Use These 10 Exercises To Create Endless Resistance Band Leg Workouts
Weights? Who needs ’em.
Don’t get me wrong; I love using weights to build stronger, more defined legs—but it IS absolutely possible to see results without them. Whether you’re working out at home from a teeny-tiny bedroom or just need a break from the dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells (oh my!), do yourself a favor and give resistance band leg workouts a chance.
But how can you possible reap major benefits with just resistance bands—especially if you’re used to hitting the weights? Two simple tactics make a world of difference.
The first: unilateral (a.k.a. single-leg) exercises, which require your working leg to fire double-time. And the second: tempo work, in which you slow down your pace to increase the amount of time your muscles spend under tension (or actively engaged), ultimately increasing the stress you put on them and boosting the results you see.
Trust me, DIY a workout with the resistance band leg exercises here and you’ll never underestimate this super-simple piece of equipment ever again. Your entire lower body, from your glutes to your quads to your hamstrings, will be torched for days.
Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: long resistance band, box (or another sturdy, elevated surface, like a stair)
Good for: legs, lower-body
Instructions: Choose four exercises below. Perform 15 reps of each, then continue onto the next, resting only as needed. After you’ve finished all of your movements, rest for at least one minute. Then, repeat three times more for a total of four rounds.
Banded Curtsy Lunge
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, a long resistance band beneath arch of right foot, and one end of the band in either hand at chest-height, elbows bent and close to body. Take a big step back with left leg, crossing it behind right side. Bend knees and lower hips until right thigh is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep torso upright and hips and shoulders as square as possible. Return to start. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: Press right knee outward throughout movement to engage side-butt (a.k.a. glute medius) muscle.
Banded Front Squat
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Stand on the middle of the resistance band with feet hip-width apart, holding one end of the band in either hand. Bend arms to bring hands up next to ears, and lift elbows up until triceps are parallel to the floor and narrow. This is your starting position. Keeping arms still, engage core and bend at knees to sink hips back and down until thighs are parallel to floor. Press through feet to extend legs and return to standing. That’s one rep. Perform 15, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Banded Tempo Front Squat
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Stand on the middle of the resistance band with feet hip-width apart, holding one end of the band in either hand. Bend arms to bring hands up next to ears, and lift elbows up until triceps are parallel to the floor and narrow. This is your starting position. Keeping arms still, engage core and bend at knees to sink hips back and down slowly to the count of three, until thighs are parallel to floor. Then, press through feet to extend legs and return to standing on the same count. That’s one rep. Perform 15, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Single-Leg Box Squat
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing facing away from a box (or chair) with weight in left foot, right foot hovering, and arms at sides. Engage core, bend left knee, and push hips back to sink down into a single-leg squat until butt touches box, simultaneously extending arms out straight in front of body and right foot out slightly for balance. Once seat taps box, press through left foot to return to standing position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: If needed, gently rest right heel on floor to use right leg as a kickstand throughout the movement for more stability.
Banded Tempo Single-Leg Deadlift
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing on left leg with foot over the middle of a long resistance band and one end of the band in either hand. Push hips back to hinge at waist while lowering torso toward floor and lifting straight right leg back behind body until both are parallel to floor. Drive through left heel to reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: Lower only as far as possible while keeping tension in left leg and core.
Banded Tempo Deadlift
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing with feet over the middle of a long resistance band and hands holding the ends of the band with palms facing body. Push hips back to hinge forward and lower torso and hands down toward the floor on the count of three until chest is about parallel to floor. Drive through heels to reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: Stand in front of a wall and push glutes back towards it to practice hinging from hips and keep strain out of lower back.
Banded Tempo Staggered-Stance Deadlift
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing on left leg with center of resistance band looped under left, hold one end of the band in either hand, step right foot back slightly, and lift heel. Push hips back and lower torso forward to 45-degree angle. Drive through left heel to reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Step-Down
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing with left foot flat on a box or other sturdy, elevated surface, right leg straight, foot hovering a few inches above floor, and hands on hips. Engage core, then slowly and with control, bend left knee and hip to lower down until right toes tap floor. From here, press through left heel to re-straighten left leg while driving right knee forward in front of body and up to hip height, maintaining a 90-degree bend in right knee. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: Tap right toes down onto floor as gently as possible, keeping weight in left leg throughout entire movement.
Step-Up
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing facing a box or other sturdy, elevated surface with hands on hips. Engage core, then step left foot up onto the box. Press through left foot to re-straighten left leg while driving right knee forward in front of body and up to hip height, maintaining a 90-degree bend in right knee and coming to balance on left leg on top of box. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Banded Bear Plank Glute Kickback
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings
How to: Loop a long resistance band around left foot and hold one end in either hand to secure it in place, then get on all fours with shoulders stacked over wrists (palms pressing band ends down into mat), back flat, toes tucked, and knees hovering a few inches off floor. Keep core tight, shoulders and hips square, and foot flexed, then squeeze glute and lift left knee up in line with hip without changing shape of leg. Reverse the movement to return to start.
That’s one rep. Perform 15 on each side, then continue on to your next move, resting as needed. After you’ve finished all of your exercises (remember, you’re doing four total), rest for one minute, then repeat the entire workout three times more for a total of four rounds.
Pro tip: Imagine you’re trying to stamp the sole of your left foot on the ceiling and move from the hips, not the lower back.
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