Band Hip Abduction

How to do it

1. Loop a mini band around both ankles or just above the knees, depending on resistance preference.
2. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees, hands on hips for balance.
3. Shift your weight onto your left leg and press your right leg straight out to the side against the band.
4. Pause briefly at the top of the lift, feeling the squeeze in the side of your right hip.
5. Lower the right leg back to the starting position with control, keeping tension on the band throughout.
6. Complete 12 to 15 reps per side, alternating legs once the working glute is fully fatigued.

Common mistakes

• Leaning the torso to the opposite side to swing the leg out, which removes load from the glute medius.
• Letting the hips rotate forward as the leg lifts, turning the movement into a hip-flexor exercise.
• Using a band so heavy that form breaks — start light to feel the glute working, then progress.
• Rushing the eccentric and letting the band snap the leg back in, losing half the time-under-tension.