10 Booty Band Exercises That Actually Work Your Glutes and Hips
Published by Yoga Republik · Canggu, Bali
A resistance band around the thighs changes the entire character of a glute workout. The constant tension forces the hip abductors to stay engaged through the full range of motion — which is exactly what most people's glutes aren't doing in standard exercises.
These 10 exercises use a loop resistance band (also called a booty band or hip band) to target the glutes, outer hips, and hip abductors. No gym required. A mat and a band is everything you need.
Before You Start: Resistance Level
Light resistance — best for warm-up circuits, yoga hip activation, and anyone new to band training. The band assists mobility without overwhelming the muscles.
Medium resistance — the workhorse level. Challenging enough for strength work in most exercises, accessible enough for higher reps.
Heavy resistance — for exercises where the glutes are working at a mechanical advantage (squats, hip thrusts). Adds serious load to compound movements.
The YR Resistance Bands come in multiple resistance levels within the set (Rp 750,000), or as individual bands (Rp 275,000 each) in Ocean, Graphite, Earth, and Amethyst colourways.
The 10 Exercises
1. Clamshell
Targets: Gluteus medius, hip external rotators
Lie on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees, band just above the knees, hips stacked. Keeping the feet together, rotate the top knee upward like a clamshell opening. Lower with control. Don't let the pelvis rock backward.
This is the most targeted exercise for the gluteus medius — the muscle on the outer hip that stabilises the pelvis in single-leg movements. Weak here = knee collapse, hip drop, lower back pain.
Do: 15–20 reps per side, 3 sets.
2. Side-Lying Hip Abduction
Targets: Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus
Lie on your side with the band above the knees, legs straight. Lift the top leg to about 45 degrees — foot flexed, toes pointing slightly toward the floor to target the outer glute rather than the hip flexor. Lower with control.
Do: 15 reps per side, 3 sets.
3. Glute Bridge
Targets: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, hip abductors
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, band just above the knees. Press the knees outward against the band, then drive the hips to the ceiling. Squeeze the glutes at the top. Lower slowly.
The band cue here is critical: pressing the knees out activates the hip abductors simultaneously with the glutes, which is the correct firing pattern for most lower body movements. Without the band, many people collapse their knees inward at the top.
Do: 15–20 reps, 3 sets. Add a pulse at the top for extra burn.
4. Hip Thrust (Band)
Targets: Gluteus maximus — the most direct glute exercise available
Sit with your upper back against a couch, bench, or bolster. Feet flat on the floor, band above the knees, knees pressed out. Drive the hips up until the body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold at the top, lower slowly.
The hip thrust is the single most effective exercise for gluteus maximus development. The band adds abductor work and prevents knee cave throughout the movement.
Do: 12–15 reps, 3–4 sets.
5. Squat with Band
Targets: Gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hip abductors
Band just above the knees. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Press the knees outward into the band throughout the entire movement — don't let them cave inward at the bottom or on the way up. Squat to parallel or below, drive through the heels to stand.
The band turns a squat into a simultaneous hip abductor exercise. The cue to push the knees out improves squat mechanics for most people immediately.
Do: 15–20 reps, 3 sets.
6. Monster Walk (Lateral Band Walk)
Targets: Hip abductors, gluteus medius
Band just above the knees or around the ankles (ankles = harder). Slight squat position, feet shoulder-width apart. Step laterally — right foot steps right, then left foot follows, maintaining the width. Walk 10 steps in each direction.
This exercise directly loads the hip abductors in the standing position — different from lying work because the glutes must also help stabilise the pelvis against gravity.
Do: 10 steps each direction, 3 sets.
7. Donkey Kick
Targets: Gluteus maximus
On hands and knees, band just above the knees. Keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees, drive one heel toward the ceiling. The movement is hip extension — think of pressing the heel straight up rather than swinging the leg back. Lower with control.
Do: 15–20 reps per side, 3 sets.
8. Fire Hydrant
Targets: Gluteus medius, hip external rotators
On hands and knees, band just above the knees. Keeping the knee bent, lift one knee out to the side — like a dog at a fire hydrant. Control the lowering phase.
Combine with donkey kicks as a superset: 15 donkey kicks straight into 15 fire hydrants on the same side before switching.
Do: 15 reps per side, 3 sets.
9. Standing Hip Abduction
Targets: Gluteus medius, hip abductors
Standing upright, band just above the knees. Hold onto a wall for balance if needed. Keeping the leg straight, lift one foot out to the side — lead with the heel, not the toe — to about 30–45 degrees. Control the return.
This trains the abductors in a functional standing position — the position they need to work in during running, walking, and most sports.
Do: 15 reps per side, 3 sets.
10. Sumo Squat Pulse
Targets: Inner thighs, glutes, hip abductors
Band just above the knees. Feet wider than shoulder-width, toes turned out. Lower into a sumo squat position. From the bottom, pulse up and down 2–3 inches — small range, constant tension. Don't come all the way up between pulses.
This is a burnout exercise — do it last. The constant tension with no rest at the top makes it significantly harder than it looks.
Do: 30–40 pulses, 2 sets.
A Simple Workout Structure
If you want to put these together into a complete session:
Warm-up (light band): Clamshell x15 + Glute Bridge x15 per side — 2 rounds
Main work (medium/heavy band): Hip Thrust, Squat with Band, Donkey Kick + Fire Hydrant superset — 3 sets each
Finisher: Monster Walk + Sumo Squat Pulse — 2 rounds
Total time: 25–35 minutes. No gym. Just a mat, a band, and the exercises above.
Shop YR Resistance Bands:
- Individual bands — Rp 275,000 (Ocean, Graphite, Earth, Amethyst)
- Full set — Rp 750,000 (multiple resistance levels)
Cotton and latex construction. In store at Yoga Republik, Jl. Batu Mejan No. 2-88, Canggu — open daily 9am–9pm. Ships internationally.