These 8 Resistance Band Moves Will Build Lower Body Strength

There’s no denying that lifting weights can pay off big time—increasing your strength, sparking muscle growth, and fostering confidence as you work toward new PRs. Weights aren’t the only piece of equipment that can create tension on your muscles during workouts, though. Don’t underestimate the power of the humble resistance band.

The most obvious advantages of resistance bands are their light weight and portability, which makes them easy to travel with compared to weights. But the benefits don’t end there. Below, Peloton instructor Assal Arian spells out the advantages of using resistance bands for lower body work in particular, and shares the best resistance band leg workout moves to try.

Benefits of Working Out with Resistance Bands

Like weights, resistance bands provide an opposing force that your muscles have to work against.  In addition to resistance bands being easy to tote around, “Benefits of using resistance bands include improved strength, flexibility, and mobility, as well as the convenience of portability and adaptability to various fitness levels,” says Assal. 

You can rely on the bands to prime your body to carry out everyday tasks with ease, whether that’s chasing after a toddler or lifting a heavy package. “Resistance bands allow for natural, functional movement patterns that mimic real-life activities,” says Assal. “This can contribute to improved overall functional fitness.”

Notably, research suggests that working out with resistance bands can produce increases in strength that are on par with the effects of weight training. A 2019 review published in SAGE Open Medicine compiled studies that compared the benefits of working out with resistance bands vs. weights or machines for building strength. It found that resistance band training promoted similar increases in muscular strength to the other forms of resistance training. 

Resistance bands may also help you steer clear of injuries. “Unlike some forms of weightlifting, resistance band exercises are generally easier on the joints,” says Assal. “The constant tension provided by the bands helps maintain control throughout the range of motion, reducing the risk of joint stress or injury.” This makes them ideal for just about anyone, but especially people who stick to low-impact workouts due to existing joint issues.

Resistance bands come with a lower risk of injury compared to heavier free weights, particularly when someone uses improper form and/or too high of a load, as a 2023 study published in Frontiers In Psychology pointed out. The study also noted that since resistance bands can be used to increase flexibility, and joint stability, they can help prevent future injuries. 

What’s more, you can use resistance bands as a tool to help you maintain proper form during exercises. For example, a 2023 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that in people who are prone to knee valgus (allowing their knees to cave in) while squatting, looping a resistance band above their knees during squats may cue proper knee alignment while strengthening muscles that will help prevent the misalignment.  

Granted, there’s a reason why many people still rely on weights as their preferred form of resistance, especially if they’ve progressed to a point where they’re lifting heavy. Research suggests that weights may provoke more muscle activation in multi-joint exercises like deadlifts or squats compared to resistance bands. Based on existing studies on time-efficient workouts, a 2021 review published in Sports Medicine concluded that conventional weights are superior to resistance bands for heavy, multi-joint lower-body exercises (e.g. deadlifts), but that resistance bands are an equally viable option for other exercises.

Unlike free weights, resistance bands can provide variable resistance during an exercise. That means that during squats, for example, resistance bands can provide increased tension as you get closer to the top of the movement, which is typically the easiest portion of the exercise. Some athletes choose to use weights and resistance bands simultaneously to reap the benefits of variable resistance training while taking advantage of the higher loads that weights provide.

“The variable resistance provided by the bands increases muscle engagement throughout the entire range of motion, helping to develop strength and stability,” says Assal. It’s worth noting that variable resistance training might not be better than traditional resistance training at promoting hypertrophy, i.e., increasing muscle mass. A 2023 review published in the journal Sports Sciences for Health found that there wasn’t a significant difference in muscle mass between people who had trained with the two methods, although more research is needed.

Why Resistance Bands Are Good For Lower Body Workouts

A major perk of resistance bands is that you can use them to work muscles throughout your entire body. When it comes to your lower body and leg workouts, resistance bands can come in handy for targeting your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductors (inner thigh muscles), says Assal. For certain exercises, resistance band leg workouts may even be a better option than those with weights. “Resistance bands offer constant tension and can be especially effective for lateral movements, which may be challenging with traditional weights,” explains Assal. Think: exercises like lateral walks or clamshells.

Even on days when you plan to use weights, you may want to consider tossing a resistance band into your gym bag as well. “Resistance bands are excellent for glute activation, helping to engage and ‘wake up’ the muscles before a workout,” says Assal. “Using bands at the end of a workout can also provide an effective way to exhaust and target specific muscle fibers for maximum results.”

That’s noteworthy, since a lot of people struggle to engage their glutes properly during lower body exercises, potentially leading to issues. During hip extension exercises like squats, insufficient glute activation can cause other muscles like the hamstrings to take over, which can contribute to injury, as noted in a 2022 study published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. The study found that when people completed resistance band exercises before squats and single-leg squats, it increased their gluteus maximus activation during the squat variations by 57% and 53% respectively, compared to when they performed the exercises without having completed resistance band exercises.

8 Lower-Body Resistance Band Exercises

If you want to reap the benefits mentioned above, you can find Assal’s favorite lower-body resistance band exercises below. Before jumping in, she suggests warming up with exercises like leg swings, dynamic hip circles, side leg lifts, and glute bridges without using a band. To cool down at the end of your workout, be sure to stretch your hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and quads.

1. Resistance Band Squats

2. Resistance Band Glute Bridges

3. Lateral Band Walks

4. Standing Kickbacks

5. Clamshells

6. Seated Resistance Band Abductions

7. Resistance Band Romanian Deadlifts

8. Resistance Band Pull-Throughs

How to Incorporate Resistance Band Workouts Into Your Routine

Part of the beauty of resistance bands is that they can suit people of any fitness level. “Many resistance band exercises are easy to learn, even for beginners,” says Assal. “This accessibility makes them a great option for those who are new to fitness or looking to add variety to their existing routine.”

It’s up to you how often you decide to use resistance bands in your workout routine, and whether you want to rely on them on their own or as a complement to other equipment.

“Integrate resistance bands two to three times a week, either as a standalone workout or in combination with other exercises,” suggests Assal. “Use them at different points in your routine, such as warm-ups, main workouts, or for burnout sets at the end.”

When shopping for resistance bands, you have multiple types to choose from. Some of the most common options include:

Some types of resistance bands are better suited to certain exercises than others. For example, the mini resistance band’s small circumference makes it ideal for exercises like glute bridges, but not as optimal for exercises like banded pull-throughs. You can increase the resistance of banded exercises to make progress over time, the same way you might reach for a heavier weight once an exercise starts to feel easy. “The resistance can be easily adjusted by using different bands or altering the length of the band,” notes Assal.

Since resistance band training is so customizable, you can use bands to enhance your lower body sessions, no matter your level of experience or workout preferences. Weights will always have their place, but resistance bands are another powerful—and uber convenient—tool.