Description
A lower body exercise that targets the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. It is performed by placing a resistance band around your back foot and holding the other end in your hands. Then, you perform a split squat.
How to Do Band Split Squat
- 1Setup
Stand in a split stance with your right foot forward and left foot back, ensuring your feet are hip-width apart for proper balance.
- 2Setup
Place a resistance band under the arch of your front (right) foot, holding an end in each hand at shoulder height, ensuring the band is taut.
- 3Setup
Maintain an upright torso, engage your core, and keep your shoulders pulled back and down, looking straight ahead.
- 4
Inhale as you slowly lower your back knee towards the floor, allowing your front knee to bend to approximately a 90-degree angle, keeping your front heel grounded.
- 5
Exhale and drive through your front heel, pushing powerfully back up to the starting position, squeezing your front glute at the top.
- 6
Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching your stance and repeating the movement with the other leg forward.
Tips
- Control the eccentric phase by slowly lowering your body for a 2-3 second count, maximizing time under tension and muscle engagement in the glutes and quads.
- Focus on driving through the heel of your front foot throughout the ascent to better engage your glutes and hamstrings, rather than pushing off your toes.
- Keep your gaze fixed straight ahead and maintain a strong core brace to help stabilize your body and prevent wobbling throughout the movement.
- Choose a band resistance that allows for smooth, controlled movement without compromising form, ensuring the band remains taut through the full range of motion.
Common Mistakes
- ×Avoid allowing your front knee to cave inward; actively push your knee slightly outward to align it with your second toe, protecting the knee joint.
- ×Prevent excessive forward lean by keeping your torso upright and shoulders stacked over your hips to maintain balance and properly target the glutes and quads.
- ×Ensure you achieve sufficient depth by lowering until your front thigh is parallel to the floor or your back knee is just above it, maximizing the range of motion and muscle activation.
Variations

Resistance Band Adduction Split Squat
Strengthen your inner thighs, glutes, and quads with the Resistance Band Adduction Split Squat. Improve hip stability and lower body strength.

Bulgarian Split Squat with Chair
Master the Bulgarian Split Squat, a powerful unilateral leg exercise targeting quads and glutes, enhancing strength and balance.

Suspended Split Squat
A variation of the traditional split squat, this exercise involves one leg being elevated behind you, suspended using a gym ring or TRX.

Barbell Side Split Squat
Master the Barbell Side Split Squat to build powerful quads, glutes, and inner thighs.
Related Exercises

Resistance Band Split Squat
Perform resistance band split squats to build powerful legs and glutes. This unilateral exercise challenges balance and strengthens quads, glutes, and

Dumbbell Split Squat
Strengthen your quads, glutes, and hamstrings with the Dumbbell Split Squat. This unilateral exercise improves leg strength, balance, and stability

Dumbbell Single Leg Split Squat
Master the dumbbell single leg split squat to build powerful glutes and quads. This unilateral movement enhances balance, stability, and lower body

Weighted Squat
Master the weighted squat to build powerful legs and glutes. This compound exercise effectively strengthens your lower body, core, and improves overall

Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.

Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
Build total-body strength with this demanding complex combining renegade rows and explosive squats.
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