to avoid piriformis compensation
• Perform 8 repetitions total (4 to each side). Take a 20-second break and repeat.

Resistance Band Pull Aparts

• Sit on a bench or chair.
• Make sure you’re sitting at the end so you’re lower back is not sinking in.
• Place the band around your thighs.
• Keep your knees aligned with your ankles and hips at a 90-degree ankle.
• Starts to pull the band apart. Squeeze and slowly release.
• Perform 15 repetitions.

Stationary Backward Lunges

• Loop the band around your thighs.
• Bring one leg backward to perform stationary lunges.
• Keep your core engaged.
• Lunge down. And make sure your knee isn’t going over your ankle.
• Switch legs.
• Perform 8-10 repetitions on each leg.

• Loop the band around your thighs.
• Begin by lunging backward.
• Then bring the back leg forward. Tap the floor quickly and lunge back again.
• This more dynamic exercise can be used as an alternative to the stationary backward lunge.
• Perform 8-10 repetitions on each leg.

Plank Walks

• Get into the plank position.
• Engage your core and glutes, and avoid overarching your back.
• Tap your foot to one side. Bring back to the middle. Lift the other leg and tap to the side.
• Keep alternating legs.
• Perform 15 alternating repetitions.

Hip Hinge To Lateral Leg Raises

• Engage your core.
• Hinge at the hips. Avoid rounding your back.
• Raise one leg laterally while keeping both glutes engaged.
• Avoid letting the standing leg drop.
• Perform 12 alternating repetitions

Banded Glute Kicks

• Get on all fours.
• Engage your core and glutes.
• Keep your legs bent and raise one leg up to perform a full glute kick.
• Repeat for 10-12 repetitions and switch legs.

Glute Extensions

• Use a wall, chair, or bench for support.
• Contract your glutes and keep your core engaged.
• Extend one leg to the back. Contract the glute up for 1-2 seconds and slowly release.
• Avoid overarching your back.
• If you feel restricted to extend your leg backward fully, release your hip flexors before doing this exercise. The hip flexors inhibit the glutes from fully engaging when they get tight and overactive.
• Perform 10-12 extensions on each leg. Don’t sacrifice form.

Bridge To Leg Pull Aparts

• Engage your core and glutes.
• Push through your heels and lift your hips up.
• Squeeze your glutes while also pulling apart the resistance band.
• Bring your knees back so they’re aligned with your knees and lower down.
• Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.

Banded Squats

• Engage your core and glutes.
• Squat down as long as you can without sacrificing form.
• You can keep your hands around your hips or raise them in front of you.
• Use a bench or chair for support if squatting down triggers lower back pain.
• Perform 8-10 repetitions

Resistance Band Wall Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Have your back against the wall.
• Slide your back down so that your knees are aligned above your ankles in a squat position.
• Keep your glutes and core engaged.
• Focus on the resistance the band provides and avoid bringing your knees inward.
• Hold for 10-30 seconds while breathing through your core.
• When you can’t hold this position anymore, take a break, and record your time.

I hope you find these exercises helpful and enjoyable. Follow the exercise instructions, and as always…never push through the pain.

Below are a few additional glute-strengthening exercise routines I’m sure you’ll find useful too:

• 5 Gluteus maximus strengthening exercises
• 4 Gluteus minimus strengthening exercises
• Low-impact back-friendly leg workout