Perform a squat while holding a resistance band to add tension to the hip and knee extensors, primarily working the quadriceps. Move by sitting the hips back and standing up with an upright torso.
How to do the Band Squat#
- Stand with feet about shoulder-width and loop the band under the middle of your feet; hold the handles at shoulder level with your chest tall and core braced.
- Draw your shoulder blades together and keep your elbows down to stabilize the band as you prepare to move.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to descend, keeping your chest lifted and spine neutral.
- Lower until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor while keeping weight through your heels and the mid-foot.
- Drive through the heels to return to standing, maintaining tension in the band and a braced core throughout the repetition.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Secondary: Adductors (Adductor Magnus, Longus & Brevis (Hip Adductors)), Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus), Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Lower back (Erector Spinae)
Common mistakes#
- Letting the knees collapse inward during the descent.
- Shifting weight onto the toes or lifting the heels off the floor.
- Rounding or excessively leaning the torso forward instead of keeping the chest up.
- Failing to brace the core, causing the lower back to sag.
