Introduction
Plyopic Hip Bands offer the most effective glute, hip and lower body resistance based warm up possible. The added resistance from our bands gives your workout the extra kick required to tone and build muscle fast.
Plyopic bands can be used for warm-up, primary and accessory exercises, including squats, deadlifts, hip thrusters, leg kickbacks, yoga, and many more. The bands activate the smaller muscle groups in your tough-to-target hips and glutes fixing any imbalances while also activating the major muscles groups.
Many athletes now use these resistance bands during every single lower body workout in order to improve technique and gain flexibility and strength in targeted areas faster. The benefits speak for themselves. With just 5-15 minutes of Plyopic bands work each lower body training session, you’ll begin to notice the following benefits:
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Exercise Summary
Click on the Exercises below to jump to each section:
Exercise 1: Band Walk - Regular
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart so there is tension in the band
- For a squat variation on this movement, bend your knees a few inches and hinge forward at the hips (a quarter squat), keeping your abs engaged and glutes tight. Be sure to keep your back flat and shoulders back so you're not hunching over
- Standing upright, with your abs engaged and glutes tight, take 10 steps forward
- Take 10 steps backward. That's 20 reps.
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance)
- Place the band around your ankles (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart so there is tension in the band
- For a squat variation on this movement, bend your knees a few inches and hinge forward at the hips (a quarter squat), keeping your abs engaged and glutes tight. Be sure to keep your back flat and shoulders back so you're not hunching over
- Take 10 steps forward
- Take 10 steps backward. That's 20 reps.
Exercise 2: Band Walk - Wide Sweep
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart so there is tension in the band
- Standing upright step forward and out to the side with one foot
- Then step forward and out to the side with the other foot
- Take 10 big steps forward, keeping your feet as wide apart as you can. Try not to waddle or rotate your hips too much as you walk
- Take 10 big steps backward in the same manner. That's 20 reps.
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance)
- Place the band midway between your ankles and knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Follow same steps as the Hip Band above
- For a squat variation on this movement, bend your knees a few inches and hinge forward at the hips (a quarter squat), keeping your abs engaged and glutes tight. Be sure to keep your back flat and shoulders back so you're not hunching over.
Exercise 3: Band Walk - Lateral
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart so there is tension in the band
- With the band in place, assume an athletic standing position, with the knees and hips slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and the head and chest up
- Staying low, take a slow, lateral step. Keep your toes pointed forward and stay low. After completing the step, follow with the opposite leg. Step slowly, resisting the band. Keep the feet at least shoulder-width apart to maintain band tension. Be sure to step on your heel, not just on your toes, to activate your glutes fully
- Continue to laterally step in this manner to complete the set for the desired number of repetitions before switching to walk in the opposite direction.
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance)
- Place the band around your lower legs. The resistance can be applied closer to the knees for an easier movement or around the ankles or feet for a more advanced movement
- Follow same steps as the Hip Band above.
Exercise 4: Squat
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width to shoulder-width apart, with your hands in front of your chest or on your hips
- With your chest lifted and back straight, bend your knees and push your butt back to lower into a squat (seated position), keeping your knees pushed out over your ankles
- Stand back up, keeping your core engaged throughout the full movement
- Do 20 reps.
Exercise 5: Lunge - Regular
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your arms down by your sides
- With your chest lifted and back straight, take a large step forward with your left foot and lower yourself into lunge position until your back knee almost touches the floor
- Push yourself back up through your front quad muscle (thigh) to starting position and step your front leg back to original standing position.
- Keep the front foot flat on the ground and avoid adding stress on your knees by making sure your front knee does not bend and travel past your front toes
- The more you pull with your upper body, the harder the exercise will be on your legs, plus giving some isometric strength work in your arms
- Perform your reps slowly to focus on correct form and deepen the intensity
- Longer strides tend to engage your glutes and supporting leg muscles fully vs shorter strides tend to specifically target the glutes.
Exercise 6: Lunge - Plié
Hip Band (Heavy or Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your arms out in front of your chest for balance
- With your chest lifted and back straight, bend your left knee and lower your upper body into squat position moving your right in a sweeping diagonal direction behind your left leg until it reaches full extension, with your right foot touching the floor to maintain balance
- Avoid adding stress on your knees by making sure your front knee does not bend and travel past your front toes
- Push yourself back up through your left quad muscle (thigh) to starting position and step your right leg back to original standing position
- Repeat the movement for around 10 reps on each leg with a 15 second break between legs. 20 reps total
- Perform your reps slowly to focus on correct form and deepen the intensity.
Exercise 7: Knee Lift
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance) or Hip Band (Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your arms out in front of your chest or holding a prop for balance
- With your chest lifted and back straight, raise your left knee to waist height, tightening your glutes as you lift
- Hold your knee for a moment in the raised position before lowering it back to the starting position
- Repeat the movement for 10 reps on each leg. 20 reps total
- Perform your reps slowly to focus on correct form and deepen the intensity.
Exercise 8: Kick Back - Standing
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance) or Hip Band (Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees (or a higher position for less resistance)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your arms holding a prop for balance
- Shift all your weight onto your right leg and place your left toes on the ground about an inch diagonally behind your left heel, so there is tension in the band
- Squeeze your abs and tuck your pelvis under as you lift your left leg behind you around 6 inches, keeping the leg straight, tightening your glutes as you lift. If you feel your lower back arching when you kick, make the movement smaller. Do not rock forward to try to get the leg up higher. Height doesn’t matter. Just focus on squeezing your glute and keeping your core tight
- Return your left foot to the ground, without putting weight on it, keeping tension in the band, for 1 rep. Repeat the motion for 10 reps on each leg. 20 reps total.
Exercise 9: Kick Back - Kneeling
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance) or Hip Band (Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees and get into a kneeling plank position with your arms shoulder-width apart and your legs hip-width apart, ensuring there is tension in the band
- Shift all your weight onto your right leg
- Squeeze your abs and tighten your glutes as you lift your left leg behind you and upwards, maintaining a bent knee, with your heel as high as you can towards the ceiling without rocking or rotating your hips
- If you feel your lower back arching when you kick, make the movement smaller and focus on squeezing your glute and keeping your core tight
- Return your left leg to the ground, without putting weight on it, keeping tension in the band, for 1 rep
- Repeat the movement for 10 reps on each leg. 20 reps total
- Perform your reps slowly to focus on correct form and deepen the intensity.
Exercise 10: Side Kick - Kneeling
Mini Hip Band (Light Resistance) or Hip Band (Medium Resistance)
- Place the band just above the knees and get into a kneeling plank position with your arms shoulder-width apart and your legs hip-width apart, ensuring there is tension in the band
- Shift all your weight onto your right leg
- Keeping your core engaged and without shifting your hips or over-arching your back, lift your left knee out to the side in a slow controlled motion.
- Return your left leg to the ground, without putting weight on it, keeping tension in the band, for 1 rep
- Repeat the movement for 10 reps on each leg. 20 reps total
- Perform your reps slowly to focus on correct form and deepen the intensity. Try and keep constant resistance in the band, so if that means you don't come all the way back down to the ground, that's okay.