Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Expanded Style Band Hip Lift: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The band hip lift is a glute-focused exercise performed on the floor with a resistance band placed above the knees. It targets the glutes and also works the hamstrings and quadriceps. The movement involves lifting the hips off the ground while keeping the core engaged and squeezing the glutes at the top.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Quads , Hamstrings
Equipment
Band
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the expanded style band hip lift
Front view: muscles worked by the expanded style band hip lift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the expanded style band hip lift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the expanded style band hip lift

  1. Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Step 2: Place a resistance band just above your knees.
  3. Step 3: Engage your glutes and core muscles.
  4. Step 4: Press your heels into the ground and lift your hips off the floor, squeezing your glutes at the top.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Focus on expanded movement.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the expanded style band hip lift by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Expanded Style Band Hip Lift alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.