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If your goal is to build lower body strength, you’re probably already practicing your squats, deadlifts, or hip bridges. But you may be missing out on a simple and super effective exercise — the lateral band walk (sometimes affectionately known as a “monster walk”).What makes the lateral band walk so beneficial? It recruits not just the glutes but also the hip abductors, muscles that may play a role in low back or knee pain.
The move may look deceptively easy: to perform a lateral band walk, you just slide a loop-style resistance band behind the base of both knees, ankles, or feet, and then step sideways. But if you’ve ever done a lateral band walk before, you know that the burn builds quickly. In fact, the move can be so tough that it’s easy to fall out of proper form. Common lateral band walk mistakes include accidentally letting the knees cave inward, not maintaining constant tension with the resistance band, or not sitting in a deep enough squat. But form missteps like this can make the move less effective.
Here, we’ll walk you through exactly how to perform a lateral band walk, including different band placements that offer different benefits and some move variations. But first, an overview of the benefits of the lateral band walk.
Lateral Band Walk: Muscles Worked and Benefits
Lateral band walks work the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, hip abductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings. They also work to improve stability of the hip joint and to strengthen the core. Here’s how: by lowering down into a squat pattern, you’re working the gluteal muscles, along with the surrounding hip muscles that help with hip abduction. The resistance band offers an added challenge to your muscles as you fight against the tension and work to maintain proper form and alignment.
There are many benefits to strengthening your glutes, hip muscles, quads, and hamstrings. These are muscles you use in your day-to-day life or while playing sports, so ensuring they’re strong helps you move with more ease and less pain. Specifically, lateral band walks may help reduce the risk of back and knee pain by strengthening weak gluteus medius muscles — which may play a role in back pain — according to a systematic review from the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, and weak hip abductor muscles, which may be a culprit for knee pain, per the American College of Rheumatology. And more generally, strength training has also been linked to a longer lifespan, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.
While a lateral band walk traditionally calls for the band to be placed above the knee, changing the placement of the band could help you target different muscle groups, according to a small study of 22 adults published in the Journal of Athletic Training. In the study, when the band was repositioned from the knees and moved to the feet, there was more activity in the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. When the band was moved to the ankles, it also helped engage the gluteus maximus and medius (though not as much as with the foot placement), and increased activity in the tensor fascia latae (TFL) activity. No, not PSL: your TFL is a muscle that helps stabilize and assist the hip and knee joint.
Studies have also measured the difference between doing a lateral band walk while upright, or in a squat position. While in a squat position, researchers measured more activation of the gluteal muscles, while the TFL showed less activity, per the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
Also worth noting: exercises that call for you to “wear” a loop band can lead to chafing, particularly if you’re wearing shorts. To protect your skin, opt for a fabric band like the PS Fabric Hip Bands ($15) or if you’re using a rubberized band, try to wear full-length leggings to minimize friction.
How to Do a Lateral Band Walk
- First, decide the placement of the resistance band, whether you prefer to put the band above the knee, ankle, or across the feet.
- Lower down into a quarter-squat position, with the knees slightly bent. You can place your hands on your hips, or place one hand over another, making a fist with one hand. Remember to breathe naturally with your pace of movement, avoid holding your breath.
- Take a large step out to the side, keeping your knees slightly bent and your body in an athletic stance, in a quarter-squat position.
- Staying low, follow and step the opposite foot out, moving towards the same side.
- Remember to keep the torso upright, without letting the spine round forward excessively.
- You can perform lateral band walks in place, stepping first to the left with each foot, then to the right. Or, select a predetermined amount of distance (e.g. five steps to the left, five steps to the right).
Lateral Band Walk Alternatives
If you might have pre-existing conditions or are returning to exercise after a previous injury, you may need to consider modifications. Listen to your body, and embrace where you are on your individual journey. Here are some lateral band walk alternatives to consider.
Clamshell. The clamshell exercise is a simple way to incorporate an exercise that targets the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, while also working on hip stability through the motion of hip abduction. And since it can be performed in a side-lying position, with or without a band, it may be more suitable for beginners.
Squats. Another exercise that can be an alternative to a lateral band walk is the squat. A fundamental movement pattern, you can try to do air squats, as a bodyweight exercise, or incorporating an optional dumbbell. (For more ideas, check out this squat challenge.)
Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer and a strength and conditioning specialist. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.