Glutes · Resistance bands

Resistance Band Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)

The kneeling resistance band bent leg side kick is an isolation exercise targeting the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. It suits lifters of all experience levels and works best as a glute activation drill before heavy compounds or as a finisher at the end of a lower-body workout.

Muscles: Glutes
Equipment: Resistance bands
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, and loop the band around your thighs just above your knees.
Keep your back flat and your core braced.
Inhale. As you exhale, lift one bent knee out to the side up to about hip height, keeping the 90-degree bend in the leg.
Pause briefly at the top, squeezing the side of your glute.
Inhale and slowly lower the knee back to the starting position without resting it on the floor.
Complete all reps, then switch legs.

Common mistakes

Leaning your torso heavily toward the supporting leg reduces tension on the working glute and strains your lower back.
Arching your lumbar spine to kick the leg higher shifts the workload to your spinal erectors.
Altering the 90-degree knee bend mid-rep shifts tension away from the glute abductors toward the hamstrings or quads.
Letting the band snap the leg back down quickly eliminates the muscle-building eccentric phase.

Tips

Brace your core and keep your pelvis square to the floor throughout the entire movement.
Select a band tension that allows you to lift from the glute without twisting your spine.
Maintain constant tension on the band by hovering your knee slightly above the floor between reps.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps per leg, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets to build local muscular endurance and volume.

Muscles worked

Resistance Band Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling): glutes

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.

Questions

Where should the resistance band be placed?

Position the mini band around your lower thighs, about two inches above your kneecaps, to prevent it from sliding or rolling.

Why do I feel more fatigue in the non-moving leg?

The glute on the planted leg works isometrically to stabilize your pelvis against the band's resistance, which often exhausts it faster than the lifting leg.

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